Productivity Tip:

Use Visual Cues for Focus

With so many distractions around, it’s easy to lose focus or forget about your goals. Here’s something that can help: setting up visual cues. 

Your brain loves reminders it can actually see. That’s why little visual prompts in your environment can make such a big difference.

For example, putting a water bottle on your desk makes you drink more. For work, it might be a sticky note with your top task stuck to your screen, a notebook left open to a particular page, or even a “do not disturb” sign you flip over when it’s time to concentrate.

These kinds of cues help cut through mental clutter and make it easier to stick with what matters.

Read more here and give it a try!

Routine Breakdown

Amanda Lennon, Founder & Director of Astralis HR Solutions

The Efficient Morning Routine of a Mom & Business Owner

“As a mother of three children, with a high workload and running a successful business on my own, I need to be extremely organised at both ends of the day,” says HR consultant and employment lawyer Amanda Lennon. 

If you’re a parent, you can probably relate: not all of us have time for morning self-care, and that’s ok. Amanda’s focus on structure and efficiency is what keeps her days smooth! 

The Routine:

• Her routine starts the night before, when she preps for the next day. “I help with homework/run kids to and from sports activities, make packed lunches for school the next day, get school uniforms ready, and put my own clothes out for the next day.”
• She also checks her work diary for the next day and answers any emails she can reply to from her phone. “I also keep my phone by my bed in case I wake up in the night remembering something I need to do – in which case send myself an email to deal with in the morning.”
• She rises at 6.15, showers, and gets dressed.
• “I put packed lunches and water bottles on the kitchen worktop with my children’s vitamins/medication for them to take that day. I then check my work emails for any urgent emails that came in overnight.”
• At 7am, she gets her children up and dressed, and makes them breakfast. At 7.45 they leave for school.
• Work time. “At 8am, I start work (I work from home).”

Why it works:

• Amanda’s routine is focused on keeping things steady and predictable. This helps things run smoothly, minimizes decision fatigue, and lessens cognitive load in the mornings. It’s also good for the family unit: “My children appreciate the stability the routine brings too, and I’m there when they need me.”

Unlike many routines you read about, Amanda’s doesn’t include breathwork or gym sessions. It’s a good reminder that routines aren’t one-size-fits-all: they change with our lives. As long as you’re finding little ways to care for yourself, whether during the week or on weekends, that’s what counts!