Incense Ritual

Independent from any one 'hack', 'product' or 'medication', the thing that helps us focus most is ritual. Building a ritual sends subconscious signals to the productive parts of your brain that it is time to get going. Lighting incense is a pillar of that ritual for us. Ideally you want something high quality enough that you feel called to honor the sacrifice its making for your enjoyment, something quick burning enough that you're not locked in for hours without taking a break but also plentiful enough that you don't need to keep 15 boxes of the stuff handy. Astier De Villatte checks every box for us and then some.

We've branched out beyond our first exposure scent-wise many years ago (The clove, sage + vetiver heavy Stockholm) but still see it as a defecto starting place for anyone new to the brand. If you're on the fence price wise (we get it), keep in mind that the box has 125 sticks in there. At 30 minutes burn time each, you're looking at about a penny per minute of focus. Chump change!