As businesses, clients, and consumers are all adjusting to a new normal, many of us are spending more time at home — and whether we want to admit it or not, this doesn’t always do wonders for our productivity. But other than developing a daily routine, agreeing to new house rules, and repurposing freed up commuting time to learn new skills, productivity can also be sparked by a healthy dose of inspiration. Put together by Think with Google editors from across Europe, here’s a list of 9 good things to watch, read, and listen to.
What to watch to improve your knowledge
Learn from Google specialists, industry experts, and brands as they share their vision and best practices on how to successfully use digital marketing to transform business. This on-demand recording of our Transform event in Stockholm lets you sample from 13 presentations (10 to 20 minutes each) in your own time. Topics include brand experience, performance, cloud, and measurement.
Want to learn something new but have less than an hour? Then this is for you. In five 20-minute episodes, this series deep-dives into the human brain. Answering questions like “Why can’t we remember what’s in the fridge?” and “Do our dreams actually serve any purpose?”, it is bound to bring you a closer understanding of your own memory, anxiety, and mindfulness.
At a time where businesses are striving to be precise, useful, and relevant to their customers, the on-demand recordings of Google Europe’s Learn From Home week can offer help. The 8 sessions of product deep dives and insights covering subjects like Search, Customer Lifetime Value and YouTube will enable you to boost your digital marketing knowledge on your own schedule.
What to read to boost productivity
The Case for Creativity – James Hurman
From its relation to machine learning to its ability to help us innovate, the power of creativity is a well-covered topic on Think with Google. And while the debate on whether creativity makes advertising more effective has raged for many years, James Hurman attempts to answer the question definitively in “The Case for Creativity”. As former planning director with Australian agency, Colenso BBDO, he’s a great spokesperson — and backing up his own theories with two decades of international research has made his case even stronger.
On Confinement – The Book of Life
“If only we could apply a travelling mindset to our own rooms and immediate neighbourhoods, we might find these places becoming no less interesting than foreign lands.” In a time when we’re collectively having to exist in confined spaces, this chapter of “The Book of Life” offers a reflection suited ideally to the present time. Whether it’s the way in which quiet time can help the mind better understand itself or the practice of adopting a travelling mindset, there are ways to cope with the current situation that you may not have thought of before.
We all know that sleep is important, and no one likes to be deprived of it. But, as sleeping expert Matthew Walker describes in his in 2017 published book “Why We Sleep”, there’s not just one, but a whole array of reasons why we should be serious about going to bed on time. “Sleep enhances your memory, makes you more creative and attractive, and helps you feel happier, less depressed, and less anxious,” says Walker. Need we say more?
Great digital marketing podcasts to listen to
The Think with Google Podcast explores the future of digital marketing across the world. With strategies, tools, and interviews with experts, journalist and radio presenter Tess Vigeland is on hand to keep you and your marketing team ahead of the curve. Listen to all six 20-minute episodes here.
Eat. Sleep. Repeat – Bruce Daisley
This popular podcast, hosted by UK-based tech marketing expert Bruce Daisley, takes listeners on a journey destined to unravel the perfect balance between work and life. Focusing on science and experts, this podcast is aimed at giving you a new perspective on your job and how you relate to it. In this 54 minute episode, Daisley talks to Professor Dan Cable about how we can use this particular moment to make work more effective and enjoyable.
Hosted by British marketing experts Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper, this career podcast is packed with practical advice, tools, and techniques for anyone trying to navigate the squiggly, or not always straightforward, world of work. Particularly timely episodes (30 minutes each) are this one on developing strong resilience, and this one covering skills needed in an unpredictable world — both of which can help you find new ways to copy while working from home.
There's a plethora of options out there, but hopefully these recommendations will help spark productivity while you’re at home. For more resources and insights to support you through these times, have a look here.
