The Japanese have a word for the transition between activities: 'ma' — the space between. In traditional Japanese architecture, the hallway is not a corridor; it is a 'ma' — a space that allows you to shift from one room's purpose to another.
Incense serves the same function. You do not light incense while you work. You light it when you stop working. The scent is not the point; the act of lighting is.
We recommend two incense moments in the day:
The morning threshold: Light a stick of incense when you sit down at your desk. Do not check email. Do not open the laptop. Just sit. The incense takes 15 minutes to burn. Use that time to think about what you are about to do.
The evening threshold: Light a different scent when you close the laptop. Sandalwood, cedar, or aloeswood — something warm and low. The incense marks the end of the workday more effectively than any calendar reminder.
The object — the holder, the stand, the burner — should be simple. It should be the same object every day. Ritual requires repetition, and repetition requires a fixed point. The incense holder is that point.