Pockets of Quiet and Stillness
Here's your reminder to create pockets of quiet and stillness in your days.
There was a time when I tried to be productive every waking moment. I'd always listen to podcasts when washing dishes, cooking, doing the laundry, walking.
Three things happened:
- I felt maxed out. It felt like I wasn't getting enough rest. And that affected my productivity negatively. Instead of having the focus and energy to work, I felt tired and uninspired.
- I didn't give my mind a chance to come up with new ideas. You'd think consuming so much information would lead to great, new ideas. But that happens in the subconscious, when you're doing nothing and letting your mind wander, giving it the freedom to jump from one thing to the next and draw new connections.
- It closes doors to spontaneous conversations. When you have your airpods on, or you have the podcast playing on speakers, you're wearing an invisible sign that reads, "I'm busy. Don't talk to me." It shuts down conversations before they even start, conversations that could have been meaningful or inspiring. Conversations you could have enjoyed.
So, protect those pockets of stillness. Block them in your calendar if you have to. Maybe dedicate Sundays to slow, unscheduled days.
The mind needs time to breathe. Give it space.