Most people that I know rush through their days from meeting to meeting, filling every possible gap in their schedule either with meetings or operational activities. Lunch is either a hurried affair at the desk or possibly a fast dash with a coworker or two to the local sandwich shop.
And while that is the nature of work in this world, the one thing that suffers is finding a few spare moments to think and process on how to deal with a problem or leverage an opportunity.
As challenging as it sounds, it’s important for you to find 10-minutes in your workday to block out or step away from phones and e-mail and all of the other activities that keep your brain completely occupied, and just think.
I’ve made a habit of this over my entire career and I almost always come back from my ten-minute brain break with some fresh ideas on a vexing issue. In comparing notes with colleagues, most have indicated that they have some sort of quick-refresh process that they strive to fit into their days.
5 Suggestions to Help You Create Time to Think
- Hit the stairs. If you live in a multi-story building, grab an opportunity to step into the stairwell and hike some flights.
- Walk around your office complex-weather dependent of course.
- Turn off your phones and your computer, close your door and just think. One colleague meditates and another puts on Mozart and soaks it up.
- Find an empty meeting room with a white-board and map out your ideas in living color.
- Take ten to read something. It doesn’t matter what…just something that will allow you to focus.
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Regardless of your choice, your brain and with some of the ideas above, your waist-line will thank you. Happy thinking!