7 Ways To Find More Time In Your Day To Think
Relief, curiosity or addiction; our motivations for turning to devices in moments of tedium are myriad and increasingly complex. Recently you may have noticed another enter the arena: guilt. Hustle culture insists on a relentless toil and our modern obsession with “the grind” means unstructured or un-optimised time no longer fits our Get rich or die tryin’ narrative.
But this year in particular, compounded by the COVID-19 induced Working From Home movement (or as some have now likened it, Living At Work) our daily windows for daydreaming, pondering life’s problems and thinking of new ideas have become smaller than ever. With this in mind, we’ve compiled a helpful list of opportunities for extracting more valuable minutes from your day to be alone with your brain:
Just you for number one or two. Let’s get the most obvious one out of the way first: give yourself 5 minutes of screen-free peace when using the bathroom. Whether you think of it as a short test of mental fortitude or simply a way to reduce the burgeoning population of germs on your screen, leave your device at the door.
The 5-minute rule. After climbing into bed at night, spend 5 minutes with your eyes closed or staring into the dark and allow your mind to wander. The cogs will turn and it’ll give your subconscious a better chance of connecting the dots and solving problems while you sleep. Likewise in the morning, before you wake your partner or reach for your phone, remain horizontal and enjoy 5 minutes of fresh thinking time.
Shower Power. This entry needs no explanation - we’ve all had ideas as we rinse and repeat - I will however recommend setting an intention for your shower. I.e. as you turn on the tap remind yourself this is a brief, uninterrupted opportunity to think about [BLANK].
Coffee, Tea or Me, Myself and I? An achievable window for abandoning your phone without succumbing to empty-pocket anxiety is to leave it at home when you venture out for coffee. Even if your local cafe is only a few minutes away, that’s a short stroll - plus a few minutes waiting on the barista to work their magic - to come up with your next great idea.
Break a sweat or get wet. Hitting the gym (or swimming laps or taking a dip at the beach) is a fantastic way to not only peel away from devices but also clear your head of “thought cobwebs” (sticky ideas of little substance that outstay their welcome) and reclaim time in your day to think.
A Quiet Place. These days you might only be commuting from the dining table to the couch but, even around the house, headphones can create a private studio for your imagination (and result in fewer noise complaints). New music can be distracting so usually older stuff you’re more familiar with works best. For podcasts I highly recommend Loose Units, 99% Invisible, ABC’s Conversations or The Moment with Brian Koppelman).
Lunch Vacation. How often have you had an overload of ideas on holiday? (or as some of us are experiencing during pandemic lockdowns: strikingly vivid dreams) I don’t speak a lick of Mandarin or Cantonese so a lunchtime venture into Chinatown feels like a mini vacation for my cluttered mind. Without context in surrounding conversations, unable to eavesdrop, I find I can focus and think much more clearly. Plus, it’s a great excuse to escape the home office and dine out.
