Time for Thinking
Rest when you're weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work. — Ralph Marston
Do you set aside time for thinking, empowering, refreshing, meditating each day? These are labels that denote a concept like recharging your batteries or phones. We wouldn't consider letting the batteries in our phones run down. Heaven help us if we are unreachable. Much like we have to recharge our phones to stay in contact, we have to refresh our brains to think clearly.
When our bodies get tired, we sleep. So what do we do when our brains get tired and our thinking becomes sluggish? First, each of us must find our solutions and schedule the time throughout our day to take the time to refresh our thinking.
Here are some common ways to do that:
- Drink a glass of water.
- Set aside time to look out the window and daydream.
- Go outside and take a walk.
- Do a breathing meditation for five minutes with your eyes closed and follow your breath.
- Have a snack but don't eat while you continue to work. That will defeat the purpose.
- Take a power nap if you're lucky enough to have learned how to go to sleep instantly.
Why Schedule time to refresh your Brian?
The number one reason to schedule this time in our day is to give our brains a chance to refresh. We need this time because we live in a time of sensory overload. If you live in a city, it constantly bombards you with the city's noise. If you work in an open office, the rage during my work life, you hear scraps or pieces of disconnected conversations all day long. People walking by your cubicle give you snippets of visual stimulus. Your computer with social media is constantly vying for your attention.
Scheduling brain downtime and thinking time is essential to your mental health. Think about going home after an insanely busy day with difficulties and no rest. You open the door, and your partner yells at you to take care of the kids; they are driving me crazy. It is the last thing you want to do, and you most likely will not do it the way you want to. If you schedule downtime just before going home, you arrive in a different frame of mind. You are better able to handle the crisis with the kids.
According to psychologists, our brain has two significant modes of processing. One is the action-oriented mode, where we do tasks, solve problems, and process data. The second mode is the default mode network, and it switches on when we aren't in action mode. For example, the default mode switches on when your mind takes a break. This is your reflection mode.
The default mode network is the part of the brain activated when we are meditating, thinking, daydreaming, and during periods of introspection. This portion of the brain is about self-focus.
When we are in default, even if only for a few minutes, our action mode part of the brain is at rest.
"What needs to be cleansed and refreshed in your life? What yucky stuff has created a stagnant and negative environment that muddies your waters and depletes your energy? Be willing to stir things up and make it messy for a short while so you may enjoy more clarity ad vibrancy for a long while."― Susan C. Young.
