Sometimes in life, you have to wait. Either waiting for a reply, for something to finish or until something can begin, I often find myself waiting around for things. Often it feels like this time was a waste – but does it have to be?
One thing you can take the time to do is to reflect on things passed. What went well, what didn’t go so well? Could you do it differently, should the opportunity come around again? Reflection is often a good basis for development, so if you have the time, build yourself with it for the future.
Speaking of the future, is there anything else coming up you could do with forming a plan on? Grab that spare bit of paper and a pen – or open up a new note on your device whilst you wait and use the time to get those steps down.
Not got anything, or wish you didn’t? If you never feel like there’s enough time for a break, maybe take this opportunity to do a little light meditation or mindfulness. Both are proven to have health benefits and don’t require a lot, perhaps a set of headphones and a device capable of playing audio files if you prefer a guide. A little bit of time to appreciate the sensations in your body and around you, and in the case of meditation, the opportunity to use your mind to explore a different plane of thought rather than what’s going on around you, can really help with your well-being.
Finally, if you have to wait for a long time – maybe take the opportunity to rest. In today’s busy 24/7 world, they say it’s hard to take time to rest, especially with the fear and worry of something you could be doing – something I’m most certainly guilty of. If you can’t negotiate a rest period in-between work and life, maybe use this in-between of things to happen to get your rest on. It doesn’t necessarily have to be sleep if you’re not tired, or if like me a short power nap can do more harm than good, but just sitting or laying down sometimes can allow your muscles and mind to rest and refuel. This also doesn’t just go for physical activity, but for mental activity as well, as it’s proven the brain can only cope with intake of information for so long, and processing it all like you’re a computer at capacity can lead to emotional drainage and possible burnout – so take the heat of now and again to cool down.
However you use your spare minutes, use them wisely as we don’t get them back later on in life. As mentioned in a previous post and in reference to Mark Slavnic – there are 86,400 second in your day – what will you do with the extra ones gifted to you?
Have a great week everyone,
Mike