Taking time out for yourself when charging through life is probably the last thing on your mind. It’s selfish. Counter-intuitive. With school, work, family, and critical decisions regarding your future, it’s nearly impossible to complete everything on your to-do list, let alone squeeze in a few minutes of down time. It’s careless. It’s…
Smart.
That is why we at ATI agree with the many entrepreneurs and health professionals alike that say carving out a few moments in your day for “purposeful” down time is an investment in your long-term well being, your creative mind, and your compassionate heart. It’s increases your motivation while boosting your metabolism. It’s resting the muscle that is your brain to rejuvenate your passion and creativity. It’s telling yourself, “I matter, too,” so that you can continue to be there for others.
“Taking time for yourself gives your brain a chance to reboot, improves concentration, increases productivity… and helps you problem solve more effectively,” says Sherrie Bourg Carter, Psy.D. and author of High Octane Women: How Superachievers Can Avoid Burnout on Psychology Today . “Just start off small,” she encourages, “and see what happens.”
This doesn’t mean spending hours on the couch. Rather, it’s about carving out minutes or half an hour in your schedule to think, reflect, or pursue a hobby or other interest. It’s purposeful time to work on YOU.
Below are three ways that an ATI student can incorporate “purposeful” down time into his or her busy schedule:
- Turn off your gadgets:
A quick break to check social media can seem like down time, but usually, it’s just distracting. Disconnect from the distractions and stretch or pick up that book you’ve been dying to read. Just a few pages can clear the clutter in your mind and help you refocus to your next task at hand.
- Allow your mind to drift:
Maybe you take a quick bike ride. Maybe you fix up the old beater in your garage. Whatever the hobby you wish to pursue, allow your mind to think of your dreams and how you can reach them, your goals and how they can be pursued. Some of the best inventions were thought up in moments of down time, so take advantage of it!
- Write it down:
When you’ve got an idea during down time, write it down. Whatever it is, writing it down makes the idea tangible. Sometimes it will help to realize the idea’s ridiculousness, while other times, it will help to work out the possibilities. Either way, writing it down, accompanied by the next step of verbalizing the idea, makes it more real and will hold you accountable to making it happen.
Here at ATI we are committed to investing in YOU. Take the time each day to invest in YOU, too!
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