Information overload is one of the biggest challenges facing the modern worker. We are constantly bombarded with news, messages, advertising and all manner of information. The huge demands which are placed upon us and the struggle to stay organised and balance our workload can lead to a serious sense of overwhelm and stress. Neither our bodies nor our minds were designed to be constantly bombarded with demands and information all day every day. For the sake of our sanity, our energy levels and our performance, we need to get more quiet time in our day; allowing us to recover and reenergise.
Why more quiet time?
Sometimes you need to inject a little quiet time and some natural light into your routine and this can give you a lot more space to be calm and to be yourself. When you make time to be calm and be yourself; you connect with your needs and desires and, you make the best decisions about how to invest your time, money and energy.
The worst time to make a decision is when you are overcome by stress and anxiety and; stress and anxiety are natural consequences of not enjoying enough quiet time. Have you ever noticed how when you have a problem which seems insurmountable; if you get away from it for a short while, you can return to it with fresh ideas and a fresh impetus which help you to overcome the problem?
Taking some quiet time and getting away from the stresses and strains of your work will work wonders for your physical, mental and spiritual health.
Quiet time is a great way to get more focused and subsequently, increase your productivity. Learn more great strategies with my FREE eBook - Improve Your Focus; Increase Your Productivity.
Creating more quiet time
If you would like to create more quiet time to escape the pressures of work and boost your energy; here are some tips to help you do that:
1. Declutter your life
One of the best ways to find more quiet time is to remove the tasks and activities which add no value from your life. You may like to think that everything that you do is important but if your schedule is packed; the likelihood is that you are doing a number of things which qualify under one of the following heading:
Activities and tasks which fall under these headings are eating up your time while adding little or no value.
‘Less is more’ is a phrase which has become very popular. If you eliminate everything which doesn’t add value to your life, so that you can focus on what is truly important; then less certainly is more.
Key Point
We all claim that we don’t have enough time but that is rarely true. It is not that we do not have enough time; it is just that we waste far too much of the time that we do have. When you declutter your life, you will find that you have a lot more quiet time; and just as importantly, you will have a lot more time to focus on the people and things that add real value to your life.
Scale back
Learn to declutter your life and focus on what is really important with 'Scaling Back'.
2. Wind down your day
You may be struggling to get to sleep because your mind is still active and racing for some time after you go to bed. With smart phones, the internet and endless television channels; it is easy to keep your mind active late into the evening. The light from these devices also mimics sunlight so, your brain still thinks it is day time.
You can find more quiet time by using the last half hour or so before bed to wind down your day. Enjoy some peaceful and restful activities which encourage your body and mind to prepare for sleep. You can even make it a routine. One obvious activity is to read a good book (preferably a real book, not kindle) and allow your mind to wander. As you get caught up in the story, you will get some real enjoyment and you will begin to get tired. This will ensure that you get a better quality sleep.
Not only do you enjoy some quiet time for that period before bed; you will also have more energy the following day, due to the improved quality of your sleep. This will help you to be more productive and free up more time which can be used as quiet time.
Key Point
To wind down at the end of the day is critically important. You need to forget about the troubles of the day and ensure that you are prepared for tomorrow. That way, you get your worries off your mind because, if you don’t, you will find yourself ruminating on your problems and challenges while you should be sleeping.
Related
You get more quiet time while improving your quantity and quality of sleep by creating an evening routine. Read - The evening routine – end the day the right way.
3. Take a walk
Going for a walk will give you time to think and to get some fresh air.
At first, you may think that you do not have time for a walk but it is something which you need to work into your routine. Even a gentle walk will allow you to clear your mind and regather your focus and energy.
It may seem counterintuitive, but a good walk will increase your energy and while we think of the importance of exercise for our physical health; we often overlook the importance of exercise for mental health.
Walking is low-stress exercise. You are not going to place great strain on yourself while walking so, it gives you the opportunity to think as you walk. As your mind is free to wander and, you are physically removed from your problems / challenges, you will often find that you come up with creative solutions which help you get past any roadblocks you may have been encountering.
Since I worked in New Zealand, several years ago, I have taken a quick walk whenever I hit a problem that seems like it can’t be solved. Almost every time, I find an option which I hadn’t previously considered. In some cases, it is even just a matter of seeing the problem from a different perspective, whereby I realise that it is not really an issue.
Key Point
One of the reasons that quiet time is so important is that it allows you to think about your challenges and problems without being caught up in them. This allows you to be more objective. This subtle change in perspective is often all you need. Walking is a great way to get that quiet time.
Of course, walking also has a full range of physical, mental and emotional health benefits.
Related
For more benefits of walking and tips to fit walking into your schedule, read – Take a walk and experience the endless benefits.
Quiet time is a great way to get more focused and subsequently, increase your productivity. Learn more great strategies with my FREE eBook - Improve Your Focus; Increase Your Productivity.
4. Practice meditation
If you can find some time to mediate during the day, it will help you to destress and find peace and calm. Your mind will be cleared of your needless worries and you will be able to return to your day with a greater sense of focus. Meditation has been proven to have a wide array of physical, mental and spiritual health benefits.
From an early age, we learn to focus on our problems and to continue ruminating on them. This leads to us becoming worked up and stressed. The sad thing is that often, these problems are not big problems to start with. The problems become bigger as we think about them and become overwhelmed by them.
One of the many benefits that I experience from my meditation is the ability to keep my problems in perspective. Meditation trains my mind to let the negative thoughts pass through my mind without giving them too much of my attention. It is not about ignoring my problems. It is about giving my mind the quiet time it needs to gain a proper perspective on my life and work. I often find that I finish meditation and immediately start coming up with good ideas and creative thoughts.
Mediation also trains you to block out a lot ot the noise in life so that you can focus on what is important.
Key Point
Your mind easily becomes overrun with your daily activities. You find it hard to think about anything other than the problems and challenges you face. However, to best solve your problems and challenges, you need to enjoy some quiet time so that you can allow your mind to work on the issues. Meditation is one of the best ways to get quiet time and, it has the added benefit of training your mind to respond better to your daily challenges.
The Organised Mind
If you would like to organise your life to find more quiet time while increasing your productivity; The Organised Mind will help.
Conclusion
When you wish to increase your productivity, it is very easy to constantly focus on spending time getting more done. The problem with that is that there is only so much energy you can have and there is only so much time for you to divide between all of the key areas of your life. The answer cannot always be to spend more time working. That is why quiet time is so important. It gives you the time to relax, recover your energy and refocus on your key priorities. All of which will lead to a more productive life.