Time out for busy bodies leads to more productivity

Use part of every day to do nothing and reflect

When we get busy, we tend to allow no time for reflection. Picture: portishead1

How are you? Busy? It's a question I hear a lot, particularly in business networking sessions.

The way it is asked seems somewhat rhetorical, similar to "How are you going? Good?”. How are you supposed to answer?

Perhaps in a business context it is in relation to having a good amount of work coming in to keep the business viable but in a general context?

What is good about being busy?

Clearly it is better to be effective or productive or profitable, particularly commercially.

"Busyness'' does not necessarily equate to any of those results. I know plenty of people who keep themselves busy doing all sorts of things for themselves or for others but I get the impression that it's a bit of a burden.

My guess is that it stops us thinking about something that may be troubling us or doing something that we are resisting.

Has anyone else ever got busy with a major house cleaning project when you have something really important you should be doing?

Cleaning suddenly seems more important and surprisingly appealing.

If you are a busy person, what exactly is keeping you busy and what are your reasons?

Do you find it hard to say no to certain people? Do you need distraction? If you agree that keeping busy might be avoidance then what is it you are avoiding and what has caused that?

When we get busy doing things we leave no time for just being. We leave no time out just to reflect.

Reflection is important for our physical and psychosocial health - even more so if your brain is also busy.

Take some time to reflect on your past week and consider how busy you were.

What have you achieved? How satisfying was it? How much time out did you have?

If you would like to change your approach then find some time during your day when you can have some peace and quiet. It may be only five minutes to start with.

You can always build from there. It may be easier in the morning than the evening.

When you've found the time and a quiet spot free from obvious distractions, sit, relax and do nothing.

Yes, do nothing.

It may feel challenging. You may have many random thoughts and that is okay.

Redirect them to your surroundings, your breathing, the sensations in your body.

Over time you will appreciate the time out and the mental clarity that comes as a result.

You may even find that you're no longer that busy, just more productive and fulfilled.

Rowena Hardy is a facilitator, performance coach and partner of Minds Aligned: www.mindsaligned.com.au