Downtime...

Downtime can dramatically improve mental and physical health and our personal relationships. So how can you better use downtime?

Clearly schedule your time: schedule evenings off, one to two days a week free of work, and weeklong chunks of vacation every year.

Allow for ad hoc downtime when you need it: If you're feeling stuck on a problem, frustrated, or simply tired of sitting down, take 10 minutes to walk, read for fun, or grab coffee with a friend to clear your mind.

Shut off your smartphone: Constant interconnectedness is a stressor. Find ways to create clear boundaries between work and life.

Create rituals and routines: SCreate rituals and routines that signal to your mind that it's time to start work, leave work, meditate, or engage with family.

It can be hard to carve out space for downtime in a 24/7 world. But it's precisely this chaos that requires the knowledge worker of the twenty-first century to be more vigilant than ever about cultivating the discipline to use downtime when the moment calls for it. 

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