Why It's Important To Accept The Idea Of "Wasting" Time

 

There are productivity hacks everywhere you turn—ways to increase productivity, do more, and—very importantly—stop "wasting time"—in books and periodicals. The idea of "wasting time" incites feelings of guilt and stress since we live in a society that places a high value on productivity and outcomes, where working 70 or 80-hour weeks is considered an honor. What if we spend an hour working out and miss a crucial call? What if someone discovers that after hours of focused labor, we spent a little while on social media?

The truth is that when organizations embrace the value of "wasting time," both people and corporations stand to gain significantly. It turns out that humans lack the capacity to work 16-hour days, or even possibly eight or ten-hour days, with high output and constant quality. Although only briefly, the human brain is capable of concentration. People should be urged to pass some time between those concentrated sessions.

What do you do to waste time?

You might not be able to prevent all of your time wasters. These are tasks related to employment that don't need a lot of mental or creative effort. Even though they may seem like a waste of time, administrative duties and obligatory meetings are usually essential to your overall function or role. (If they aren't, it might be time to discuss delegation and setting priorities.)

Even if they seem like time wasters, some activities are actually quite good for our physical, mental, and professional well-being. Exercise, reading, taking up hobbies like carpentry or gardening, and spending time with friends and family all fulfill crucial human needs. Even though it may seem like time is being wasted, these activities benefit your general health.

The behaviors we frequently feel the most terrible about fall into a third group. Examples include playing video games, looking through social media, or binge-watching the newest Netflix series. You could feel bad about engaging in these hobbies, but should you?

Know your boundaries.

You probably only have four to five hours per day of serious focus available if you depend on your intelligence and mental sharpness in some way for a living. When those hours are spent working can vary greatly; for example, some people are most productive and focused in the morning, while others begin to enter a state of flow in the evening.

In the past, many brilliant people, including writers, scientists, and painters, have divided their days into two or three tiny blocks of time when they can work intensely, devoting the rest of their days to personal activities like long walks, family time, or other passion projects.

Even though it's interesting to know that Charles Darwin only put in around four hours a day of labor, it might not be a strong enough justification for taking the day off for the most of it. The broader point is that in order to maintain long-term productivity and prevent burnout and tiredness, your brain needs to have some time to rest, which may require you to squander some time.

Three benefits of participating in activities that seem like time wasters are as follows:

We can reset with some brain rest.

Your brain requires a break in order to rest and prepare for refocusing. That includes both lengthy and brief breaks. Away from your computer, go for a quick walk, read a chapter of a book, prepare lunch, or obtain a snack. Your brain may reset and get ready to dig back in by taking a break from work-related duties.

Breaks are when problems are solved.

How often have you worked on an issue for hours on end before coming up with a solution when engaged in an unrelated activity days later (having a shower, exercising, driving, speaking with a buddy, etc.)? This is due to the fact that, similar to a computer program running in the background, even after we put a problem away, our brains continue to work on it. You might be able to address difficult difficulties by taking breaks from work to do something unrelated.

It takes time-wasting to be creative.

Innovation frequently occurs while people are having fun. The well-known "20 percent Policy" of Google supports this notion. Employees were required by policy to devote 20% of their time to research or undertaking tasks that did not guarantee an immediate financial reward. This policy gave rise to innovations like Google News, AdSense, and Gmail. This isn't to mean that you'll be able to come up with new ideas while binge-watching Netflix, but you might be able to read a business book, watch a TED Talk, or strike up a friendly dialogue with a coworker.

Keep in mind that you are not a machine, and that even machines periodically need to be reset and recalibrated. Your brain and body need "wasting time" to rebalance and reset. Think about it:

• When you take the time to look after your physical health during the day, do you feel guilty? Why?
• How much time do you spend each day on activities unrelated to work? Does it suffice?
• What enjoyable productive past times do you enjoy (such as working out, reading, doing crafts, etc.)? What new one would you like to try?

Set a timer for 30 minutes the next time you feel stuck, worn out, or stressed at your desk and take a little break from work. There's a considerable chance that you'll return to your tasks with more vigor and concentration.