The Benefits of Downtime

What do you do in your downtime?

If you just said, “What downtime?” You are in the right place. You’re also not alone. We have been brought up to wear “busy” as a badge of honor. In many circles, it even provides the answer to the passing nicety of “How are you?”

“I’m busy.”

Well, I have a confession to make. I’m writing this Monday afternoon. I normally write my blog on Monday morning, so what caused the several-hour delay? No, I wasn’t speaking, working on a new book, shuttling my dad to a doctor’s appointment, or viewing the solar eclipse. (Preparation is not one of my strong suits and I gave up trying to find a shoebox to safely watch this rare astronomical event.)

I was painting rocks.

Seriously, I painted two. One came out great. The other… well, let’s just say it got a new basecoat, and I’ll try again another day. My soul was asking for some downtime, and I chose to listen to it. It's a good thing I did. While I normally have a blog topic bouncing around my head all weekend, my brain was as barren as the desert when I woke up this morning. Somewhere between the new basecoat and washing my supplies off in the utility sink, the significance of this morning’s activity struck me.

I know, I know… what does this have to do with boundaries?

The Importance of Boundaries to Protect Downtime

Two things, actually.

First, your calendar is yours to fill. You can fill it with other people’s priorities, responsibilities, or desires, leaving no time to breathe let alone do an art project. Or, you can protect that calendar like a mama lioness protecting her cub. You don’t have to roar at anyone who comes near it, but I’m certainly not here to judge if you do.

Second, I recently spoke to a business consultant who told me when it comes to starting and running your own business, you do whatever you have to do, at whatever time you have to do it. Far be it for me to disagree with a successful business consultant, but that sounds like a recipe for burnout. (Add two teaspoons of a complete lack of creativity, stir in some unproductiveness, and top it off with mental and emotional exhaustion. Voila!)

Without boundaries, you will fill every waking moment of your day with a responsibility… and they won’t even be yours.

The Benefits of Downtime

According to an article in ScientificAmerican.com, Mary Helen Immordino-Yang of the University of Southern California and her co-authors reviewed research on the default mode network (DMN – it’s basically a fancy name for what your brain does when you daydream) and argue that “when we are resting, the brain is anything but idle and that, far from being purposeless or unproductive, downtime is, in fact, essential to mental processes that affirm our identities, develop our understanding of human behavior and instill an internal code of ethics—processes that depend on the DMN.”

What else is downtime good for?

Lowering our stress levels

Improving our health (which suffers from long periods of stress)

Creativity and problem-solving

Increased productivity

You don’t need to be a scientist to know that when you are struggling with a problem, or NOTHING is working properly, and you are so frustrated that you’re thinking about throwing your laptop out a window, the best thing to do is walk away. Staring (and yelling) at your workspace won’t help. You need some downtime to clear your head.

Scheduling Downtime

Remember, you are the king or queen of your calendar. If you have the freedom, schedule an hour each day to do something (or nothing) creative or relaxing. If you are on the clock, fully utilize your breaks or block off some time before or after work to let your creative juices flow.

Whatever you do, don’t allow this time to be hijacked! It’s very easy to think, “Well, my coworker is falling behind in her work and wants me to stay late to help her. I’ve only got “creativity time” on my calendar so I can help her.

Nooooooo! That is your sacred time. Treat it like you would an appointment with anyone else. You’d probably avoid canceling a meeting with someone because you know you’d be letting them down. Well, if you cancel a meeting with yourself, guess who you are letting down? (Raise your hand). That’s right! You. Don’t do it.

Name your downtime. Is it Arts and Crafts time? Sacred Me time? Play time? Claim it. Name it. Keep it.

What Should I Do During My Downtime?

Look at you! You blocked off time for yourself. Now what?

Well, this is entirely up to you. As you’ve learned about me, I like to paint. I didn’t do it for almost three years ago because I was (say it with me) BUSY. I didn’t realize that painting wouldn’t take away from my performance. It would actually make me a better writer, speaker, wife, daughter, puppy mommy, etc. Not much for painting? That’s cool, too. You could try:

Macrame, knitting, crochet, or needlepoint

Singing or dancing

Taking a walk in nature and looking for beauty

Meditation, journaling, or writing (for fun)

Cook, bake, make candy, decorate cookies

Or, do whatever makes you happy and gives your brain the space to relax and reboot,

Conclusion

Having healthy boundaries with others and yourself will help you make time for downtime. You’ll be amazed at how much more creative and productive (not to mention pleasant to be around) you will be when you’ve made time to shut off your working brain and turn on your relaxed brain.

Want more boundary tips for your business and your life? Sign up for my weekly newsletter.

About the Author

Sheryl Green is a Mental Health speaker and author who works with?individuals and organizations to establish healthy boundaries to improve relationships, communication, and well-being. Her mission is to make the world a better place… one boundary at a time. Learn more about her entertaining and illuminating programs or contact her at 702.885.4309.