The importance of quiet time

I was on a four hour flight with friends this summer, and upon landing one told us he’d paid for in-flight wifi to fight extreme boredom.

I’ve never done this before, as flights are of the few moments when I can totally disconnect from the world and have true quiet time. This is the focus of today's note.

The importance of quiet time

The importance and benefits of sleep are well understood, for our bodies but also our minds. REM sleep allows us to consolidate memories, make links, process emotions and brain development. We wake up better prepared to tackle life’s challenges.

But downtime is also important whilst awake. Quiet time helps with self-awareness and seeing the bigger picture, re-considering things possibly previously overlooked. It helps with connecting with oneself at a deeper level and checking you’re aligned with your own mission. There are also the physiological benefits from activating a different part of the nervous system that helps shut down our bodies' physical response to stress.

Many of us are so busy being busy that we rarely take the time to slow down and 'do nothing'. In our productivity-driven culture it can be frowned upon (by ourselves, no less) to have the time to ‘be bored’. But these periods can be crucial for taking steps forward.

Implementation idea

Schedule time regularly for activities that allow your mind to wander.

Whilst anathema to many to block out a day and time to do nothing, scheduling time to do things that allow us to be present with our own thoughts can be highly beneficial for that mental quiet time.

I use flights for thinking time about the big decisions and challenges going on in my present life, but on a micro level also incorporate small periods of quiet on a daily basis. A rule to not use my phone for the first and last thirty minutes of the day ensures that my days begin and end with my own thoughts and reflections.

The idea is so simple that the writing of this note is questionable. But, it's the simple daily habits that we often overlook that can have outsized benefits on productivity, finding purpose and ultimately life satisfaction.