Five seconds is the minimum length you're pausing as you think things through, unless you're doing purely repetitive mechanical work. Even then, you're pausing at some point.
Fifteen seconds of deep breaths and stretching will clear your mind enough to pop out of a rut. Don't tell me you don't have fifteen seconds.
Go, now.
Five minutes to use the bathroom and get a snack will give you actual energy and space to think. When's the last time you were down to the last five minutes to get something done? You probably cut corners towards the end anyway. Just cut one more, and take the time. You'll get more out of resting than grinding if it's that close.
You always have five minutes.
Fifteen minutes for a power nap will do more than another cup of coffee, even if you never fall asleep. Letting your brain turn off and percolate is powerful.
Five hours for a pure break, doing something else somewhere else, can make up for almost anything. Is it really going to take that long? It's surprisingly easy to find five hours if you need it enough.
Fifteen hours of no obligations is enough to reset yourself. Catch up on sleep, take a nice shower, cook and eat a delicious meal, and have time left to spare for hobbies or socializing. Whatever is restful for you. If you aren't burned out entirely, you can do anything after a fifteen hour rest. If you are, you probably need fifteen hours at the minimum.
It's hard to find a fifteen hour break, but they're worth it.
- Rew
Nightly Notes
I've mentioned this before, briefly. It seemed worth expanding. Take this with the same framing. Obviously, rest and not working all the time is good and desirable. But for times when you are stuck in grind, you can still mitigate the damage.
Five and fifteen are arbitrary numbers, they just seemed in the right ballpark and round enough.
This is also the second time I've brought up the idea that you can find time if you want it enough. If you chase that idea down far enough we return to you can just do things. That was the point of roll it forward. It's true, but it's an oversimplification. We all have responsibilities and burdens and a need to stay alive.
I just assume that almost no one is truly at such full capacity that they can't take an hour or five. I keep throwing more onto my own plate and finding there's room for dessert, and I see that in the people around me. Maybe I haven't lived enough to see it fill.1
Regardless, everyone wants room to breathe.
Myself included.
- Rew
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...or maybe I need to stop assuming my mental models are applicable to others. ↩