If you’re a planner, you probably gravitate toward a rigid schedule. You like to have all of your time budgeted out to make the most out of your day. This is an efficient way to ensure that you complete all of the tasks that need to get done, but it can also cramp your creative flow. While an objective oriented schedule helps, you still need some free time to give yourself a break. Find time to read, go on a walk, or people watch. Budgeting for objective-free time throughout your day can prompt a mental change and help you reset before conquering your next task.
Free Time Can Still Be Part of a Thoughtful Schedule
Before you start raising an objection about how you have too much to do, and that all time is valuable, you’re right. If you’re a planner, you probably tend to overschedule for yourself. Your time is valuable, but so is free time. Find small moments for breaks within your schedule and account for them with your day plan. You’ll be surprised by what 15 minutes of meditation or yoga in the morning before work can do. Set aside 10 minutes of your lunch break to stay off your phone and be present in the world around you. These small chunks of time go a long way toward fortifying your own mental health.
Changing Modes Prompts a Helpful Mental Change
The brain is a pretty incredible organ, and it does best with stimulation. That doesn’t mean loud noises and bright lights, but rather, change. A change in the activity you’re doing from sedentary to physical, right brain to left brain, visual to auditory — any of these changes will stimulate your brain and causes it to switch gears. This can actually help you solve complex problems and work your way out of creative ruts when they happen. Finding small pockets of time for a change benefits the rest of your schedule.
Adding Mindfulness Can Help You Relax
Mindfulness is about checking in with yourself physically and mentally. The two are thoroughly intertwined, so you need to pay attention to how you’re feeling. If you’ve got a busy, task-oriented schedule lined up, it can be easy to lose track of how you’re feeling. Are you holding your breath a lot? Are you starting to slouch? Are you focusing on obstacles? You may be adopting these habits without realizing that you’ve done so. Moments of mindfulness built into your schedule helps you avoid these traps.
Take a Mindfulness Break at Dunn Brothers Coffee
Whether you’re working on a creative project, stopping for a bite, or you simply need a few minutes to yourself, we want to help. Our welcoming and comfortable atmosphere is the perfect place to sip a cup of freshly roasted coffee and recharge. Learn about all of our roast styles and beans by contacting Dunn Brothers Coffee in Coralville, IA at 319-665-2020.