{"id":7536,"date":"2020-01-01T14:46:06","date_gmt":"2020-01-01T14:46:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/faisalhoque.com\/?p=7536"},"modified":"2020-01-01T14:46:06","modified_gmt":"2020-01-01T14:46:06","slug":"how-to-practice-mindfulness-when-you-dont-have-the-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.frameroinfotech.com\/fh\/how-to-practice-mindfulness-when-you-dont-have-the-time\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Practice Mindfulness When You Don’t Have The Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This hack or that routine may not be the best thing for everyone, but you can still become more reflective on your own terms.<\/h1>\n

BY\u00a0FAISAL HOQUE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

As I write this, I’m sitting by myself, watching the blanket of white snow covering everything outside my window. I\u2019m not really thinking about anything specific. Millions of people around the world are doing the same thing, right at this very moment\u2014doing nothing. Someone might be watching the waves crash onto the shore in Goa, India. Another might be mentally tracing the torrential rain on their office window in London.<\/p>\n

Children in schools around the world are doodling in their notepads, their minds racing away in a world of their own.\u00a0Daydreaming<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0solitude<\/a>\u00a0have long been linked to mental benefits like improved mindfulness and creativity.<\/p>\n

But in order to maximize those benefits, you need to let yourself drift off with your own thoughts whenever the opportunity arises. And there’s no one routine or habit that helps everyone do that\u2014even if we all had the time.<\/p>\n

<\/a>THE CASE FOR SOLITUDE<\/h4>\n

Still, some practices are more common than others. From Beethoven to Newton to Buddha to Darwin, all experienced critical awakenings during self-imposed solitary periods. The psychologist and author Rollo May explained this phenomenon very well in his book\u00a0The Courage to Create<\/a><\/em>. “In order to be open to creativity,” he wrote, “one must have the capacity for constructive use of solitude. One must overcome the fear of being alone.”<\/p>\n

Nicola Tesla<\/a>, one of the greatest innovators of all time, concurred:<\/p>\n

“The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and uninterrupted solitude. Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind. Be alone\u2014that is the secret of invention: Be alone, that is when ideas are born.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These days, we now have the\u00a0scientific evidence to back up those claims<\/a>. Research conducted by\u00a0Greg Feist<\/a>\u00a0of San Jose State University found that when people let their focus shift away from others around them, they’re better able to engage in “metacognition,” the process of thinking critically and reflectively about your own thoughts.<\/p>\n

<\/a>IT CAN’T SNOW EVERY DAY<\/h4>\n

Where things get tricky, though, is figuring out what to do in order to encourage metacognitive thought in the first place. I may find the snowstorm outside soothing, but that outlet for quiet reflection isn’t something I’d planned, and it isn’t something I can re-create whenever I like.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, when we’re routinely overwhelmed with outside noise, carving out space for unstructured daydreaming takes planning,\u00a0structure<\/em>. Even if you could afford to book regular, extended periods of time alone, chances are you wouldn’t become a creative genius or mindful guru.<\/p>\n

Sometimes the most productive periods of contemplation come to us unawares and don’t last very long\u2014but that doesn’t mean they aren’t useful. We’ve all had moments where we have gone for a long walk to clear our heads and found the answer to a problem we’d been grappling with. Even that momentary deep breath before a decisive action can help clear our minds and regain our focus.<\/p>\n

<\/a>HOW TO PLAN FOR UNPLANNED REFLECTION<\/h4>\n

So the real question becomes how to make the most of those moments that arrive serendipitously. It starts with recognizing that everyone is different. Personally, it’s often the mechanical activities of my day that let me find respite from my racing thoughts, even when I’m not looking for it. Here are a few ways to make room for creativity and mindfulness without having to overhaul your daily routine:<\/p>\n

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