We’re busier than ever in this day and age. We’re bombarded by beeps, messages, and advertisements 24/7. We live in an age of constantly being connected and constantly being interrupted. It’s a wonder we get anything done. Without a doubt, these constant distractions are a big part of why we feel so stressed out all the time. With all the noise and flashing lights, it’s hard to hear yourself think sometimes. It’s time to fix that and today I’m going to show you how.

Some of the most successful business people set aside time regularly to think, plan, and learn. Bill Gates takes an entire week twice a year to unplug and do nothing but read and think. Warren Buffet states that he’s spent about 80% of his career reading and thinking. Quite a few other successful CEOs schedule time to think and plan, and even allow employees to do the same. In short, carving out time for quiet contemplation isn’t a waste of time. It’s how you get ahead.

As an added benefit and why I’m including it in this series about relaxation and reducing stress is that it gives you time to get away from it all. It gives you time to rest up and distress and that’s important. In fact, this rest is what gives your mind the time and ability to come up with the next great idea or solution. It’s what makes you a better partner, a better boss, a better co-worker, and a better business person.

The first thing you need is a little mindset shift. Don’t think of taking time for quiet contemplation as a waste of time, or one more thing you have to squeeze into your already overflowing calendar. Instead, think of it as the solution to the stress and overwhelm and a way to cut back on the hours you spend working.

Put it in your calendar, schedule it, in fact, go ahead and make it a high priority. There’s no reason for you to toil away at busy work for 5 hours per day when you could spend one to come up with a better solution that would automate all that work for example.

If you’re still skeptical, please give it a serious try. It works and it works well. Once you see what having quiet time to think and strategies will do for both your professional and your personal life, you’ll gladly find time for quiet contemplation on a regular basis. Don’t forget to notice how the stress and pressure start to disappear or at least lessens when you do this.

If it works for some of the most brilliant minds of our generation along with every spiritual leader across time, shouldn’t you give quiet time to think a serious try and make it part of your own life? Your mind and your body will thank you as you start to stress less and relax more.

To Your Health,

Bina