Frequent Creative Rest

One of the key principles of being joyfully productive is what I call frequent creative rest. Frequent creative rest. What that means is instead of trying to push and push and push until you finally solve a problem or finish a project before you take a break, consider stepping away from that project more frequently. And, you know, going to get some tea or going to take a walk or doing something else and then coming back. And when you do come back, your subconscious mind will have already done some additional work and allowed you to have maybe fresh ideas that will help you move the project forward more creatively. Now, what I'm not saying is that whenever things get hard, you should quit. What I am saying you should be persistent over the long haul on any one project. Do not quit the project, but be more open to taking more breaks while you're working on the project so you can have the benefit of your body moving and your subconscious mind working for you, even when you're not working consciously on the project. So I needed to explain a sort of neurological principle here. The way that our mind and focus and creativity works is what's called focused mode and diffused mode. So in focus mode, you are focused working on a project. You're trying to solve a problem. You're trying to create something. You know, you're there, you're consciously working on it. So that's called focused mode. But your brain also has something called diffused mode, which is when you're not consciously working on that project. Okay, you've worked on that project for. And I've seen studies about how long does it take for diffused mode to be able to kick in. But I would say probably anywhere between, even as short as five minutes focused to some people might take 15 to 30 minutes focused before the diffuse mode can kick in. But anyway, so imagine this. You work for 15 minutes focused on a project, no matter how challenging it is for you, right? And then you step away and your brain is now in what's called diffuse mode. So you are doing something else. You're taking a walk, you're getting some water, you're doing some household chores, or you're working on another project, or maybe you're working on a puzzle or something like that. Your brain is in diffused mode in regards to the previous project. Your subconscious is actually working on that previous project without your conscious mind having to be working on it. So that's called diffused mode. So that then when you come back into focused mode to work on that project later, you'll find yourself having additional insights, new, fresh ideas that you didn't have when you were just trying to push, push, push. So the way that I apply it is this is why I take four naps a day. I really do. My naps aren't necessarily naps where I fall asleep. Usually I don't fall asleep in my naps, but about 15 to 20 minutes where I lay down on the couch basically four times during my working day. And I find that that really refreshes me and allows me to be in diffused mode so that when I go back and work on the project, I tend to have new and fresh ideas and a new and fresh energy to approach and be creative with that project. So same thing, taking a walk. So taking a walk is also really helpful because when you move your body, you move your brain. When you move your body, you move your brain. Okay? So I hope you'll think about that the next time you're working on a project. Don't feel you have to just sit there and push, push, push. It's often more productive if you step away more frequently. Move your body and move your brain. Go take a nap. Go take a walk. Go do some household chores or some other project and let your mind be in diffused mode and then come back and work on that focus project for however long you can be in flow. Okay, I hope that's helpful and let me know if you try it and let me know what your results are.