31–40 of 60 posts
Things I don’t do: browse slack, social networking or news.
If I try to fill that time with more (podcasts, reading, etc.) it just makes me more on edge and degrades the value of other things I do during the day.
Probably the best use of those gams in my day is to look back through things I've already written down earlier in the day. Things like meeting notes, my todo list, random thoughts, etc. I keep a notebook in my pocket and pens/paper on my desk for exactly this.
I also have a hangboard nearby, and one of my 2026 resolutions is to hang at least once a day.
You’ll lose your mind if you try to micro-optimize your life like this. Use that time to breathe.
maybe productive isn’t the right word - more like satisfying and constructive. Right now I might play blitz chess or end up checking the news or X. But when I’m in the middle of a good book or some long form content, I’ll use that time to read and it’s much more fulfilling. And I think breathing meditation is an excellent idea! I didn’t only mean phone-specific activities at all! Thank you
It's best to just practice mindfulness in these periods. Literally just observe the world around you. Or observe yourself, your breath. Be silent and observe the thoughts that fly through your head like you would watch cars go by on a road. It's a fancy way of saying do nothing. But it's still a productive way of taking no actions. You're appreciating the world you live in and the body you inhabit. If you can't spare…
Most productive.
It's not wasting time. It's letting your mind settle from what it was working on, so that it's more ready for what you're going to do next.