Agree - it's very important to have idle time and let you mind run free, without solving any immediate problem.
For me, the best ideas come during long showers, when starting to fall asleep, and when waking up.
Give Yourself Time To Think
11–14 of 14 posts
Re: Give Yourself Time To Think
#12It took me five years of regular meditation to really grasp the power of knowing not only what, but how, you think in certain situations. It's easy to run on autopilot, but doing so often leads to temporary emotions fueled by passing events taking charge of your actions. Five minutes a day can make a huge difference. It's not easy, but it's always worth it.
I have never understood what does the exercise involve? Can you please tell me what is it that you "do" in those five minutes that you meditate? I want to try this. Thanks.
There are many ways to do meditation (and many goals) but generally in silent meditation you pay attention to what your mind is doing, how you are feeling emotionally and physically, etc. To have a "reference point" you can pay attention to your breath.
http://www.audiodharma.org/series/1/talk/1762/ is a good, free introduction (this is from a Buddhist center, but the podcast applies to mindfulness in general).
Re: Give Yourself Time To Think
#13This is a contributing factor to the numerous reasons why rigid office schedules are counter-productive for technical/creative staff. (Some others at random: reduced performance without adequate sleep/food, wasted transit time, need to maintain work/life balance through outside interests that may counter to fixed schedules, periods required to resolve wayward body clocks after flights/parties, etc.)
Re: Give Yourself Time To Think
#14It took me five years of regular meditation to really grasp the power of knowing not only what, but how, you think in certain situations. It's easy to run on autopilot, but doing so often leads to temporary emotions fueled by passing events taking charge of your actions. Five minutes a day can make a huge difference. It's not easy, but it's always worth it.
I have never understood what does the exercise involve? Can you please tell me what is it that you "do" in those five minutes that you meditate? I want to try this. Thanks.
Jean Smith has a really great, concise book that outlines what to "do" if you're just starting out with meditation. It's called "The Beginner's Guide to Zen Buddhism" and is absolutely great for beginners.
It's not the end-all-be-all book for meditation (or Buddhism) but it is a good starting place I think.
http://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-Zen-Buddhism/dp/060980...