For a little while now at work– a few months at least, I have come to rely on my afternoon break of solitude.  I talk to people all day long, which is exhausting for my introverted self.  At my office, there is a larger boardroom, a small boardroom and a coffee room for the staff.  The larger boardroom often has training or management meetings since our location is quite centralized.  The small boardroom, we claimed as our ‘puzzle room’.  I had brought in a puzzle and then anyone interested could go work on the puzzle during breaks.  I enjoyed the solitude of this room and even though the puzzle has been completed since late February, I still escape there for a quiet interlude in the afternoon.

You know that I have read the book ‘The 5 am Club’ (see Jan 22 blog post ‘Coping’ or click here).  I appreciate how in this book, there is the necessity for a time of ‘Reflection’ from 5:20-5:40 am.  This is the ‘deconstruction’ of Reflection in the book:

What:

Journal, Meditate, Plan, Pray, Contemplate

Why:

Gratitude Boosted, Awareness Soars, Happiness Lifts, Wisdom Develops, Serenity Expands

Benefits:

Greater Positivity, Decreased Reactivity, Higher Creativity, Stronger Performance, Richer Life.

I don’t think it needs to be said that anyone could benefit from this practice any time of day.  So, in addition to the morning, I have really benefitted from adding this to my afternoon schedule.  It’ nice to re-set in the afternoon.  I have made sure that after a quick check of personal email, Instagram or messages, that I put the device aside and unplug.  Have some time for awareness, observing my current mood and how I may want to adjust it, and also to detach myself from some people’s personal situations that they see me about every day.  As Eckhart Tolle advises: ‘Be the silent watcher of your thoughts and behaviour.”  The idea is to not let my thoughts run rampant, but to be aware and observe the thoughts and understanding that I am the ‘stillness beneath the mental noise.’

Selfishly, I kinda want to keep the puzzle room to myself, although, even when I bring in a new puzzle, a puzzle is such a quiet activity I should still be ok 😉

How do you fit in reflection time? Do you have a puzzle room equivalent?

Hugs,

Devon