In everyone’s life, there should be time to relax, time to rest – and indeed, time to think. Unfortunately, in the lives of some individuals, particularly Americans, many people do not have time for themselves. As written in an article for 20 Something Finance, there are reasons for the lack of personal time, such as work-life imbalance, as many Americans work beyond 40 hours per week.

For all who extend themselves beyond healthy limits, the hamster wheel of life becomes an automated ordeal set to high speeds – an endless marathon – so consequently, burnout is a dreaded theme of our time.

Conversely, in the digital age of speed before quality, many people do not make time for themselves.  The swift flow of society has further influenced people to engage in digital communication vs. heartfelt communication.

Why?

Well, because of convenience. It’s quicker to text or DM versus than to make time to meet in person or spend several minutes on the phone. And for noted reasons, people have bought into the idea that there isn’t enough time for heartfelt-meaningful communication.

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As burnout and lack of time management skills foil human progress, lo and behold, many people do not have or make time to think. Sure, from the moment each of us awakes until the moment we fall asleep, everyone thinks. We’re thinking about the clothes we’ll wear, the foods we’ll eat, or the moves we’ll make. Each of us is thinking non-stop about an amalgam of different things.

But how many people engage in routine high-quality thinking, or spending time in one’s head? In reference to the previous sentence, this involves time set aside for what I call mandatory mental maintenance. Undoubtedly, introverts are the frontrunners for said activity.

High-Quality Think Time and what it means to Me

Photo by Bess Hamiti on Pexels

On many nights when fatigue had settled in and I decided to call it quits for the day, I enjoyed listening to music – it was my evening routine. I’d lay in bed, lighthearted and relaxed while feeding my ears a mix of songs from different genres. This was my way to decompress and regroup for the upcoming day.

That was my routine for several years, as the results worked wonders to ease my spirit. But lately, I’ve tuned out iTunes. Instead, I make time to assuage my mind via routine mental maintenance, AKA High-Quality Thinking. As introverts, we are known to spend time in our heads, and I strongly support this practice – so much that I created a hoodie to celebrate this philosophy – really, I did. Introverts are inclined to be inwardly oriented while acquiring strength and energy during moments of solitude. So, we’re motivated for such excursions within the mind. Like my introverted peers, I, too, embark upon related excursions to acquire strength and energy, and to get lost in my thoughts. While High-Quality Think Time is time spent in my head, it is a staycation that goes beyond recharging my introverted battery.

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For most introverts, while in less chaotic environments, we think better. Yes, the mornings are reasonably tranquil, but I’ve found the quiet stillness of the night to induce deeper thinking. Also, I have found the quiet stillness of the night to provide a serene ambiance for relaxation following the laborious efforts of the day. So, during this chosen juncture of the 24-hour cycle, for 30 minutes or more, I engage in High-Quality Think Time. Throughout said time, I remember, conceive, and purge specific ideas and thoughts from the brain.

Remember. During the mild aura of each night, I’ve managed to vividly recapture some of my best and worst moments as they pertain to current situations. As for the best, remembering good times is an essential reminder that life is and will be good. As for the bad, remembering of my worst experiences reminds me of hard lessons learned, and all necessary caution to dodge past mistakes.

Conceive. Without too much attention allotted to other activities, the calm ambiance of the night allows me to free up cap space in my head. The result is unprecedented concentration towards an objective. For instance: a new blog post idea, a new project, or a new goal. Once one of the preceding objectives has been conceived, I will make time to plan, and take action – I’ll revisit the importance of taking action later in this post.

Purge. My designated time to think has given me the latitude to purge. All grudges or memories that no longer serve a purpose are dead weight, thus tossed into the ether.

Everyone, this is how I use my downtime to service my brain for routine mental maintenance. Collectively, this process is therapeutic and necessary for cerebral upkeep.

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Outside of staycations and cerebral upkeep, there are other benefits to High-Quality Think Time. Next week I’ll introduce and underscore those benefits. But we can’t have the good without the bad – I’ll also discuss a caveat of this mode of mental maintenance which is – Hey, I can’t tell you just yet – find out next week! Thank you for reading; I’ll see you soon.

Kind regards,

Joshua