September is a busy month for many of us, me included. It’s oh so easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day bustle of life and skip taking some time to simply “be.” A technique that I have yet to master is to intentionally schedule some downtime. Often when I have unscheduled time, I simply don’t know what to do with myself.
Many years ago, I heard a speaker advise me to create a stop-doing list as well as a downtime list. Honestly, my stop-doing list does not exist, but I recently created a downtime list that I keep by my favorite chair at home. It includes things like music that I want to listen to, short articles that I’d like to read, and more. I also have a coloring book and pencils, blank postcards with stamps, a few inspirational books as well as a place for a cup of tea and water. It’s a little oasis in the chaos of our home and life. My iPad is usually right there for note taking using one of my favorite apps (OneNote), web browsing, or flipping through photos.
Even if disaster strikes, I’ve got my little oasis—where’s yours?
First published in our September 2024 IT Radix Resource newsletter