Wasting time can be very useful

Imagine the scene. We run into a friend we haven't seen in a while, exchange warm greetings, and then, at the best moment, we run away. "Sorry, but I don't have a minute today."I have to run away"I was late." The reasons for such a sudden goodbye and thank you, when we should instead indulge in the pleasure of human warmth, are all understandable. But not always justifiable. In this haste, instead of To gain some time, we are doing it wastingWe are not using it where it is most needed.

Give yourself time

Il presenteeism, which means living besieged by the commitments and anxieties of an eternal present, without room for the past (memory) and the future (dreams) besieges us. We are surrounded. And we need to rebuild an immune system, a defense against this loss of sense of timeThis waste of its essence and value. We must give ourselves time, when and how it's needed. We must also challenge the laws (but who wrote them?) of modernity, and remind ourselves how space and time are intertwined, and how both shape the quality of our lifestyles.

Linear time

We can never stop repeating that time, by its very nature, is linear: past, present, and future. If everything is compressed into the present, we become slaves of presentism. Of course: technologies do not help, as they represent a continuous solicitation to be present, to stay in the field, to follow their rhythms, to become multitasking, even when we are no longer old enough to be so. Nor does the idea, now part of our culture based on productivism, help that «time is money" and it must be used almost frantically. Thus, time becomes a sort of container, a bottle, for our commitments, and anthropologist Edward Hall said that Americans (and now we Italians too) see time as an endless conveyor belt loaded with bottles waiting to be filled. If one remains empty, we've wasted time.

Masters of Time

When we call ourselves "masters of time," we are lying to ourselves.That's not true. We don't have this essential commodity at our disposal, and that's one more reason to give ourselves time, which doesn't mean procrastinating, an activity with a very high risk of waste. Giving ourselves time, and truly mastering it, means, for example, be patient. Don't rush to respond, don't always be on your toes, and don't prioritize commitments and deadlines. To listen, before speaking in a machine gun. And with this also being able to reason better, with a good dose of humility and empathy.

How to learn to give yourself time

There is a varied literature on How to Learn to Give Yourself Time. It ranges from traditional suggestions of yoga e meditation to mental exercises that, like gymnastics for the body, help the mind find its balance. As long as necessary. Probably the most useful thing to learn to give yourself time is to recognize the fact that time, to make room, needs space. And we must find it. It is time for ourselves, ... abandon the brain to navigation without a compassIt's time that leaves a blank page in your calendar. And doesn't try to fill it. last minute, with some new commitments.

How to Empty Time

The mind is a wastebasket; we can't keep it full all the time. And we must constantly empty it. This is a brief but fundamental lesson. hygiene exercise which, if it becomes a habit, can change our relationship with time and restore it to us in its fullness. A friend with a jam-packed schedule once told me his method for emptying the time bin: at the end of each meeting, he forgot everything, except for one thing that he considered important. So here we are back to the relationship between the time and spaceThe former needs the latter. And once the trash can is clean, it will be possible to fill it with new thoughts, and we will have given ourselves the time necessary to process them.

Short breaks are good for you

Even short breaks, no longer than ten minutes, are very beneficial. Several studies show that these reduce mental fatigue and increase concentration and creativity. During these ten minutes, simply take a few deep breaths, walk around, or lie down (preferably outdoors). In short, do nothing, and above all, avoid the temptation to reach for your smartphone again.