BM Digital

There is an interesting thing about pressure. However smart, most of us believe that we can absorb any amount of it and the more we have of it from our surroundings, the more it helps us grow in our careers. Right? Wrong. Not always right at least.

The best damage we can do to ourselves is by leading our mind into believing that more is great. Slowly, this manifests itself in many ways – taking shorter breaks in office, working long hours (notice how your late hours generally become the most productive in the entire day), skipping or having irregular meals, not walking away from the screen, not drinking enough water, etc.

However, the truth is, whatever amount of work you might be grappling with, you will never be able to do justice till you clear your head out. We, as humans, are excellent thinkers, but very poor executors. The more work we surround ourselves with, the more we think and the more thoughts we accumulate. But did thinking alone ever help anyone? Well, maybe only when you were solving mind puzzles during your B-school interviews. Because every other situation requires action.

So, how do we ensure that we live up to the expectations and still not make a wreck of ourselves?

Well, there is a very simple thing that works wonders.

Walking alone and sitting idle.

Yes, do this for 15 minutes every single day even if the world is coming down on you. And by the way, this is different from your regular chai or cigarette (sutta) breaks. In those 15 minutes, you should only be with your own self, away from any other eye or any noise. Let your mind re-strategize for you. Let it wander. Let it come back and give you the signal to go back to your desk.

You will suddenly feel rejuvenation (not that you will start jumping or running) run through your senses and a wave of freshness hit your mind. You will suddenly be more focused not only on the tasks at hand, but also your future and the meaning of what you are doing. If it is something you are not convinced with, you will start going through it faster. If it is your dream project, you will be even more detailed.

Now, you might ask: Why only one such break then?

Because you got to work (execute) and get your raise too.