Everywhere you look, books and publications are full of productivity hacks—ways to improve productivity, get more done, and—very important—stop wasting time. In a world that values productivity and results—a world where 70- and 80-hour work weeks are a badge of honor—the very concept of “wasting time” provokes a sense of guilt and worry. What if we take an hour to exercise and miss an important call? What if someone notices that we spent a few minutes browsing social media after hours of concentrated work?
The truth is that there are essential benefits to people and businesses when organizations embrace the value of “wasting time.” As it turns out, people are not equipped to work sixteen-hour days or even, perhaps, eight- or ten-hour days while maintaining high productivity and consistent quality. The human brain can focus, but only for short periods. In between those focused sessions, people should be encouraged to waste a little time.
What are Your Time Wasters?
Some of your time wasters may be unavoidable. These are work-related activities that don’t require intense intellectual work or creativity. Activities such as required meetings or administrative tasks may feel like time wasters, but they are probably necessary to your overall function or role. (If they aren’t, it may be time to talk about prioritizing and delegating!)
Some activities feel like wasting time but are quite beneficial to our work productivity, mental health, and physical wellbeing. Exercise, reading, engaging in hobbies such as gardening or woodworking and connecting with friends and family all meet important basic needs we have as human beings. Engaging in these activities may feel like wasting time, but they contribute to your overall health.
A third category is the activities we tend to feel most guilty about, such as playing video games, scrolling social media, or binge-watching the latest Netflix series. These activities may give you a reason to feel guilty, but should they?
Know Your Limits
If you are a knowledge worker or in some way depend on your intellect and mental acuity to make a living, you probably only have about four to five hours per day of real focus available. When those hours occur can vary widely; some people are highly productive and focused in the morning, whereas others start to hit a state of flow in the evening. Historically, many writers, scientists, artists, and other bright people have split up their days into two or three small chunks of time where they can devote intense focus to work, using the remainder of their days for personal pursuits, long walks, family time, or other passion projects.
Of course, knowing that Charles Darwin only worked about four hours per day may be interesting, but it may not be a convincing argument for slacking off for large portions of your workday. The bigger point is that long-term productivity that avoids burnout and exhaustion requires some amount of brain rest, and to get that kind of rest, you might need to waste a little time.
3 Advantages to Wasting Time
1. Brain Rest Helps Us Reset
Your brain needs time off to recharge and prepare to refocus. That means both long breaks and short ones. Take a quick walk, read a chapter of a book, make lunch or get a snack away from your desk. Moving away from work-related tasks gives your brain a chance to recalibrate and prepare to dive back in.
2. Solutions Come During Breaks
How often have you been focused on a problem to no avail, then come up with a solution days later while doing something unrelated (taking a shower, jogging, driving, talking to a friend, etc.)? That’s because even when we put away a problem, our brains still work on it in the background, like a program running behind the scenes on your computer. Taking breaks for something unrelated to work may help you solve vexing problems.
3. Creativity Requires Wasting Time
Innovation often happens when people are playing. Google’s famous “20% Policy” speaks to this idea. The policy asked employees to spend 20% of their time exploring or working on projects that had no promise of immediate pay-off. Innovations such as Google News, AdSense, and Gmail came from this policy. This isn’t to say that innovation will happen when you’re binge-watching Netflix, but it may occur when you read a business book, watch a TED Talk, or have a friendly conversation with a co-worker.
Remember, you are not a machine—and besides, even machines have to be reset and recalibrated occasionally. “Wasting time” is your brain and body’s way of recalibrating and resetting. The next time you are stuck, exhausted, or stressed at your desk, set a timer for 30 minutes and waste a little time away from work. Chances are good you’ll return to your tasks with renewed energy and focus.
Questions to Consider:
- Do you feel guilty when you take time to care for your physical health during the day? Why?
- How much time do you spend on tasks unrelated to work each day? Is it enough?
- What are some productive time wasters you enjoy (exercise, reading, crafting, etc.)? Is there a new one you’d like to try?