From idle hour to ideal hour in 5 steps
Have you ever caught yourself doing nothing at work? What exactly do you feel at such times? Guilt? Boredom? The need to give your brain some rest? Or confusion?
If your answer is yes to the first, second, and fourth, you'd be delighted to know that this article is about making the most of your idle hour. You'll never feel guilty again because you will be using this time to improve yourself. You'll not feel bored because you will be doing things that interest you and stimulate the brain. You'll no longer feel confused about what to do because by the time you've finished reading this article, you'd have learnt five things to occupy yourself with during your free time.
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Play a mind-stimulating game
The power of playing is not emphasised enough in modern culture. Toys are great stimulants for the brain. They can ignite imagination and fuel creativity. Toys like the yo-yo help calm the mind through their harmonious motions. Others like Lego blocks or puzzle games help in stimulating the brain. The next time you find yourself doing nothing, find yourself a toy to play with.
Start the ‘idle hour project’
There are plenty of DIY projects online. Familiarise yourself with a few and start your own ‘idle hour DIY project'. You could even start inventing a language. Or try translating your favourite book into another language that you know. You could start doodling, or learn to play the guitar, too.
Walk
Walking is a great exercise. It is also a very meditative act. Choose a quiet stretch of road and walk. Walking goes well with thinking. So go deep into your thoughts as you walk; question and find answers to the mysteries that are hidden in the ordinary, or ponder how to ask the boss for a vacation.
Read
Reading is the best way you can help yourself. Pick up a good book. Try not to go along popular culture. Before getting to the reading bit, follow these steps. Choose the subject you wish to read about. Find out about the authors who have written on that subject, and then choose the book. If you are going to take these great pains to choose a book, you'll quite certainly find a good book that will have things to teach. So read and take notes.
Start writing your book
Inside everyone is a novel. So enough of reading someone else's novel. Now try and write your own. Take it slow and easy, bit by bit. Develop the plot today. Revisit it tomorrow. Name your characters the day after. Keep all research work for next week. Soon your novel will be ready. You can't say that you can't write, unless you actually try. So start right away.
In the end, it all comes down to not confusing laziness to resting your brain. It’s unfortunate but true that no matter where you work, the novelty factor of every company sizzles out a bit as time passes. It’s when you have ‘settled in’ that terms like ‘idle hour’ begin to manifest in your life. The trick is to be aware that boredom might strike and be ready with one of the five mentioned things to convert your idle hour in an ideal hour.
