Beast Blog: Take Time to Think

Take Time To Think

There needs to be time in your day when you just sit and think.  This is important, so please read on!

I rarely get a great idea while looking at my phone.  I don’t solve creative problems or get inspired new pathways for my life while doom scrolling.

Think about this: When you drive up to a red light and stop and sit there, what do you do?  I’m sure you likely grab your phone and look for that dopamine hit.  You check your email or texts, make sure you’re still on top of all of it!  But I’m encouraging you to do something completely different.  Just sit there.

This is what we all used to do.  Even with the radio playing, sitting at a red light is a time to let your mind wander, think about your life, ruminate on something you’ve been trying to figure out.  This is not wasted time, and it’s not lost time.  It’s a valuable part of your life.

Scientists and psychologists are concerned about this loss of space in our lives, this time to just think.  Something real is lost when you don’t have time in your day to just sit quietly and contemplate.

When I’m working on a music arrangement or show design and run into a problem, I have found that the best solution for me is either to take a bath or go for a walk.  (This used to be walking my dog, and it did not involve my phone at all.  Mr. Gus deserved my full attention and I loved those times with him to turn off the world.).  I have rarely solved a creative problem watching TV or looking at my phone.  When I’m in the shower or on a walk I don’t have any distractions, just me relaxing my mind and my body and enjoying some “time away.”

If you decide to try this, please know that it may feel uncomfortable at first.  It’s a new habit, and you’re used to engaging your mind frantically all the time.  It may take some practice.  But you need this time for your mental health.

Build space into your day.  Leave moments unfilled.  Leave your phone sitting there, or better yet put it away for a stretch of time.  You need unstructured time in your life.

This is the same concept as needing to give yourself time to play.  You need time in your life when you just do something that is fun and not task oriented.  Society might tell us that it’s a waste of time, but it’s exactly the opposite.  It renews us so we are ready to do good work when we get back to it.  Taking short moments in your day without your phone is just the micro version of this macro concept.

Try this for a week or two and you’ll find yourself more calm and clear.  You need this space in your life.   Give yourself the gift of quiet time, time to contemplate something, time to just sit and think.  It could make all the difference.

Tim Hinton

August 14, 2025

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