Our minds need space to think.

Research on naps, meditation, nature walks, and the habits of exceptional artists and athletes reveals how mental breaks increase productivity, replenish attention, solidify memories and encourage creativity.

Paradoxically, when we get to rest, when making time for mental downtime and space for inaction, that space gives the right conditions that strike inspiration, connect some dots, and even get things done later.

According to Scientific American, downtime replenishes the brain’s stores of attention and motivation, encourages productivity and creativity, and is essential to both achieving our highest levels of performance and simply forming long-lasting memories in everyday life.

Keeping daily routines that give our mind some clean space for thought gives us margin for all the rest of life’s messiness that we cannot control. It also could remove future obstacles so we can do our best creative work when we next sit down to create.

What practices do you have to put your mind at rest?