Last week’s Thought for the Week was; “Time to Think” which was about how important it is to give others time to think, particularly in our very busy and distracting World, because people thrive in a thinking environment.
You can see all of my previous blogs below.
Because listening and giving people time to think is so key to communication, I’d like to continue with this theme this week.
One of the biggest complaints in our modern society is being overcommitted and overstretched. Ask people at a social gathering how they are and the stock answer is likely to be; “super busy,” “crazy busy” or “insanely busy.” Few seem to say they are just “fine” anymore!
When people aren’t super busy at work, they are crazy busy exercising, entertaining or taking their kids to sport or dancing classes. Or maybe they are insanely busy playing sport themselves, tracing their genealogy, clearing out their shed or scrolling through social media!
Sometimes people actually find any excuse they can to keep busy so they can avoid taking time out to just think. And research has shown in 11 experiments involving over 700 people, that the majority reported finding it unpleasant to be alone in a room with their thoughts for just 6 to 15 minutes.
Why do you think that is? Is it because we tend to dwell on what’s wrong in our lives? What preys on our minds, when we aren’t keeping busy?
And until there is resolution, or at least some kind of understanding or acceptance, these thoughts reverberate in our heads.
So, when we are talking about taking time to think when we are alone, we are communicating with ourselves! Could you catch yourself having negative thoughts and intentionally turn these around into positive ones?
For instance; if you are dwelling on having too much work and not enough time, could you instead focus on what you have already achieved?
This self-communication is so important because how we think about ourselves affects how we communicate with those around us.
Studies further suggest that not giving ourselves time to reflect, impairs our ability to empathise with others …
“The more in touch with my own feelings and experiences, the richer and more accurate are my guesses of what passes through another person’s mind,”
-Giancarlo Dimaggio-
[Psychiatrist with the Centre for Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy in Rome, who studies the interplay of self-reflection and empathy].
If you’d like to take time to think with me, I invite you to book a FREE consultation. You can choose your slot HERE
So, I hope this Thought for the Week has inspired you, even a little bit and I will sign off on that note.
Have a great week and I’ll be in touch again soon with more thoughts and tips.
With best wishes,
Korinne Le Page – Thrive Coaching & Training