Photo by Andre Boysen on Unsplash

Stop.

Let your shoulders sink down to somewhere lower than your earlobes, and find yourself something to stare at that you can lose yourself in (without getting arrested).

If the pebbles do it for you, stare at the screen or print them off.  

If you can lose yourself here at the screen go right ahead, if not, why not take a printed version somewhere away from your desk, maybe outside (not to stand with all the smokers out the front though), maybe to a tree, maybe to your car or if these phenomena still exist, an empty meeting room.

How much peace would you like?  5 minutes where you’ve given yourself permission to be at peace?  Longer?  20 minutes?

Are you telling yourself you can’t spare 20 minutes?   Are you telling yourself you can’t spare 5?

I can think of very few scenarios (ticking bomb diffusing aside) where 5 minutes out would be a real problem.  You’re a conference speaker in minute two of a five minute slot…yes, you’re running a training programme with a 5 minute exercise brief to give …yes

But sitting at your desk, working your way down your list, thinking things through in a run of the mill day and still telling yourself you haven’t the time?

If you’re in the flow of something, great, don’t stop the flow, but right now as you’re reading this, where are your shoulders and how much would you love 5 minutes peace!?

Go, go now, print and run….