I can’t stand those situations when one thing ends just a little bit earlier than expected, leaving me with unoccupied down time before my next appointment begins. I have learned from experience that there is very little that can be squeezed into those twenty minutes or so if I still plan on being on time for the following function. Not that there is any lack of things I need to be doing, it’s just that by the time I started to do said thing it would be time to move on. I’m writing this while sitting at the bus stop, wishing I could be crossing things off of my to-do list and worrying about what the lab people say about my failed Western blot when I get there.
Perhaps the best way to deal with these scraps of “null time” is simply to appreciate it as a breath of space in an otherwise heavily scheduled day. Thinking of these minutes as personal time rather than wasted time seems like one of those small mental improvements that can have a big impact on how my day progresses.
One response to “Null Time”
never thought of it like that, but now that you mention it, it makes sense. instead of trying to fit new tasks into too small time slots, use the time to actually chill out for a bit and appreciate life. hmm maybe i’ll try that sometime.