union mandated dissociation
being bored is a good ποΈ π¦
Floor Timeββ
/flΓ΄r tΔ«m/
noun
the 15-60 minute time period spent laying on the floor in the middle of the work day, typically as a relief from the soul-sucking reality of corporate America.Β
If youβre like me, youβre probably struck by your best ideas in the middle of the night when youβre already a bad sleeper and getting a full 8-hours is a pipe dream. This happens so often to me, and is simultaneously so encouraging and so frustrating. Itβs encouraging because it reminds me that I still have good ideas in the bank, but frustrating because I canβt act on them right away. So when I stumbled on this article, it did alleviate one of my lifeβs biggest quandaries: why do I only have great ideas at bedtime?
The answer, according to author Nir Eyal, is simply that we do not schedule enough time for boredom and downtime in our day-to-day lives. The irony of this is that I literally started this newsletter because of the time I spend dissociating on the floor every day. Since then, Iβve spent my weeks carefully crafting the work of art that is this newsletter to give you something to read / think / laugh about while you lay on the floor and cry in corporate.
But Iβve found for myself that there is still too much noiseβonly getting my good ideas at night is one reminder that I havenβt sought out enough quiet time during daylight hours. You might feel the same way. Weβre online for work and focusing on corporate tasks from 9 to 5. Then we scroll TikTok for a couple hours or go to the gym and listen to music, and then we cook dinner probably while listening to a podcast or the latest Taylorβs Version (happy 1989 release date to all who celebrate!!!!!!!! and to my fellow 1989 era girlies HAYYY itβs our day!!!!!!!!!!!), or we go out to dinner and chat with our friends until the night is over. All this to say, whether positive or negative, our days consist of noise. And because Iβm sure weβre all very busy people, unless we put a block on our gcals, weβre not gonna find the time to do nothing and therefore have great ideas, and therefore have good sleeps.
Of course we all have our own preferences and ways of doing things, but I have put this recurring block on my calendar called ββ¨Union Mandated Dissociationβ¨β every morning from 8:00-8:30AM. Thatβs when I drink my coffee, look out the window, journal, throw a toy for Klaus, and in general not look at any of my screens, but instead, keep it analog. This block has helped me start my day mindfully, and has also given me a guaranteed 30 minutes of peace every day, during which the possibility of great ideas could happen (idk still havenβt invented the next Instagram or anything so how much is this really workingβ¦juryβs still out). And as you, dear reader, are also a part of my union (I just decidedβwelcome!), you are also entitled to at least 30 minutes of downtimeβmanifesting nothing but productive boredom and great ideas for you :)
Something I Thought of in the Shower
Are we out of the woods yet?
Something Pretty
This woman reclaiming her time!!!
Something To Laugh About
Some gems for you this week:
Thereβs nothing that sparks joy quite like a TikTok that perfectly fits the Floor Time thesis. Thank you for this, sir.
More seasonal content like this please feat. perhaps the worldβs coolest dad??
This. Oh how I love being a woman.
Something for Clarice
Hey! This newsletter is free and I intend to keep it that way. That said, if you love it and want to show your appreciation, buy me a coffee :)
By the wayβ¦Iβm reading this.
I visited my friend Lucy this week who owns Yu & Me Books (now in their new location in Essex Market) to pick up some new reads. Iβve been wanting to read Stay True: A Memoir by Hua Hsu for weeks and I finally bought my copyβcanβt wait to cry and feel all the feelings. Go bears!
Happy Halloween weekend my friends! May you blast 1989 (TV) while painting your face blue and combing out your wig.
Tilβ next time, chiller whales. Your friend,
Clarice