We cannot afford to neglect the discipline of whitespace, especially for those of us working on the frontline or in the social justice arena. If you are interfacing with those in trauma, you have to give yourself time to pause, process, reflect, and let go of some of the vicarious trauma you have been exposed to before moving into the next engagement.
What is the cost of not creating whitespace? Juliet captures it perfectly: "Without space, we can't sustain ourselves. The full fortitude of our professional contributions eludes us. We miss game-changing, breakthrough ideas that fail to grace us with their presence because busyness is barring the door. We miss human moments of serendipity and connection that should occur in the in-between moments of life—because in- between moments no longer exist."
60-60-60 RULE Every 60 minutes, take a 60-second break to look at something 60
45-MINUTE MEETING
Instead of booking a 60-minute meeting, book a 45-minute meeting. Use the 15 minutes before or afterward to make notes, reflect, and consolidate.
DISCONNECT FROM TECHNOLOGY
meters away. Let your mind pause and reflect during this time.
Turning off your phone or taking a break from social media.
how to deliberately create whitespace in your day.
BLOCK OUT MOMENTS
Deliberately block out moments to simply think, breathe, apply self-care, let go of a difficult conversation, stretch your body, and feel the grass under your feet, or the wind on your face. You will be surprised at the impact on your creativity and efficiency
CREATE WHITESPACE
before meetings or client consults and ask yourself deliberate questions going into the meeting: Why are we having this meeting? What are the critical facts I need to be aware of? Who are the key role players?
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June 2023 | Collective Action Magazine
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