One of the reasons for me to starting this blog is to start prioritizing time for myself, to develop myself, become more visible and cut out time to dive into things I am passionate about. A month of not taking any time for myself later - I must confess this is sadly not so easy. Work has an endless appetite. It feels like the more effort I put into it, the larger appetite it get. So if I keep feeding my projects at work over personal ambitions, I will never get any nurturing meals for myself. I need play! - for me play is essential. Play is a relaxed focus and curiosity and allow myself to move into new technologies and areas just for the fun of it.
It is a win-win situation, since play is a great way to learn and develop new skills and be in a mindset where I can be creative and come up with new ideas, that will benefit my work.
Innovation in AI is not born from code and algorithms alone, but from the creative human spirit guiding them.
The human spirit is nurtured by play and the love and support from myself and others. Let’s take a look at how to do that in practice.
How to do it
What I realized is that I need to prioritize time for myself, early in the day, if I wait for the afternoon there will be nothing left. I show myself kindness by scheduling time for play in the beginning of the day (instead of at the end when I am tired). This means scheduling a full day for play and activities that are important and nurturing for me.
Making work more fun
There are small tweaks that I do to make work more fun. Music is a great way to get into the right mood. Some music can give me an energy boost when I am tired and other music can provide a way to down-regulate when I am stressed.
The environment should be clean and tidy but also personal with stimulating colors and green plants. An office should not be a boring place to be. Working from cafes can be a great way to get a change of scenery and get some fresh air, which again can increase creativity.
Make it more fun by doing things together with coworkers. Some boring tasks can be made fun by doing it together with a colleague.
Do not take work too serious
I find myself taking work way to serious, when that happens I stiffen up. Movement is a great way to loosen up. Like a paintbrush that is not used for a long time, it gets stiff and the paint dries up. The same happens to me if I do not move enough. To loosen up a paintbrush you can dip it in water and move it around. To loosen up myself I can do the same. Splash some water on my face and move my body into its outer limits.