Because you asked: The importance of downtime

Welcome back to “Because you asked,” our productivity advice column featuring Laura Mae Martin, Google’s executive productivity advisor. She’ll answer your questions about how to work smarter with Google Workspace. If you missed our last post, check out “Managing life — in and out of the office”

Our question comes from Todd, a design professional. He says, “You mention in your book, Uptime [Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing], that downtime is important to productivity. Can you elaborate on downtime and why it matters so much?”

Absolutely! Downtime is a critical part of productivity. In fact, many people think of their best ideas during moments of downtime. It helps you think creatively and recharge your energy — which can increase your long-term efficiency and performance. That helps you accomplish more with your day.

Defining downtime

Many of us fill our schedules with nonstop activity and noise. When we’re not working, we’re often listening to podcasts, scrolling on our devices, or calling friends. But giving your brain time to rest is an essential part of productivity, too.

Downtime is the conscious decision to do something that relaxes your brain. It allows for quiet moments of reflection, and might include:

• Spending a long weekend at the beach

• Enjoying morning coffee before the house wakes up

• Taking a quiet walk after lunch

Why is downtime important?

Downtime fuels creativity by letting your mind wander. It gives you space to process the day’s information. This space lets you brainstorm, problem-solve, and connect ideas in new ways. Downtime also helps you recharge, so you can feel more present at home and work. This powers greater connectivity in your relationships — and heightens productivity.

Build downtime into your life

Intentionally add downtime activities to your daily schedule. What feels restful to you? It could be a walk or drive in silence. Add breaks from work and devices in Google Calendar the same way you’d schedule “Focus time.” If you manage a team, encourage them to cultivate downtime too!

You may not feel comfortable scheduling “nothing,” so try something that doesn’t require the part of your brain you use during work. That could be:

• Hiking

• Gardening

• Baking

• Working out

• Yoga

Having trouble finding time for downtime? Generative AI (gen AI) tools like Gemini for Google Workspace can free up time by automating routine tasks like summarizing reports or drafting presentations. Gemini can also help you identify low-priority activities that gen AI can handle for you (like summarizing long documents for a meeting).

Unplug

It’s so easy to get distracted by electronic devices. Alerts blare. Phones vibrate. Suddenly you’re pushed off the downtime path. Unplugging requires that you turn off or put your devices away.

Try “No-Tech Tuesday Nights,” when you put your devices (TV, too!) away between dinner and bedtime. Play a board game with your family or enjoy a good book — it may become your favorite night of the week. Vacation time is also a great opportunity to unplug. Don’t check in with the office while you’re chilling on the beach. It will help you reboot and prevent burnout.

Improve long-term performance

Downtime might seem counterintuitive: How can doing nothing some of the time help you do more at other times? Starting a downtime practice quickly improves your daily flow and performance. You may be surprised by when and where you find your best ideas — many of the executives I coach do their best thinking in the shower or during a quiet commute.

If you’re already part of the Workspace Community Forum, you can submit your own questions at the Google Workspace Q&A.

Check out some additional productivity tips.