Magic Popsicles and the Importance of Taking Breaks

A version of this essay was originally published by Forbes.com on August 8th, 2019

My family and I recently enjoyed three nights at a Japanese onsen resort on the bank of Lake Chuzenji, tucked away in the mountains of Nikko National Park, Japan. This onsen, and others like it, exist because of the natural hot springs in the region. The water from these hot springs — which has long been believed to have healing and rejuvenating properties — is piped into pools for resort guests to enjoy. These pools are known as onsens.

Lake Chuzenji, Nikko National Park, Japan

Steeped in tradition, Kai Nikko is a place where people go to rest, relax and rejuvenate in the water from the hot springs. I was deeply struck by how simple and minimal the place was — yet so beautifully ornate and full of meaning. The pace is intentionally slow, and the vibe is wonderfully quiet, contemplative and mellow. 

Upon arrival, they showed us where to store our shoes and gave us a yukata and sandals to wear for the duration of our stay. The pace is intentionally slow and the vibe is wonderfully quiet, contemplative and mellow throughout the resort.

Kai Nikko Resort, at Lake Chuzenji, Japan

While staying at the resort, we enjoyed the ritual of visiting the onsens three times a day, for 10 minutes at a time, each occasion providing a welcome break in the day. There’s something special about a ritual of interrupting the day to soak, rest, be quiet and delve into a relaxed, meditative self-care experience. It really spoke to me — it was so simple, yet such a powerful experience. And at the same time, it was such a foreign concept to our daily lives back home.

Typically onsens have gender separated soaking pools, sometimes indoors and sometimes outdoors, highlighting unique Japanese design aesthetics. The pools are about two feet deep and vary in style and design. I was surprised to learn people traditionally soak for only about ten minutes at a time. Custom also dictates a quiet, almost meditative kind of experience. No devices. No talking. No splashing around. Just a time to relax and be still.

An onsen at Kai Nikko Resort at Lake Chuzenji, Japan

This particular onsen includes a surprise for guests in its lounge area outside the dressing rooms. Adjacent to the giant pastel-colored beanbag chairs that are scattered about on a slightly elevated platform is a small, unassuming wood-paneled freezer full of popsicles. I’ll never forget that little freezer of popsicles. 

As I peeled the plastic wrapper off, holding the small wooden stick in my hand, I fell back into an oversized beanbag chair. For a moment, I was in a dreamy, childlike state, and I wasn’t alone. As I looked around, I saw people of every kind — children, parents and even seniors — all reclining in beanbags while enjoying a popsicle with pure delight on their faces. So many smiles. So much joy.

Reflecting on the experience, it would’ve been too easy for people to exit the pools and just return to their busy days. But the resort has created an unexpected opportunity with the beanbag chairs and popsicles. It’s as if they created a portal to a magical place where busy, focused, highly productive adults rarely venture.  

The freezer full of Magic Popsicles at Kai Onsen resort in Japan.

The magic popsicles call out, like sirens to Ulysses, beckoning passersby to slow down, sink deep into the chairs and do nothing but enjoy a simple treat. Somewhere amidst the simplest of life’s experiences, I discovered a little something for my soul. And maybe a life lesson for all leaders and high achievers.

Consider this: How often do you go for a midday soak in a pool? How often do you sink deep into a comfy chair to enjoy a popsicle? How often do get up from your desk to create a little break in the day? What’s holding you back? What’s the story you’re telling yourself? 

According to Psychology Today, “working for long stretches without breaks leads to stress and exhaustion.” When I stop to think deeply about it, I wonder if maybe we’ve all gone mad. I traveled halfway around the world to experience the revelation of a 10-minute midday soak. I crossed more than half a dozen time zones to encounter a freezer of popsicles. I don’t think it should be this hard. 

As I type this, the sun beckons me to step outside and take a short walk to a juice truck parked down the street. When I quiet my mind, I notice a subtle, mysterious force reaching out to me and encouraging me to take a little time amidst my busy day to unplug and reset. Time to walk. Time to sit and be still. Time to close my eyes and daydream. 

When’s the last time you intentionally daydreamed? What’s stopping you?

Why do we sit at our desks so much, staring into glowing screens? Why do we let bottomless email inboxes give us stress and hold us hostage? Why do we hold so tightly to our cell phones all day? Why does it seem impossible to take a break and go for a short walk? Why does a popsicle break sound so ridiculous?

More importantly, what if we didn’t live this way? Are we evolving or are we devolving? What if we made more time for walks, soaks and popsicles? How might it impact the quality of our work? How might it improve the quality of our lives? 

One writer summarized the benefits of taking breaks in this Scientific American article: “Downtime replenishes the brain’s stores of attention and motivation, encourages productivity and creativity, and is essential to both achieve our highest levels of performance and simply form stable memories in everyday life. … Moments of respite may even be necessary to keep one’s moral compass in working order and maintain a sense of self.”

I have two hourglasses in my office: a big one and a small one. The big one lasts for 30 minutes, and I’ve found that most projects and meetings can be accomplished in 30 or 60-minute intervals. The hourglass provides a tangible, visual gauge of how much time I have to work with. Sometimes I game-ify things, hustling to accomplish my work before the sand runs out, which always feels good. The smaller hourglass lasts for 10 minutes — the perfect length of time for a short break between tasks.

So how can you get started on incorporating more downtime into your day? I’ve found that establishing a regular time on the calendar (with a reminder alert) for a daily walk can create a reliable structure and rhythm to lean into. It’s also helpful to have an accountability partner, a colleague or perhaps a friend, along with a regular destination, like a juice truck or a cafe, to help create a daily ritual. Once it becomes a ritual, it can evolve into something habitual — and that’s when it sticks. That’s when transformation can happen.

I also have a colleague who set-up a #Meditation channel on our company’s Slack app. Periodically whenever anyone is feeling that internal call to disconnect and reset, someone will post an invitation to the channel and organize a little impromptu 10-20 minute meditation session. Everyone is welcome and anyone can join, and I’ve found sometimes there’s an added human/spiritual effect by doing it with a small group of friends or colleagues. We’ve got a couple places around the office quiet enough for meditation, in addition to one dedicated medication/yoga/stretching area, outfitted with mats, bolsters and poufs for folks to use.

As you can see, there’s many different possibilities for low impact, easy to access opportunities for breaks — which when you think deeper out it, these are actually daily opportunities for improved health, increased performance, growth and transformation. 

I also just ordered a small freezer for the office. It’s big enough for about 100 popsicles.

-RW

A version of this essay was originally published by Forbes.com on August 8th, 2019

--> This essay is part of a series published in collaboration with The Western Writers League. Take a few minutes to explore my peers’s work as well.

I Have Flaws by Chris Corbin

Disclaimer: My Life Is Not Perfect by Mario Schulzke

Keywords: worklife , company culture, work/life , work-life , work-life balance , start-up , start-ups , taking breaks , breaktime , break time , leadership , popsicles , walks , creative work , creatives , leadership , leading creatives , meditation , downtime , performance , health , high function , creativity , motivation , mindset , productivity , onsen , onsens , soak, soaking , stress , exhaustion , burnout , culture , nurture theory , marmoset , ryan wines , magic popsicles , japan , kai onsen resort , kai onsen , nikko japan, Lake Chuzenji, work , workplace culture , Creativity , Startu , Leadership , Work Life Balance , Work #worklife #companyculture #startups #creatives #creativeleadership #nurturetheory #worklifeintegration #worklifebalance #breaks #takingbreaks #magicpopsicles #health #healthandhighfunction #creativesolutions #startup #startupculture #worklife #work-life #creativity #productivity #startup #leadership #meditation #nurturetheory

The Anti-Venom for Fear and Low Morale

I’ve been thinking a lot about morale lately. I think the modern day interpretation is “vibes.”  Am I right? It’s a fascinating concept if you really dig into it.

Morale is a psychological state of being, measured in terms of confidence and enthusiasm, especially when in challenging situations. I’ve been thinking a great deal about the morale of my own community lately, in addition to that of our world -- thinking about how we’re wired, what brings us up…what pulls us down. On one hand there’s a lot to be hopeful and encouraged about. Yet on the other hand, I can’t help but feel the fear and growing concern my friends and communities are feeling these days. But why is concern growing?

As you dig deeper, you can’t avoid the reality that bad news is literally being manufactured and distributed by the millisecond. News, media and digital channels globally are overflowing with stories of fear and trepidation -- all done in pursuit of profit.

To make matters worse, humans have devolved to a point where most of us lack a basic self discipline to turn it off. We’re addicted to bad news. Like sheep, our phones and apps regularly interrupt our lives to tell us what to think about, what to give our attention to, and what to worry about. And it seeps into our world like a virus...

I recently deleted my NextDoor app because it wanted me to believe my legitimately quiet neighborhood is overrun with burglars, drag racing and property crime. Other apps and sites I’ve deleted or blocked on my iPhone include Instagram, Facebook, NY Times and CNN. Their sole purpose is to capture my attention and hold it. I’m sorry, but our time and attention is much too valuable to be held hostage by these tech and news companies, wielding fear combined with hits of dopamine to stimulate our worried little caveman brains. And remember, they’re distracting us, controlling our attention and feeding us fear for profit.

Along these lines, Rolling Stone published a feature at the peak of the 2016 presidential campaign, statistically proving this is the safest time in human history, yet humans have never been so consumed with fear. In fact, there’s a well known philosophy driving the news industry: “If it bleeds, it leads.”

Take a moment to think about it: Has there ever been a point in time when people you know have been so guarded, so cynical, so skeptical and so critical of practically everything they encounter? From everyday things like coffee and pizza, to obvious things like the weather and politics -- we scrutinize everything, even our Uber rides. We’ve become well-trained critics, ready to give everything a one-to-five star rating. But I digress...

Amidst this current condition of the world, I’m searching for the anti-venom, something to curb the fear and maybe help lift the vibe — and think I found it. It’s called optimism.

Consider this: Optimism is one of the greatest, most powerful internal forces available to humankind. It’s the catalyst, not only for changing the world, but for actually propelling us forward toward a better future. It’s the anti-venom for low morale, fear and negativity. Whether we’re talking about individuals, teams of people, communities or anything -- optimism is the singular most powerful driving force behind growing, improving, innovating and achieving success. Even more exciting — optimism is scientifically proven to be contagious. And it’s available to everyone. Just sit for a moment and imagine the possibilities.

Optimism: one of the greatest, most powerful internal forces available to humankind. It’s the catalyst, not only for changing the world, but for actually propelling us forward toward a better future. It’s the anti-venom for low morale, fear and negativity.

Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize-winner and author of “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” explains, “Optimists play a disproportionate role in shaping our lives. Their decisions make a difference; they are the inventors, the entrepreneurs, the leaders — not average people.”

Before we get too far, let’s first address a couple concerns of my fellow cynics and skeptics. One impediment is binary thinking: optimism vs. pessimism. The other is found among the “extremes of optimism” and how too much of it can be dangerous. Let’s address both of these now.

First, the binary trap: you’re either an optimist or a pessimist, right? I’ve had plenty of these conversations, where optimism and pessimism are compared and contrasted and batted about for a bit. Then at some point, someone in the room offers the conversational trump card, “I’m a realist” -- as if they’re breaking the binary dichotomy with their proclamation.

This notion is reinforced among popular psychology, as I’ve found several writings suggesting “reality” is the safe place in between optimism and pessimism. Some psychologists have even come up with something called “optimistic realism,” which anchors one to reality, with a slight bend toward hope. As relatable as this may sound, I’ve found no evidence or real life stories to support it. It’s as if psychology doesn’t know what to do with a concept as broad as optimism— so they designed an idea that feels a bit safer. I can almost hear someone saying, “Optimism? Let’s not get carried away.”  

The truth is, as amazing as psychology can be, I’m not sure it’s good for anyone to alter or water down a force as paramount as optimism. Some things are best left alone, as big and expansive as they may be.

Now let’s talk about extremes. Many things in life can be taken to extremes and optimism is no exception. Clearly there can be downfalls in taking optimism too far. At its worst, extreme optimism leads to delusion and poor risk perception. Some call it blind optimism. At some point it could even lead to narcissism or the realm of mental illness.

Look no further than the newly infamous Billy McFarland and his Fyre Festival — assuming he’s not just purely committing fraud from the very beginning. History is full of stories of extreme optimism, some good and some bad. Henry the Eighth. Napoleon Bonaparte. Amelia Earhart. Winston Churchill. Martin Luther King Jr.. Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers. Jay Z. Elon Musk. Alex Honnold. Amy Purdy. You gotta know Amy Purdy!

So if we can agree that most things, including optimism, have extremes that can be good and bad — I can make the same argument for realists. Those who are extreme, over committed to reality will miss opportunities to grow, learn, and dream. If you’re always cemented in reality, how can you dream about tomorrow, innovate and drive toward a better future? Now don’t get me wrong — I’m all for being present and in the moment. But without a future mindset, without dreams, I wonder if one might be nothing more than a rock, stuck in the land of status quo — one that never moves, never changes, never grows.

Okay, let’s define optimism. In sifting through hundreds of interpretations and definitions, I think Helen Keller put it best. “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement…no pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.” She nailed it.

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement…no pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.” - Helen Keller

In his autobiography, Nelson Mandela explained, “I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”

In forthcoming parts of this essay, I will present empirical evidence, with real life examples to support the thesis. I will present the science behind optimism, the wild contagiousness of it, and a method for how to plan, introduce and manifest optimism among people, teams, and communities.

Until then, I’ll leave you with a timeless essay by Booker T. Washington, written for a talk he gave to the Tuskegee Institute on January 13, 1907, titled “Two Sides of Life.” As you read it, consider reflecting on people you know, maybe people you work with and experiences you’ve had. Reflect on Washington’s ideas from 1907 and see how they hold up for you today.

Photo: Booker T. Washington

RW

--> This essay is part of a series published in collaboration with The Western Writers League. Take a few minutes to explore my peers’s work as well.

My Pebble by Chris Corbin

Quick Wins by Mario Schulzke