Sauna Time: The Heat of The Moment

We live in a world of distractions.  Doom scrolling social media, endless streams of texts, Slack messages, emails and media to consume on streaming services waste way too much of our time.  It has become increasingly difficult to disconnect from our digital world and to get lost in our thoughts.  I have struggled with this for years and I see a similar pattern with most if not all of the executives that I work with as an executive coach.

In analyzing my own behavior and trying to identify when I do my best innovative and creative thinking, I recognized a pattern.  The two times that I am consistently most creative are when I go for a run and when I am in the shower.  The common factor with each is that I am disconnected from my phone and technology.  I may listen to music through my Garmin watch while running, but I never listen to podcasts and I never carry my phone on a run.  When in the shower, I am completely free from technology including my watch.

So how can I create more time and space for creative thinking by disconnecting from technology more frequently?  It sounds easy, just put the phone down, right?  Not so easy, I am an impatient person.  Running is doing something, I am exercising while thinking.  Showering is getting clean while also thinking.  I needed another task or environment where I could think while free from digital distractions.

In my efforts to age well and focus on health, I started doing research on tactics to improve health beyond diet, exercise, sleep and cutting down or out alcohol.  I kept finding articles about the merits of sauna and the health benefits.  After a considerable amount of research I bought an infrared sauna.  The sauna I purchased is a Dynamics Barcelona 1-2 person Infrared Sauna.  I looked at several different brands and styles of sauna and for the price, my needs and the space I have for it this one seemed best. 

I figured this would be a good way to sweat things out and rest some achy limbs. The sauna includes red light therapy and Bluetooth speakers.  I have made a habit of only listening to relaxation mood music while in the sauna and freeing myself of technology for my 25 minute daily treatment.

The sauna has become my third sanctuary where I do my best creative thinking.  25 minutes to heat up and to get lost in my thoughts.  I meditate, I focus on my breathing and I tap into the creative parts of my brain.  I often leave the sauna with ideas that I quickly run to write down.  The sauna has become one of my favorite parts of each day.  I prefer to use it first thing in the morning before work, but I also enjoy it before bedtime.  A great day starts with a run, a sauna and then a shower.  That amounts to between 1-2 hours technology free time to get lost in my thoughts.  I have not given myself that amount of technology free time since before my Blackberry days, so it is very refreshing.

I have been sharing this experience with my coaching clients.  Many of them are impatient, restless and hard charging like me.  If I could include an infrared sauna in the cost of my coaching engagements, I would totally do that as I see such major benefits.  I have been encouraging clients and friends to consider getting a sauna.

In my case the benefits of the sauna itself are probably outweighed by the space it is creating for me to think more in a distraction free environment. What are you doing to disconnect from technology and to provide the time and space to get lost in your thoughts? A sauna might be the sanctuary you have been seeking.