reflection et inspiration
as a psychotherapist and in teaching too, it is important to take time to reflect, to get some ‘thinking space’, and to stare out of window. it is said that sigmund freud devised the ’50 minute hour’ for just that, to leave time to stare out the window (and to go to the bathroom, have a glass of water etc).
alain de botton wrote a whole article on the importance of staring out the window, where he asserts that there is a cultural expectation that you are always supposed to be active, working, studying, going through your to-do list etc., and the act of looking out into the distance appears to serve no purpose and indicates perhaps boredom, or futility. but it could not be further from to truth, de botton advocates. Staring out the window is not about finding out what’s going on outside but what is going on inside.
“the potential of daydreaming isn’t recognised by societies obsessed with productivity. but some of our greatest insights come when we stop trying to be purposeful and instead respect the creative potential of reverie. window daydreaming is a strategic rebellion against the excessive demands of immediate (but ultimately insignificant) pressures – in favour of the diffuse, but very serious, search for the wisdom of the unexplored deep self.” (de botton)
going to my favorite french coffee shop, l’eau à la bouche, affords me the equivalent of staring out the window. the act of repetition and routine for me is incredibly calming. to sit outside and watch the world go by, akin to a café in paris, lends both time for reflection and calm and also offers a chance for inspiration and to be re-energised.
bibliography
1), alain de botton (https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/the-importance-of-staring-out-the-window/) calm. perspective: the school of life: london