Why silence is a good thing

One of the most underutilised tools in many workplace cultures today, is the ability to be quiet. Indeed, taking time to stop and not talk, meet or message is often seen as an unproductive thing to do.

However, Harvard research found that periods of quiet heightened attention, improved decision-making, and led to greater emotional regulation in the workplace. Just ten minutes reduces cortisol, the hormone that quietly turns a tricky Monday into a full-blown catastrophe.

Having a moment of silence isn't the absence of productivity. It's the thing that makes productivity possible. Plan it in, then guard it fiercely.