I have a very active mind, so when I need to rest, I try to do what I call "Jellyfish Time."

A jellyfish is a creature with no brain. The goal of Jellyfish Time is to emulate the brainless jellyfish and float in an ocean of passing distractions, unable to conceive of any specific thoughts.

There is no music in Jellyfish Time. There are no relaxing sounds or meditation guides. In Jellyfish Time, you go for as much sensory deprivation as possible. If you're not in a quiet place, put on earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones. Lie down or recline in a position where you do as little as possible to hold up your body. Set a timer for fifteen minutes. Then, spend that time thinking the non-existent thoughts of a jellyfish.

If a human thought floats your way, let it pass you by like the waves pass over the jellyfish. If you automatically entangle your metaphorical tentacles with the thought, so be it. But the goal is not to engage. The goal is to float. It helps to make the sound of a brainless creature. Something like, "Bluhhhhhhhhh." If you fall asleep, that's okay! Good, even! You probably needed it.

Jellyfish Time is technically a form of meditation, but an even more passive form than what you'd typically find on a meditation app. In meditation we often feel like we are doing something: listening to a guide, counting down from ten, counting the seconds that we breathe in and out. In Jellyfish Time, we feel nothing, think nothing, do nothing. It is difficult to achieve if you have an active mind, but I find that practicing Jellyfish Time is one of the only things that helps pull me out of crashes. Consciously creating space for nothing is extremely difficult, but I find it makes for an extremely effective fifteen minute recharge.

The next time you need a break, try emulating the noblest of brainless creatures! Shut off your brain and body, and give everything a good recharge.