Why Your Big Brain Needs Breathing Room (Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Slack Time)

Okay, fellow tech leaders, gather ’round. It’s time for a little story about how I spent two decades of my career being an idiot. (Don’t worry, there’s a happy ending. Sort of.)

Picture this: It’s 2am, I’m on my third cup of coffee, staring at a calendar that looks like a game of Tetris designed by a sadistic AI. I’m crushing it, right? I’m a productivity machine! I’m…

…completely and utterly screwed.

At that moment, fueled by caffeine and desperation, I had an epiphany: Being busy doesn’t mean being effective. In fact, my obsession with cramming every minute full of “productive work” was actually making me worse at my job.

Spoiler alert: If you’re nodding along, thinking “but being busy is how I know I’m valuable!”, then buckle up, buttercup. We need to talk.

The Hamster Wheel of Doom

Let me paint you a picture of peak idiocy. A few years back, my company was growing faster than a beanstalk on steroids. We needed to hire. A lot. So, being the dedicated manager I was, I dove headfirst into the hiring process.

Résumé reviews before breakfast. Phone screens during lunch. On-site interviews until dinner. Rinse, repeat, collapse.

I was a hiring machine! I was unstoppable! I was…

…completely missing the forest for the trees.

It took me embarrassingly long to realize that our entire hiring process was about as efficient as a steam-powered smartphone. We were burning out interviewers, missing great candidates, and probably scaring off the rest with our frantic, disorganized approach.

But here’s the kicker: I was so busy “doing interviews” that I didn’t have time to step back and ask, “Hey, is this actually working?”

Sound familiar? If your calendar looks like a game of Tetris on steroids, with every block filled and no room to breathe, you might be stuck on the same hamster wheel I was.

The problem? When we’re constantly busy, we don’t have time to think strategically. And without strategic thinking, we’re just running really fast… in place.

The Strategic Thinking Mindf*ck

Alright, here’s where things get a little weird. Ready for a truth bomb? To think bigger, you need to do… less.

I know, I know. It sounds like some Silicon Valley wellness guru nonsense. But stick with me here.

Strategic thinking—you know, that thing that actually moves the needle in your organization—requires space. Mental space. Time space. “Staring out the window wondering if squirrels have feelings” space.

But here’s the rub: When was the last time you blocked off two hours in your calendar for “Thinking About Stuff”? If you’re like most of us, the answer is somewhere between “never” and “haha, good one.”

Why? Because it feels wrong. Unproductive. Like you’re slacking off while Rome burns. Your brain starts serving up guilt trips like they’re complimentary bread baskets:

“Shouldn’t you be in a meeting right now?” “That code isn’t going to review itself, you know.” “What if someone sees you just… sitting there?”

And so, we fill every minute. We respond to every Slack ping, attend every “optional” meeting, and wear our 60-hour weeks like badges of honor.

But here’s the cruel irony: The busier we get, the less time we have for strategic thinking. And the less strategic thinking we do, the busier we get trying to fix all the problems caused by our lack of strategy.

It’s a vicious cycle, folks. A hamster wheel of doom, if you will. (Yes, I’m bringing back the hamster metaphor. Deal with it.)

The result? We optimize locally but sub-optimize globally. We win battles but lose wars. We ship features but miss revolutions.

And the worst part? We’re too busy to even notice it’s happening.

Tech’s Toxic Love Affair with Busy

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: our industry’s obsession with hustle culture. It’s like that toxic ex you know you should’ve ditched years ago, but somehow you’re still answering their 2am texts.

In the tech world, “busy” is a badge of honor. We’ve collectively bought into this idea that if you’re not constantly doing something, you’re falling behind. It’s “rise and grind” this, and “hustle 24/7” that.

Newsflash: It’s all a load of performative nonsense.

You’ve seen it, right? The LinkedIn posts humble-bragging about 80-hour work weeks. The Slack statuses proudly proclaiming “Busy shipping!” The cult-like worship of founders who claim to sleep three hours a night and subsist on nothing but Red Bull and sheer force of will.

We’re optimizing for the wrong thing. We’re so focused on output—lines of code, tickets closed, commits pushed—that we’ve lost sight of the outcome. You know, the stuff that actually matters?

It’s like we’re all running a race, patting ourselves on the back for how fast we’re moving, without realizing we’re on a treadmill. Spoiler alert: No matter how fast you run on a treadmill, you’re still in the same damn place.

This “hustle or die” mentality is particularly potent in startups. There’s this pervasive belief that if you’re not working yourself to the bone, your company is going to implode and it’ll be All. Your. Fault.

But here’s the thing: Constant busyness isn’t a sign of productivity. It’s a sign of poor prioritization. It’s a red flag that you’re letting the urgent crowd out the important.

And let’s be real: A lot of this “hustle” is just theater. We stay late because everyone else is staying late. We respond to emails at 10pm because we want to be seen as dedicated. We fill our calendars to the brim because an empty slot might make people think we’re not essential.

It’s time to call it what it is: Busywork theater. And folks, the reviews are in, and they’re not great.

So, what’s the alternative? Glad you asked. But first, we need to talk about why trying to utilize 100% of your brain 100% of the time is a recipe for disaster. Spoiler: It involves a server metaphor. Because of course it does. We’re in tech, after all.

The 100% Utilization Fallacy

Would you run a server at 100% CPU utilization 24/7?

If you just felt a shiver of horror run down your spine, congratulations! You understand systems better than you understand yourself.

We all know that a server running at 100% capacity is a ticking time bomb. It can’t handle traffic spikes. It has no room for background processes. It’s one small hiccup away from a cascading failure that’ll have you panic-ordering pizza for the entire ops team at 2am.

So why oh why do we think human brains are any different?

Spoiler alert: They’re not.

When you schedule yourself down to the last minute, when you fill every moment with “productive” work, you’re essentially redlining your own mental engine. You’re that server at 100% utilization, one unexpected input away from a spectacular crash.

No room for creative thoughts? No time to ponder that nagging issue that’s been at the back of your mind? Can’t remember the last time you had a genuine “Aha!” moment? Congratulations, you’ve played yourself.

But wait, it gets worse! (I know, you didn’t think that was possible, but stick with me here.)

When we optimize for utilization, we paradoxically make ourselves less useful. We become really, really good at handling the expected. You know, the stuff that’s already on our to-do lists, the fires we already know how to fight.

But guess what? In the tech world, it’s the unexpected that really moves the needle. It’s the creative solutions to problems we didn’t even know we had. It’s the innovative ideas that come from connecting seemingly unrelated dots.

And those things? They need space. They need that CPU headroom. They need what looks suspiciously like “doing nothing” time.

But instead of giving ourselves that headroom, we fill every spare cycle with more tasks, more meetings, more “hustle.” We tell ourselves we’re being productive, but what we’re really doing is optimizing ourselves right out of the chance to do anything truly important.

It’s like we’re afraid of empty space in our calendars the same way nature abhors a vacuum. But let me tell you a secret: That empty space? It’s not nothing. It’s possibility. It’s potential. It’s where the magic happens.

So the next time you find yourself bragging about how busy you are, how every minute of your day is accounted for, stop. Take a breath. And ask yourself: Am I really optimizing for success, or am I just keeping the hamster wheel spinning?

Because let me tell you, if your brain’s CPU is pegged at 100%, you’re not going to have the cycles to spare when the really important stuff comes along. And in this industry? The really important stuff always comes along when you least expect it.

Now, before you start thinking this is just a manager problem, oh boy, do I have news for you…

It’s Not Just a Manager Thing, Folks

Now, I know what some of you are thinking. “Sure, this all sounds great for managers. They’re supposed to think strategically. But I’m just a humble code monkey. I don’t need all this big-picture mumbo jumbo.”

Oh, my sweet summer child.

First off, if you’re a manager and you’re not making time for strategic thinking, I hate to break it to you, but you’re not managing. You’re just administrating. You’re a glorified calendar tetris player. Your job, by definition, requires you to think beyond the day-to-day grind. If you’re not doing that, well… maybe it’s time to ask yourself some uncomfortable questions.

But here’s the plot twist: This isn’t just a manager problem. Not by a long shot.

Senior engineers, I’m looking at you. You might think your job is all about cranking out code and solving technical problems. And sure, that’s part of it. But if you’re not taking time to think strategically, you’re missing the forest for the trees.

You see, as you climb the tech ladder, your value isn’t just in the code you write. It’s in your ability to:

1. Spot systemic issues before they become five-alarm fires
2. Identify patterns across projects that could lead to game-changing optimizations
3. See how today’s quick fix could become tomorrow’s technical debt nightmare
4. Figure out if that shiny new technology is actually worth the hype or just another flash in the pan

In other words, your job isn’t just to write code. It’s to think big about code. About systems. About the future of your tech stack.

You can’t do any of that if you’re constantly context-switching between tasks, if your calendar looks like a game of Jenga, if you can’t remember the last time you had an uninterrupted thought.

And it’s not just senior folks either. Even if you’re earlier in your career, making space for strategic thinking can set you apart. It’s what turns good engineers into great ones. It’s what makes people sit up and take notice.

The truth is, no matter where you are in your career, the ability to step back and think strategically is what will propel you forward. It’s what turns individual contributors into tech leads, tech leads into architects, and architects into the kind of people who shape the future of technology.

But—and this is a big but—you can’t do any of that if you’re trapped in the busy bubble. If you’re constantly reacting instead of reflecting. If you’re so focused on the code in front of you that you can’t see the systems around you.

So whether you’re managing a team or managing a codebase, the principle is the same: Make space for strategic thinking, or prepare to be left behind.

Now, I know what you’re wondering. “But Csaba, what happens if we don’t make this space? Surely it can’t be that bad, right?”

Oh, my friend. Let me tell you a cautionary tale or two…

What Happens When Strategy Takes a Backseat

Alright, gather ’round for story time. I promised you cautionary tales, and boy, do I have some doozies.

Let’s start with a little something I like to call “The Great Product Myopia Disaster of 2018” (names changed to protect the guilty, of course).

Picture this: A promising startup, let’s call them WidgetWow, is growing fast. They’re shipping features left and right, burning the midnight oil, fueled by a potent mixture of caffeine and the fear of being outpaced by competitors.

Sounds great, right? Wrong.

In their frenzy to ship, ship, ship, they forgot to ask one teensy-tiny question: “Why?”

Why were they building these features? Did they align with the overall product vision? Were they solving actual user problems, or just ticking boxes on a roadmap?

Spoiler alert: They didn’t know. Because they were too busy executing to think.

The result? A bloated, Frankenstein’s monster of a product that tried to be everything to everyone and ended up being nothing to no one. Eighteen months of work, down the drain. All because no one took the time to step back and ask, “Is this the right direction?”

But wait, there’s more!

Let’s shift gears to a tale I like to call “The Shortcut to Nowhere.” This one’s a classic in the world of engineering.

Picture a team of brilliant engineers, working on a critical system. They’re under pressure to deliver fast (because aren’t we always?). So they take a few shortcuts. You know, just to get things out the door. They’ll refactor later, they promise.

Narrator voice: They did not, in fact, refactor later.

Fast-forward two years. The system is a nightmare of spaghetti code and technical debt. Simple changes take weeks. New features? Ha! Good luck bolting those onto this monstrosity.

And all because no one had the time (or the mandate) to think strategically about the long-term implications of their short-term decisions.

But surely, you might be thinking, management would step in and prevent such disasters, right?

Oh, you sweet, naive soul. Let me introduce you to The Career Stunting Spectacular.

This is the story of a manager—let’s call him Bob—who was great at execution. His team delivered like clockwork. Projects were on time, under budget. He was a star!

But Bob was so focused on immediate results that he neglected something crucial: his team’s growth. No time for mentoring, no space for learning new skills, no thought given to career development.

The result? A team of burnt-out engineers, stagnating in their careers, watching helplessly as their skills slowly became obsolete. Top talent started jumping ship, and Bob couldn’t figure out why.

The common thread in all these stories? A lack of strategic thinking. A failure to zoom out and ask the big questions. An inability to balance short-term execution with long-term vision.

It’s not just about getting things done. It’s about getting the right things done, in a way that sets you up for future success.

But I know what you’re thinking. “Hey, this all sounds great in theory, but how the heck do I actually make time for strategic thinking in this crazy, always-on world?”

Breaking Free from the Busy Cult

Alright, it’s time for some real talk. Breaking free from the cult of busy isn’t easy. If it were, we’d all be zen masters of strategic thinking by now, sipping kombucha and having profound insights every other minute.

But fear not! I’ve got some battle-tested strategies that might just save your sanity (and your career).

1. Schedule “Do Nothing” Time (Yes, Really)

I can hear you laughing from here. “Schedule time to do nothing? In this economy?”

But hear me out. This isn’t about literal nothingness (though staring at a wall for an hour can be surprisingly productive). This is about creating space for your brain to work its magic.

Block off large chunks of time in your calendar—I’m talking 2-3 hours minimum—and label it something intimidating like “Strategic Analysis” or “Deep Work Session.” Then, use this time to… think.

Read industry news. Reflect on your biggest challenges. Ask yourself “what if” questions. Let your mind wander. It’ll feel weird at first, like you’re slacking off. Push through it. This is where the magic happens.

2. The Life-Changing Magic of Writing Stuff Down

Remember how I mentioned note-taking earlier? It’s time to embrace it like your career depends on it (because it kind of does).

Get a notebook. A nice one. The kind that makes you feel smarter just by holding it. Use it to jot down ideas, questions, observations. Anything that crosses your mind during your “do nothing” time.

Why? Because our brains are like browsers with too many tabs open. Writing things down is like bookmarking those tabs so you can come back to them later. Plus, the act of writing itself can spark new connections and ideas.

3. Create a Culture Where Thinking Isn’t a Dirty Word

This one’s tricky, especially if you’re not the boss. But you can start small.

When someone asks what you’re working on, don’t be afraid to say, “I’m thinking through a problem.” Normalize the idea that not all productive work looks like furious typing or back-to-back meetings.

If you are the boss, go a step further. Explicitly give your team permission to think. Heck, demand it. Ask them what they would do if they had an extra day each week just to think about improving things.

4. Embrace the Power of No

Here’s a radical idea: You don’t have to accept every meeting invite. You don’t have to be part of every project. You don’t have to answer every Slack message the second it comes in.

Learning to say no is like a superpower. It’s the difference between being busy and being productive.

Next time you’re about to say yes to something, ask yourself: “Is this more important than having time to think strategically about my work?” If the answer is no, well… you know what to do.

5. Make Your Calendar Your Ally, Not Your Enemy

Your calendar should be a tool that helps you do your best work, not a torture device designed to fragment your day into useless 30-minute chunks.

Try time-blocking. Group similar tasks together. Create buffer zones between meetings. And for the love of all that is holy, give yourself some breathing room.

Remember: A calendar that’s 100% full is a recipe for 0% strategic thinking.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “But Csaba, my boss/team/company will never go for this!”

First of all, stop selling yourself short. Second, you’re right—this is where things get tricky. But fear not! I’ve got some tips for the managers out there who want to lead the charge towards a more strategic future…

Managers: It’s Time to Lead the Charge

Alright, my fellow managers, listen up. If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably nodding along, thinking, “Yeah, this all sounds great, but how do I actually make it happen in my team?”

Well, buckle up, buttercup. It’s time for some tough love and real talk.

Be the Change You Want to See in Your Calendar

First things first: You can’t expect your team to embrace strategic thinking if you’re running around like a headless chicken yourself. You need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

“Start by actually blocking off that thinking time we talked about earlier. And respect it. When your calendar says you’re doing Strategic Planning,” you better be doing some goddamn strategic planning, not answering emails or scrolling through social media.

Your team is watching you. If they see you making time for strategic thinking, they’ll start to believe it’s not just allowed, but expected.

Stop Suffocating Your Team’s Potential

Now, let’s talk about your team. You know all those brilliant people you hired? The ones you’re paying top dollar for their big brains? Yeah, stop treating them like code monkeys.

If your idea of management is assigning tasks and checking boxes, congratulations, you’ve just replaced yourself with a slightly less efficient Jira board.

Instead, try this radical approach:

1. Ask your team members what they would improve if they had more time to think.
2. Actually listen to their answers.
3. Give them the time and space to pursue those improvements.

Revolutionary, I know.

The Art of Balancing Short-Term Execution and Long-Term Badassery

Here’s where it gets tricky. You’ve still got deadlines to meet, features to ship, and fires to put out. But you’ve also got a team that needs room to grow, innovate, and think big.

The secret? It’s not about finding a perfect balance. It’s about deliberate imbalance.

Some sprints might be heads-down execution. But make sure you’re also scheduling sprints (or at least weeks) where the focus is on learning, exploration, and strategic thinking.

Google’s famous 20% time didn’t work because it was a perfect system. It worked because it sent a clear message: Thinking beyond your immediate tasks isn’t just allowed, it’s encouraged.

Redefine “Results”

If the only metrics you care about are lines of code, tickets closed, or features shipped, you’re incentivizing busywork, not smart work.

Start recognizing and rewarding strategic contributions. Did someone identify a potential bottleneck before it became a problem? Awesome, call that out in your next team meeting. Did an engineer take time to refactor a gnarly piece of code, even though it didn’t add any new features? That’s worth celebrating.

Invest in Your Team’s Growth (or Watch Them Grow Away)

Remember our cautionary tale about Bob, the manager who was great at execution but neglected his team’s growth? Don’t be Bob.

Making space for strategic thinking isn’t just about improving your product or processes. It’s about giving your team members room to grow, to stretch their skills, to become the kind of big-picture thinkers who will drive your company forward.

If you’re not investing in your team’s growth, someone else will. And then you’ll be left wondering why all your best people are updating their LinkedIn profiles.

The Hardest Part: Selling It Upwards

I get it. You might be on board with all of this, but you’ve got higher-ups breathing down your neck about deadlines and deliverables. How do you sell them on the importance of “thinking time”?

First, start speaking their language. Don’t talk about “slack time” or “strategic thinking.” Talk about innovation, about staying ahead of the competition, about building a team that can adapt to future challenges.

Second, start small. You don’t need to revolutionize your entire work culture overnight. Begin with small experiments, measure the results, and use those wins to argue for more.

And if all else fails? Sometimes you need to create a crisis to prevent a disaster. Let something small fail because you didn’t have time to think it through properly. Then use that as an object lesson in why strategic thinking time is crucial.

Remember, your job as a manager isn’t just to get stuff done. It’s to build a team that can get the right stuff done, now and in the future. And that requires giving your team’s brains some room to breathe.

Now, I know what you’re all thinking. “But, but, even if I do all this, I still feel guilty when I’m not actively ‘working’.” Oh boy, do I have some thoughts on that…

Overcoming the Guilt (Because You Know You Feel It)

Alright, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. The big, guilt-shaped elephant that’s stomping all over your attempts to make space for strategic thinking.

You know the one. It’s that voice in your head that says:

“You should be working right now.” “What if someone sees you just… sitting there?” “Real tech heroes don’t take breaks, they push through!”

First off, let’s call that voice what it is: a lying liar who lies.

That voice is the result of years of tech industry brainwashing, hustle culture propaganda, and probably a dash of good old-fashioned imposter syndrome. And it’s time to tell it to shut the hell up.

Reframing “Non-Productive” Time

Here’s the truth bomb of the day: That time you spend “just thinking”? It’s not non-productive. In fact, it might be the most productive time you have.

Think about it. When do your best ideas come to you? In the shower. On a walk. While staring out the window of a train. Basically, any time your brain isn’t actively trying to solve a problem.

That’s not a coincidence. It’s how our brains work. They need that downtime to process information, make new connections, and come up with innovative solutions.

So the next time you feel guilty for taking thinking time, remind yourself: This isn’t a break from work. This is work. It’s the work that makes all your other work better.

The Power of Positive Rebranding

If you’re still struggling with the guilt, try this little psychological trick: Rebrand your thinking time.

Instead of “staring into space time,” call it “innovation incubation.” Instead of “doing nothing,” you’re “cultivating strategic insights.” You’re not “slacking off,” you’re “optimizing your mental algorithms.”

Is it a little cheesy? Sure. But if it helps you give yourself permission to think, who cares?

Selling Strategic Thinking to the “But What Have You Shipped?” Crowd

Now, let’s talk about the external pressure. The folks who measure value by lines of code or features shipped. The ones who think if your fingers aren’t on a keyboard, you’re not really working.

Here’s how you handle them:

1. Speak their language: Don’t talk about “thinking time.” Talk about “proactive problem-solving” or “innovation sprints.”
2. Show, don’t tell: Keep a log of the insights and ideas that come from your strategic thinking time. When one of those ideas saves the day or leads to a breakthrough, make sure everyone knows where it came from.
3. Use cold, hard data: There’s plenty of research out there about the benefits of downtime, meditation, and strategic thinking. Arm yourself with these facts. (Just don’t call it research. Call it “competitive intelligence gathering.”)
4. Flip the script: Ask them how much time they spend thinking strategically about the business. If the answer is “none,” well, maybe they should be worried about their own productivity.

Remember: Guilt is a Crap Motivator

Even if you could guilt yourself into being productive 100% of the time (you can’t), it would be a terrible idea.

Guilt doesn’t lead to good work. It leads to burnout, resentment, and a whole lot of mediocre output.

You know what does lead to good work? Feeling energized, creative, and engaged. And you know how you get there? By giving your brain the space it needs to do its thing.

So the next time you feel that guilt creeping in, recognize it for what it is: A outdated subroutine in your mental software. Acknowledge it, thank it for trying to keep you safe, and then kindly tell it to piss off.

Because you’re not just working. You’re thinking. And that, my friends, is what’s going to take you from good to great.

The Bottom Line: Think or Sink

Alright, folks, we’ve covered a lot of ground here. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried (okay, maybe just me), we’ve stared into the abyss of our overpacked calendars and lived to tell the tale.

But let’s boil it down to the essentials:

1. Your brain needs space to do its best work.
2. Constant busyness is not a badge of honor; it’s a red flag.
3. Strategic thinking is not a luxury; it’s a necessity for survival in tech.
4. Making time to think feels wrong but is oh so right.
5. Managers, it’s on you to create a culture where thinking is valued.
6. The guilt is real, but it’s also really misguided.

Here’s the deal: In a world where tech is evolving faster than a caffeinated cheetah, strategic thinking isn’t optional. It’s the difference between shaping the future and being blindsided by it.

You wouldn’t run a server at 100% capacity 24/7. Don’t do it to your brain.

So, here’s your homework (because what’s a blog post without a little assignment?):

1. Block off 2 hours in your calendar next week for “Strategic Thinking.”
2. During that time, put away your phone, close your email, and just… think.
3. Write down any ideas, questions, or observations that come to you.
4. At the end of the session, reflect on how it felt and what you gained.

Do this for a month. I dare you. No, I double dog dare you.

Because here’s the truth: The most important work you do might just be the work that doesn’t look like work at all.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a very important appointment with my office chair and the view out my window. You know, for strategic thinking. 😉

What about you? How are you going to make space for your big brain to breathe? Drop a comment below – but only after you’ve taken some time to think about it strategically, of course.

Remember: In the race between the busy and the strategic, the strategic will win every time. So give yourself permission to stop, to think, to breathe. Your future self (and your team, and your company) will thank you.

Now go forth and think strategically, you magnificent nerds!