Need for Space

Just as we need breathing room in a crowd, we also need mental and physical “space” in our lives. When we have sufficient personal space – not just in the literal sense of room to move, but also unoccupied time and manageable demands – we avoid feeling overwhelmed and retain a sense of control (autonomy) over what we do. The need for space may lead people to sometimes take a step back: for example, setting aside alone time, not packing schedules to the brim, and avoiding juggling too many tasks at once. By carving out these spaces (a clear desk, an empty slot in the calendar, a limit on concurrent projects), we preserve our mental clarity and our ability to make free choices about our focus. Research supports this: workers who are given some unstructured time or a less cluttered environment often exhibit better concentration and creativity than those pressured in a constant hustle. In summary, having space – both around us and in our mind – prevents overload and empowers us to act deliberately rather than reactively, thereby protecting our clarity of thought and independence in decision-making.