We plugged in the Wii last week. Family tournaments followed: tennis in Wii Sports, archery in Sports Resort.

It’s full of both fun and nostalgia, especially when Wii gives us this frequent reminder:

Naturally, all players simultaneously smash the “A” button to dismiss the suggestion!

But I appreciate that the game tries. Can you imagine this coming from your favorite modern mobile app?

Yet, it might be a pause is exactly what we need…

We’re entering the quietest week of the year. Your incoming email volume will decrease. Those Slack pings may subside. Many recurring meetings have already been canceled.

Some use this time to get ahead on projects. Others completely yank their cords right out of the socket and disappear.

Whichever you are, it will likely feel like a different week. And there’s perspective that comes with change. Psychology Today points to ​the science of doing nothing​ (written by a former Real Housewife!) if you need peer-reviewed permission to put your feet up.

Downtime activates something known as the “default mode network,” which sounds like a very developery term. It supports creativity and problem-solving, two things that will no doubt come in useful for you and your team next year.

I’ve also seen the benefits personally.

I wrote the bulk of ​Developer Marketing Does Not Exist​ after one of these pauses.

Take a breather, whatever that looks like for you.

In fact, if you pay attention, you have two mini pauses with every breath. Once, at the end of an inhale, before you exhale. The other comes as you run out of CO2, before you go back for more air.

So, even if you’re sprinting to the end of the year, take a moment and ​inex haha lele​.

Then, in the next moment, tap a reply and let me know what you hope to create or solve in the New Year.

Everything will be waiting for your return like the spinning disc of a 16-year-old Wii.