How do you protect thinking time as a new leader?

The short answer

Book a regular block of about two hours a week, decide what it protects you from, and treat it like a meeting with someone senior. Then check after a month whether it is working and change it if it is not.

Meetings and requests can fill the diary before you have time to think, and many new leaders say they would like more of it.

Why thinking time is not a luxury

A senior role is mostly decisions, priorities and judgement, and those need uninterrupted attention more than they need speed. Research on interrupted work gives a hint of the cost. In a study by Gloria Mark and colleagues, people who were interrupted finished a task about as well and slightly faster, but reported more stress, frustration, time pressure and effort.

You may have seen a precise figure for how long it takes to recover from an interruption. That number is widely repeated, but it does not appear in the peer-reviewed paper, so treat it with caution. The point stands without it: constant switching costs attention and energy.

A simple plan

1. Choose a block. Two hours a week is a good start. One two-hour block is usually better than four half-hours. Choose the time of day when you think best, which for many people is the morning.
2. Put it in the diary. Mark it as busy, give it a plain name (“Planning” or “Focus”), and treat it as a meeting you cannot casually move.
3. Decide what it is for. Write one question to work on in advance: a decision you are avoiding, the team’s priorities, a conversation you need to prepare for.
4. Remove the interruptions. Turn off notifications, leave your desk, and tell your team the time and how to reach you if something is truly urgent.
5. Agree a signal. A simple rule helps: “If it’s urgent, ring me. Anything else can wait until 12.”
6. Review after four weeks. Did you keep the block? Did it help? What got in the way?

What usually goes wrong

• The first thing to go is the thinking time. When a meeting clashes, people move the block. Move it to another slot the same week, not off the list.
• Nothing happens in the block. If you sit down with no question, you will drift to email. Decide the question beforehand.
• Your team is not told. If they do not know, they will keep interrupting. Tell them what you are doing and why.
• You think it through alone. Some of what you need to think about is easier with another person. Name someone outside your reporting line for candid advice.

Your rights and your limits

Thinking time is not a substitute for rest. In the UK, GOV.UK says workers are entitled to one uninterrupted 20-minute break if they work more than six hours a day, and 11 hours of rest between working days. The 48-hour average weekly limit applies unless you opt out. An exception can apply where working time is not measured and you control it, for example some managing executives. A senior title alone does not establish an exemption; check your circumstances with Acas.

When it is more than a busy week

Feeling stretched at the start of a big new role is common. If it has lasted weeks, or you are sleeping badly, losing interest in things you usually enjoy or feeling low or anxious, speak to your GP. In England you can refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies without seeing a GP first, and you can call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option for help that is not an emergency. If you are in distress, Samaritans are free to call on 116 123, at any time. Coaching can help you design your time, but it is not therapy or treatment.

Try it this week

Pick two hours, put them in the diary, and write the question you will work on. Then see what happens.

This article is general information, not professional, legal or medical advice. Check GOV.UK or Acas for your own working-time rights.

Sources

• Gloria Mark, Daniela Gudith and Ulrich Klocke, The cost of interrupted work: more speed and stress (CHI 2008, ACM). Accessed 2026-10-02.
• GOV.UK, Rest breaks at work. Accessed 2026-10-02.
• GOV.UK, Maximum weekly working hours. Accessed 2026-10-02.

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