What is dead time and how can we make it productive?

What does it mean when we say it is: “Dead Time?”  One definition is: “Dead time is the time on a job lost by a worker without his fault.”  A second definition deals with time that cannot be recorded between two events as measured by some type of electronic measuring device.  Dead time for us personally seems to be the time in our lives when we cannot accomplish anything due to some problem or failure that literally stops time for us.  In my life, dead time is the time just before I fall asleep or the time when I am waiting in traffic and cannot do any work.  It is the time that it takes in the morning for my mind and body to start functioning. 

Each of us has many examples of dead time in our lives. Some of us have more of it then others.  Often, we try to find ways to make such dead time productive but it is not always possible to do so. Cell phones have enabled a great many people to use the “dead time” while driving to and from work to make important business calls or transactions. Some people make this “dead time” productive by playing audio book CD’s in their tape drives and using the time to learn something or to be entertained. We have a great many instances of dead time in each of our lives.  Some of these times are foreseeable and inevitable. Some happen randomly and unexpectedly.  Like, when you are taking a short ride and get stuck in a major traffic jam.  You can easily lose an hour or so when this happens.

How much dead time do you have in your life each day?  What do you do with your dead time?  Are you able to turn it into some productive use?  Could you use it to relax or even to meditate?  Few of us do enough relaxing or meditating.   Either of these could be a very productive use of time.  Does dead time really have to be dead?  It all depends on your creativity.