# #562 The 24 Hour Rule: Why Waiting Makes You Better at Work

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/squiggly-careers-755233/562-the-24-hour-rule-why-waiting-makes-you-better-at-work
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/squiggly-careers-755233/562-the-24-hour-rule-why-waiting-makes-you-better-at-work.md
Podcast: [Squiggly Careers](https://stenobird.com/podcast/squiggly-careers-755233)
Published: 2026-05-21T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/APL1539555915.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/APL1539555915.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/squiggly-careers-755233/episodes/562-the-24-hour-rule-why-waiting-makes-you-better-at-work
Duration seconds: 444

## Resource

Ever sent a reply you immediately regretted, or said something in the heat of the moment you wish you hadn't? In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah makes the case for the 24 hour rule, and shares the research that backs up why waiting is almost always worth it. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why giving yourself 24 hours moves you beyond fight, flight or freeze (and why sleep is doing more work than you think) – 3 things to do in that 24 hours while you're processing: name it to tame it, separate facts from feelings, and ask whether you'll still care about this in 12 months – Why it's okay to say "I'll come back to you tomorrow" (and why people actually find it reassuring when leaders do this) – What to do when you don't have 24 hours and an hour is the best you can get 📚 Resources Mentioned Episode 364: How to improve your judgement: https://www.amazingif.com/listen/how-to-improve-your-judgement/ For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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## Transcript

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