Onset of action

With medicine, the onset of action is the time between its administration and when the therapeutic effects are produced. For some drugs, the effect is immediate. For others, it takes a few hours. And for some medication, it takes weeks of continued use for noticeable changes to occur.

Some things take time.

There are many parallels here: exercise, practice, generosity, creativity …

Ten minutes of drawing. How does it feel? What about after a month of drawing daily?

Humming a tune. Does it take a week of humming? Or does it lift the spirits within a few moments?

Meditating. Does it work right away? Does it work better with sustained practice?

For everything we do, there’s an onset of action. Internal and external, local and global.

Sometimes, the onset is surprisingly quick.

Other times, we need patience and regular dosage.