Can you do ‘Nothing’?
When was the last time you did nothing- absolutely nothing?
Couple of months back, I asked this question to myself and realized- It was difficult for me to answer this question. I was always doing something, always operating in ‘mindless doing’ mode. It took a bit of a time for this to change.
Looking back, I realized, even when you are not working, you might be feeling obliged to do something- learning a new skill, going to a class, watching something. We want to be productive all the time.
Now there is nothing wrong with being productive till it is not costing you your health. Most of the time, you end up filling your schedule and to-do lists so that you don’t feel the guilt of wasting time. ‘Doing’ something all the time, hustling, looking busy, can result in getting the job done in the small span of time but it in the long run, it might cost you your mental and physical wellbeing, bringing your overall quality of life down.
Doing nothing is way of nourishing, recharging your mind and body resulting in greater and better result. It is important to embrace a mindset of being okay with doing nothing, It is uncomfortable and difficult for a lot of people, but it gets better with time.
How do you do- nothing?
1. Find what ‘Nothing’ can look like for you.
It could be as simple as staring at stars at night, something that has no outcome attached to it.
2. Blocking specific time in your schedule to do nothing.
This would require you to stay away from anything that distracts you: Netflix, social media etc.
"Sometimes doing nothing is doing something." – Thomas Dewar
3. Do not fixate over the schedule.
This practice takes time, do not push yourself to place where doing nothing starts causing stress. This is supposed to be helping you feel energized.
4. Be realistic with the time span.
Do it for shorter durations initially then proceed to doing shorter durations multiple times and eventually doing this for longer durations.
Being Idle is okay sometimes!
This is a way for you to pause in your day and move from ‘doing’ to ‘being’ mode. Overtime this practice can help you become creative, mindful and also help you to make better decisions.
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