The Art of Doing Nothing

When was the last time you did nothing? It’s probably been a while – if ever. For some reason, we view inactivity as being lazy and unproductive. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Once machines started doing many of the tasks that humans use to do, it gave us more time for ourselves, but that only seemed to mean that we found more and more “things” to do so as not to appear idle. In our society, we all tend to over-stimulate and cram as much as we can into a twenty-four hour period.

We start teaching our children at a young age to do as much as possible. The poor kids barely have any time just to play and use their imagination. We pressure them about school, sports, the arts, and family obligations. Is it any wonder most of us grow up to be over-achievers and do the same things to our children?

Many families have scaled back to one income so the other parent can run the kids from one activity to the other. When is it time to just stop and enjoy the fruits of our labor, our family, and friends?

It is so important to enjoy what is happening in the present. This means not thinking about the past or worrying about the future. Connect with the present and learn to enjoy your own company. Connect with the moment and just relax.

When was the last time you did something that you loved just for the sake of doing it with no other agenda? Do you remember when you did that “something” and time seemed to disappear along with all the other stressors of your life? You need to find that happy place more often.

Reconnect with your body by trying deep breathing techniques to help slow you down. Meditation may not be for everyone – but visualization can help relax you and allow you to become more emotionally balanced. Some say it’s also great for the immune system.

Doing “nothing” may be the best thing you can do for your overall health. It can also make you attractive as a friend, mate or employee. When you can bring a calmness to any situation, outcomes tend to improve.