I’m sick of reading stuff about how we should do everything and have everything and be the world’s most efficient people like the ginger one off Desperate Housewives. Where are all the articles just telling us we can chill out, do nothing and think about stuff? Chilling out is underrated.
The thing is, doing nothing is hard.
Us humans are an industrious bunch. So although you may be under the illusion that you had a good switch off whilst you were folding laundry, watching TV, making lists, darning your woollens, patching your trousers, internet shopping or scrolling through Facebook and Instagram, you were actually doing a thing. Doing a thing is the opposite of doing nothing.
When I say doing nothing, I mean really just doing nothing, sitting back and reflecting on your day, week, month, year… wherever your brain takes you.
‘Reflecting is for sissies! What good will come of just sitting and thinking?’ said some stereotypical 90s film protagonist who’s about to have a life-changing experience and become a better person.
Well, stereotypical protagonist, there are gazillions of benefits – from understanding and managing your stress or anxiety to lengthening your attention span and helping you sleep. You might identify nice stuff you’ve done and vow to replicate it, or see areas where you can change or grow and become a better person. Maybe you’ll think about the direction you’re taking. Whatever floats your boat really, pondering over your day opens the door to good stuff.
Not doing anything is hard. Personally I’m terrible about it, and when I do try to do nothing I usually just end up having a nap.
We’re all about productivity and efficiency these days, so the challenge is to overcome that guilty feeling you get when you have empty blocks in the diary. How much time do you fill with work and chores and self-improvement because you feel like you should be perfecting yourself and your home? It’s very is to forget that, although that stuff’s important, your thinking time helps you keep that productive time focused.
Most of us say we don’t have time to switch off. That’s not the case, it’s more that we don’t prioritise switching off. It doesn’t help that the world is a busy place: we’re surrounded by a constant buzz of stimuli that someone else’s brain has created (Facebook posts, Insta posts, TV and films, adverts, this blog post). After a day of work it’s far easier to look at stuff than think about stuff yourself, but how do you feel after scrolling through social media or binge-watching a whole series of Mindhunters? Personally I don’t feel super satisfied, but I do after a good long working-stuff-out session.
Regardless of what’s easier, when the inclination strikes to Facebook stalk our school friends or hoover the picture rail, let’s try to switch off for a little bit instead. No distractions, no multitasking, no emails and no videos of pandas falling off whilst simultaneously being stuck to banisters (best video ever).
Give your brain some space, that’s where the good stuff happens.
– Hati
Hati Whiteley 