This Wednesday, though, let’s consider the opposite concept. What if, when in the very thick of productivity – or at least production; when activity, expectations, hopes, and fears simultaneously spike; when it seems our happiness hangs in the balance … what if, for a change, we do nothing?
What if you bring yourself to a halt? Stop. Breathe. Be still. Do nothing.
Outrageous, huh?
But sometimes it’s the very best thing. We all know this. Vacations are healthy. Everyone needs time off. Just turning attention in another direction can be marvelously refreshing.
Trouble is, we tend to rigidly separate vacations from life. Yet the evidence suggests that taking little vacations throughout your day may be highly beneficial – to your health and to the professional value you can offer.
Do you vacation at the beach, and laze around in a hammock? Or slip away to the mountains to loll by a stream? Do you return to work with renewed energy, creativity, and optimism afterwards?
Doing nothing is incredibly powerful and not to be underestimated. Not only does it recharge the body, mind, and soul; it also serves to remind us of highest values and ultimate truths.
I don’t know about you, but I find it super easy to lose sight of what’s really important. On the other hand, the state of doing nothing tends to quickly remind me of what matters, while returning to me a fresh supply of energy and enthusiasm. So if I schedule – or simply grab – moments of doing nothing in my day, my overall health and usefulness improve.
Many of us will experience another benefit to making a habit of tiny little do-nothing moments in our day. That is, we will more regularly have the chance to remember the Source, however we image the prime motivator of our life and being. And this remembering is key to the good life!
So how exactly do you do nothing in the middle of your busy day?
Stop. Breathe. Be still. Focus your eyes on a single point. Time a minute (or whatever), or count to 100 (or whatever) slowly. Breathe.
That’s all.
Later, write about the experience in your journal.
• Is it hard for you to be still?
• What barriers exist?
• What do you think about or learn when you do nothing?
• How do you feel right after you stop doing nothing?
• What’s the level of your motivation to continue your do nothing periodic practice?
Then rinse and repeat the next day. And come tell us, either in the comments here or on the CreateWriteNow Facebook Page, how it’s working for you!
Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7259240@N03/5738745259/
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