The art of doing…nothing

This was my home for a week during the holidays. Paradise. And I sat in exactly this spot as I wrote these thoughts down. Let me tell you, it took a while to write!

See, there were many new arrivals in the campground around me and every time I looked up I got stuck watching their movements. Observing the temporary homes they were erecting, musing on the relationships amongst each in the group, wondering if they were hot raising tents in the blazing sun, if this was the beginning, middle or end of their holidays, fantasizing about making improvements to our little set up... Boy it was hard to keep my mind on track!

But this was precisely the gift that taking four weeks off afforded.

The ability to sit still, no idea of time, no need to be anywhere and no sense of pressure or need to be "doing".

I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to let go and "be" in the rhythm of sleep, meals, sun cream application and the usual beach and water activities in between.

Although I am fully aware of the benefits of unhooking and allowing my mind to rest, it wasn't necessarily easy to do so at the beginning of my holiday. I was more wound up than I had realised and I noticed it took a good couple of days for the tension and sense of urgency to leave my body. I needed to be intentional in supporting myself to unwind so I took waking up early as an opportunity to sit at the beach watching the sun rise and meditate.

For many (maybe most) of us, doing nothing doesn't come without its challenges. Our minds will throw us a host of compelling 'reasons' to stay alert... "you'll fall behind"..."you're not doing enough"...etc. These thoughts often come with emotions uncomfortable enough to convince us it is better to stay 'on' than switch off. Guilt? Anxiety anyone?

So why is it worth sitting through these uncomfortable internal experiences in the service of doing nothing?

Mental and physical rest are both key to creating an environment in which we can thrive. Contrary to popular belief, we are not robots and cannot function at 100 miles an hour non stop. I know, sucky eh. The good new is that when we allow ourselves the space to rest the benefits we reap are plentiful:

• Reduced stress

• Improved memory

• Improved sleep

• Restored energy

• Better problem solving ability

• Improved creativity

• Increased productivity

• Better concentration

I'm sold.

So this begs the question:

If you found you benefited from some decent time-out over the holiday period, how will you keep this going in 2024? How will you schedule in periods of rest? Because let's be honest, your mind will give you some compelling reasons not to.

~ Laura