We live in a society that encourages action & success at all levels of life and from our childhood. And because of this, we perceive the fact of doing nothing as lazy, weak, negative. However, knowing how to let go completely and accepting to stay still is very important from time to time, even vital. Doing nothing is good for our body and spirit. And for that reason, we should all allow some space for moments of emptiness in our daily lives.
Why it is important to stay still : it calms our mind
Our brain needs it, and it’s good for our health
Doing nothing is a skill that I master pretty well now. But this has not always been the case. Being of a rather ambitious, determined and active nature, I always had this latent impression that I must do useful things every day that passes. Especially that in 2017, I started freelancing, and this did not really improve things in that regard. Free of any office hours, I started to work a little too much, all the time. This was not a good idea for my physical and mental health, which fortunately I quickly understood and managed to correct.
A day where we agree to do nothing and stay still is not a lost day. On the contrary, it is a very well used day, that will make you feel good, deeply rested and regenerated at all levels.
Whether it is to watch TV, to take a peaceful walk, to contemplate the beauty of nature, or even to do nothing at all, it allows us to be simply with ourselves, to feel the sensations of our body in this specific moment, to focus on those of the environment around us and… to calm down. And besides, when you stay still, the brain actually remains active! It stores information, assimilates it, reads it …
Have you ever noticed that your best ideas magically come to you when you’re not working? This is because you actually need to stay still to expand your possibilities.
Staying still is very healthy, and on the contrary, it has been proven many times that stress is an aggravating factor of health problems. When we do nothing, we relax, we chase the tensions … we reduce our stress levels.
What I do when I do nothing
I like to leave at least 2 evenings a week and a half day on the weekend (and I mean at least, so it can be more!) to do nothing and to stay still. For me, this means, for example, being at home, in a soft and comfortable home wear, not wearing make-up, leaving my hair free, and reading, writing in my diary, doing DIY activities, watching series, taking care of my little house or my plants, cuddling with my little Leia, playing Nintendo Switch, staying in bed for long hours with my boyfriend … in short, doing nothing productive.
So… on these thoughts, I actually have lots of things not to do today :)! So I must go. Thank you for reading me, and see you soon for new thoughts on everyday life & for discoveries.
