You don’t need permission to do nothing (but I’ll give it to you anyway)
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
It’s time for a little rest. I think you deserve it.
It’s been a hard year. 2020 is almost over. And I hate to break it to you, but it doesn’t look like 2021 is going to help us magically turn a corner. (And I say that not to be pessimistic, but because I believe that realism is central to happiness.)
You know that saying “It’s a marathon, not a sprint”? Well, I don’t know what this is. But it’s longer. And it’s going to require that we take care of ourselves if we want to survive.
Usually, this week is spent visiting with family, near and far. It’s typically filled with the bustle of holiday travel. Or perhaps getting together for a giant “Friendsgiving”. This year, it’s not safe to do either.
But instead of lamenting that fact, how about turning the tables and trying to see this week as a chance to just relax? To do nothing. To actively choose what NOT to do.
If you’re in the US, you’ll likely have Thursday and Friday off of work; that means a glorious 4 day weekend. A stretch of time where you’re doing a good deed for the world by staying put.
What if you just planned…nothing?
What if you:
Ordered in?
Lazed on the couch?
Let your kids have way too much screen time…on purpose and without guilt?
Read a book?
Or a trashy magazine?
Took a nap in the middle of the day?
Slept in until noon?
Took a long walk with no particular destination? (And left your phone at the house.)
Left the house a mess
I believe that productivity is doing exactly what you set out to do. So if you set out to do nothing, you can’t really go wrong!