I remember a joke someone shared a few years ago along the lines of, "Adulthood - if you're not tired, you're not doing it right!". These days everyone is so busy. People on trains rarely just look out the window to watch the world go by, but rather stare at their screens. There are always so many obligations and chores it can feel never ending at times. This week I came across; "The psychological importance of wasting time" which is worth a read and has a good message.
It states; The problem comes when we spend so long frantically chasing productivity, we refuse to take real breaks. We put off sleeping in, or going for a long walk, or reading by the window—and, even if we do manage time away from the grind, it comes with a looming awareness of the things we should be doing, and so the experience is weighed down by guilt.
I'm sure most of us to relate to that! I know that I have weekends where I want nothing more than to just relax with a good book but then end up feeling guilty that I'm not tackling one of the things on my to do list or catching up on housework. However having downtime is crucial to all of us. So if you don't manage to do anything productive today, don't worry, you are still doing something right!
Love it! It is very true. We almost never take time to actually unplug and unwind. Enjoy the little moments going on around us! Enjoy the sunshine on our faces and the wind in our hair. Thanks for the reminder to slow down!
ReplyDeleteYes absolutely! Even when people see a nice sight, they are too busy looking at it through their camera lens and barely take it in. This is a reminder to slow down and smell the roses :)
DeleteA friend lived in New York City when he was still single and used to marvel at how impossible it was to meet girls in a city that packed with people, but everyone was always blocked off with headphones, face in their phones, minds on the next task and rushing, rushing. We miss the finer things by not slowing down.
ReplyDeleteoh yes I can imagine that, especially somewhere like New York! There was an experiment I read about once where a famous musician, I think he was a violist played at an underground station and barely anyone stopped to listen, everyone just rushing about their day, despite the fact his concert had been sold out that night!
DeleteI have a business trip this week, and I've scheduled in reading time and sitting still time. You're right -- it isn't healthy to try to be productive every minute of the day.
ReplyDeleteYeah I find when I over schedule my trips back to Dublin in order to fit everyone in, I end up just feeling stressed and like I need a holiday at the end of it. It's so much nicer if there's also some flexible time for things like reading!
DeleteYessss to embracing downtime and slower time. I always schedule in reading time (although I've been not so great lately as I have several looming deadlines and am in emotional turmoil), it's so important. Weekends need a few slow hours. It's worth the time to save the sanity, right? I love that image, too.
ReplyDeleteYeah it's so important. There's no point reading but then feeling guilty about it like you should be doing something else but rather appreciate that the down time is healthy! I hope you will find your way through the turmoil and soon be able to get your head above water.
DeleteI agree. I find that people try to call others who relax as "lazy", as if it's some kind of crime not to appear to being in the rat race. I hate when people say "I've no time to read!" They act like it's the worlds fault.
ReplyDeleteNo, they have a choice in how they live their life. That same crowd then wants to shame others who make time to read, for family, or fun.
It's good to have down time and time just to slow down and enjoy the moments.
Oh yeah, it's not fair to call someone lazy just because they are moving at a slower pace and having some down time. Not everyone can or wants to run around being super productive all the time! No need to shame anybody, everyone should just focus on living their own lives.
DeleteThis is really a great reminder to just take a few minutes and relax. In adult life, it's almost like there's this competition over who is the busiest and most stressed. It's good to remember that it's actually better to slow down a bit!
ReplyDeleteYes so true! It's like when someone complains of being tired and the other person says "you think that's tired, I got even less sleep because x,y,z". It's nice to know that slowing down is good for us :)
DeleteI'm actually the opposite. If my to-do list is too long, I get intimidated, stop, and procrastinate. I also am a perfectionist so things don't get done because i think that it won't live up to my high expectations. I've learned things don't have to be perfect - just get started and get it done. So a lot of stuff goes on undone unless there is a deadline to act. Deadlines are highly motivating for me and that's when stuff gets done. But at the same time, I have acute stress because stuff without a deadline attached to them go undone. The hardest part is getting started. I find once I'm started on a task I enjoy the work involved so it becomes a snowball effect of other tasks I want to tackle. But motivation is lacking most of the time. I'm working to reverse this negative behavior.
ReplyDeleteThe GerMann is a bit like that, he needs to have a deadline in order to motivate himself whereas leaving things till the last minute stresses me out! I agree that often the hardest part is just getting started
DeleteAs a single parent, I feel a lot of (probably internal) pressure to be doing something. It's that old adage from working in a restaurant - time to lean, time to clean! I get agitated on the weekends because I feel like I'm just working a second job instead of enjoying my time off from my full-time Monday - Friday job. Perhaps, as other mentioned doing, I should start scheduling some downtime to get out of this awful hamster wheel!
ReplyDeleteOh yes definitely schedule some downtime! I generally find that if I push myself too much without breaks at some point I just get really run down and sick, not to mention feeling unhappy. Hope you can figure out a better balance soon, though I can imagine as a single parent it's very difficult to find much time for yourself!
Delete"If anyone needs me, I'll be in my blanket fort, coloring."
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love this! :-D
The only place where I allow myself to "waste time" is at my computer... which, I know, isn't the best place. I should "waste" my time on better things: out in the sun or reading... but there's always so much to do (sigh). Thanks for the reminder!
I also waste a lot of time on my computer but that doesn't really count as proper relaxation! Being out in the sun reading is perfect. I know what you mean about there always being so much to do though. My to do list is never ending
DeleteI love this post. Kind of giving me the energy to rest and relax and do nothing else. :) I am book marking this. Thank you for sharing this. :) I am gonna waste some time today. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad it spoke to you :) Yes, go and waste some time today and don't feel guilty, it's good for us
DeleteIn a few weeks I stop work for the Summer. I will hopefully actively do nothing for weeks and weeks. I am so looking forward to it.
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