The Art of Doing Nothing

It may seem like a lazy, unproductive, and selfish thing to do, but there really is value in being still. Take a lesson from a little yellow bear and learn the value of the Art of Doing Nothing.

Transcript

“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.”
 —Winnie the Pooh

For such a small yellow bear, he managed to carry quite a bit of wisdom in his sweet little heart.

Winnie the Pooh is the creation of A.A. Milne, and most of us know him as a yellow teddy bear who wears a red shirt and has a constant hunger for honey. He spends his days in the forest talking with his friends – a young boy named Christopher Robin, a pig named Piglet, a donkey named Eeyore, a tiger named Tigger, and several other woodland creatures. 

There is an immense amount of wisdom in the heart of Winnie the Pooh. But as humans, we rarely see it. Doing Nothing? That phrase isn’t even in our vocabulary. We’ve been taught that doing nothing constitutes being lazy, unproductive, or even selfish. 

And how in the world can you listen to things you can’t hear? It just doesn’t make any sense, and is physically impossible, right?

We may often find ourselves on the edge of a situation, telling ourselves and others we ‘can’t be bothered’, but is that true? We may walk away from it, but sometimes those situations still bother us in our minds and hearts. 

In truth, one of the most valuable things you can do is nothing. From time to time our life gets just as congested as an eight-lane freeway under construction, during five o’clock traffic, with a wreck up ahead, a circus blocking all the exits – and we are up against a major deadline. We can’t move forward, we can’t move backward, and the paths are blocked to move sideways. We almost feel as if we need to be dressed in a full set of armor, sitting on horseback, wielding a lance and learning the art of jousting.

When your life has gotten this busy, it may just be time to yank off your gauntlet (which is that steel glove encasing your hand), toss it to the ground and head off to the woods for a day of doing nothing with Winnie the Pooh. 

Yeah, I know that is probably overkill on mixed metaphors – but if you stop and think about it, it isn’t just the busyness society expects us to maintain, but our minds are just as busy, sending us running in just as many, or even more different directions. 

When living a simple life, we think slowing down is allocated only to thinning out our schedules to just the things that are priorities, or in line with our goals. And for the most part, we have succeeded. We now have more time to spend with family and friends. We are fulfilling our dreams and pursuing our passions. There is also some wiggle room for Afternoon Tea, having lunch with friends, and reading a good book. Still, our lives can get busy to the point of exhaustion. 

But doing absolutely nothing? We just can’t wrap our minds around that. And even if we could just sit still and do nothing, our minds will start filling up with a list of things we still need to do. Then the guilt starts setting in, and we hear the voices in our heads telling us we’re lazy, unproductive, and selfish. 

The truth is, when you do nothing, you aren’t being lazy or selfish - you are actually being productive. And if you really need a label, you can file it under REST.

Still again, most of us, when faced with doing nothing, begin to get bored.  But before you fill up that free time, whether you call it Doing Nothing, Boredom, or anything else, there are some benefits you need to consider.

First, doing nothing allows our bodies and minds to rest. Taking time to rest helps to rejuvenate us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Our bodies begin to relax, our minds are able to clear out the clutter, and it helps to reduce stress, anxiety, and other emotional upheavals. 

Better yet, doing nothing may also help you creatively. It gives your imagination a chance to run freely and may possibly help you to come up with new ideas for handcrafting, writing, meal planning, or aiding you in coming up with a creative solution to a problem. 

Resting can also help you become more productive and improve your decision-making skills. 

But doing nothing doesn’t mean sitting in a chair and not moving for a set time period. There are many ways we can just ‘do nothing’. And there are also things we shouldn’t do – while we are ‘doing nothing’.

First, let’s look at what NOT to do. And Rule #1 is - Don’t swipe! When we become bored, we feel as if we are being unproductive.  So, we find something – anything – to do.  Many of us grab our phones or iPads and begin to swipe. By doing this, we are putting our brains in ‘information overload’.  Doing this just creates even more boredom. 

And Rule # 2 is: Don’t feel forced! Do NOT begin to make mental lists of all the things you should be doing.  And don’t force yourself to tackle an unpleasant task, just to try and feel productive. It’s okay to give yourself permission to simply relax and not worry about the ‘should be doings’. I promise you – all those things on your list will be waiting for you, and if your list is anything like mine, they won’t all get done today anyway. Take advantage of the down time and just relax and enjoy the moment. 

Now for the things you can do. Believe it or not, allowing yourself a space of time to do nothing may be a good thing.  If you aren’t good at sitting still and keeping your thoughts under control, try something monotonous.  

Count the number of books you have in your home library. Count the number of ceiling tiles. Find out how many paces there are from the refrigerator to the couch.

Okay. You may think doing these things is taking it to the extreme, but it may just help you to get into the practice of doing nothing. It helps to clear out the mental clutter and reset your thought process. If you need something a bit more fun than counting ceiling tiles, here are a couple of exercises to get you started. 

Buy an extra-large bag of M&M’s or Skittles and separate out the colors.

Get a big jar, dump every dried bean you have in it and shake it up.  Now, go back and separate them. 

Both of these things may sound silly, boring and tedious to you, but they are designed to help your mind relax.  You will be allowing your mind to clear.  While working on these tasks, your mind is less likely to focus on problems, issues or the next deadline.

In the process, your mind is working to free itself to become even more creative.  Imagine that – from beans to brilliance.  What a concept!

Often, our jobs and lifestyles are not the root cause of boredom or stress.  We just need a different approach.  But other times, boredom and stress may signal a deep-seated feeling of discontent.  We are tired of doing the same thing, day in and day out.  We are tired of our lives being so full they are overflowing with things we feel we need to do. We just want to slow down and find a fresh approach to life. 

If this is the case, then take some time each day to just do nothing.  My favorite way to do nothing is to take an Afternoon Tea Break. Find a quiet spot either in your yard or a favorite corner of a room.  Bring a cup of tea or your favorite beverage.  Indulge in a sweet treat.  And then just sit and ‘be’.  Allow yourself to breathe deeply and do nothing.  Focus on your surroundings. Listen to the sounds of nature. Watch a bird fly overhead. Allow yourself to empty your mind of all the busyness, and your body to just be still.

If you still have struggles doing nothing, then learn how to channel Winnie the Pooh and take a nature walk. Visit with a few of the woodland critters. Listen to the chatter of the squirrels, the wisdom of the trees, and the quiet of the breeze. Spend time just ‘listening’ to things you can’t hear, or the music in nature. By the time you return home, you may just find yourself relaxed and ready to face that list of things to do.

But while you’re doing nothing, if your mind starts throwing your list of things to do, problems, or worries at you, just swat them away and tell them you can’t be bothered with them right now. You are too busy doing nothing, and you plan on doing it for a little while longer.

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Thanks again for stopping in. I will see you next week on Living a Simple Life with a Back Porch View. And while you are waiting for the next episode, grab that glass of refreshment, pull up a rocker, and sit back for a while. It’s time to relax and enjoy.