Saturday, April 14, 2012

5 Benefits of Doing Nothing



This past week was spring break for my kids, and there was one day when they each had something going on with other friends. The weather was bad, hubby was at work, and I had the day to myself. Did I clean the house? Organize our office? Revise my manuscript? Nope. I did absolutely nothing.

I'm used to filling every moment of my days with writing tasks or family business. At first I felt guilty about wasting a day. I kept thinking of all the productive things I should be doing. But then I gave in to the joy of taking a day and doing nothing at all. The down side? Nothing got done. The up side? Well, I've justified it with these side benefits:
  1. Let go and relax. How often do we really do this? I don't know about you, but I'm usually multi-tasking. There are rare moments when at least two things aren't being done at the same time. Our minds and bodies require relaxation or else we'll combust. Yes? Yes.
  2. Enjoy the drama. My sister loaned me her DVDs of season two of Downton Abbey. Are any of you as hooked as I am? It was fun to just let my mind turn to mush as I watched episode after episode of this fun show. (I <3 Matthew)
  3. Relax some over-used muscles. When I've worked on my manuscript for long periods of time, my right shoulder hurts. After a day of not using it at all, my shoulder felt much better.
  4. Wasted time isn't always a waste. Face it, even when we aren't writing, our writer brains are still on alert. Even on my do nothing day, when I wasn't planning on soaking up lessons, I still learned. Downton Abbey is full of all kinds of juicy nuggets about characterization and plotting. I swear.
  5. Gear up for the crazy days. After my useless day, I felt rejuvenated, relaxed, and ready to jump back into revisions. And believe it or not, my manuscript did not fall apart after one day of neglect. As for the craziness of school, carpools, and sports? Well, that resumed today with a track meet in Huntington Beach. I'm thankful I enjoyed the peace while I could!
For most of us, lazy days are few and far between. It's nice to occasionally set aside all that we should accomplish, and do absolutely nothing.

Do you ever have lazy days like this? If so, do you feel guilty about it? And...very important question...are you a fan of Downton Abbey?

23 comments:

  1. I don't feel guilty but I cannot go a day without doing something. That could be as simple as going to the grocery store, getting a cup of coffee, going to the bookstore. Just something.

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  2. I just had a vacation where I took several of the the days and I just didn't do anything important. I think we need to relax our minds as well as our bodies. I watched silly movies, and worked out in the garden, mindlessly pulling weeds, and had fancy tea on the deck.

    I just started watching Downton Abbey from the beginning. I had seen the last few episodes of the season...but hubby and I went back and are watching it from the beginning. Makes you a complete mush brain, but it hooks you. Fun stuff.

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  3. I rarely take a lazy day. I feel so guilty when I do. But occasionally, I have to recharge & that's the only way.

    I want to watch DA but I can't afford the time to get involved. Ugh!

    And my bright shoulder hurts all the time, too. I never suspected that it was from all the writing. Hmm...

    BTW, you got a mention over at my place today. I'm doing the A to Z & today is "M is for Mentor" day.

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  4. I guess I've had my justificatiions for doing other things for so long that I actually believe them! ^_^ However, it's easier for me to take a breather since my kids have flown the nest. BTW - I love Downton Abbey!

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  5. I just got the Downton Abby DVDs from the library...looking forward to them.

    I enjoyed some down time with my child this week for spring break...a fan on my laptop is broke, so I couldn't write in the room with her like I usually do on breaks.

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  6. Julie, I felt like that yesterday...but I had too much to do. :)

    I do take "lazy" days every now and then, however. And for Spring Break, we did absolutely nothing. And both of my daughters agreed that it was one of the best Spring Breaks they'd ever had.

    Have never seen Downton Abbey, btw.

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  7. Oh, definitely. Relaxing and doing "nothing" often lets us recharge our batteries, rest, and get a new lease on life. You got to watch Season 2 of Downton Abbey??? Rawr! I wish I could. Yes, I love that show! My hubby and I just finished watching season 1 on Netflix and were sad we couldn't find it online elsewhere (without buying it). Lucky you!

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  8. It's been a very, very long time since I've enjoyed one of those. Perhaps it's time...

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  9. I'm a man - we excel at relaxing!
    Time to do nothing is good. Gives our bodies and minds a break.

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  10. Sometimes you just need to give your brain a rest - and eat some chocolate.

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  11. It's so hard to let go of everything, but I've gotten better at it lately. :D It feels good to get back to work too, though.

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  12. This is a lesson I am constantly trying to teach myself. Even in the hospital I was blogging and texting. I did watch all of DA season 1 while I was there. Does that count?

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  13. I had an unplanned lazy day this past week with a horrible flu. I couldn't write. Even reading felt like a chore. I watched some TV. Napped. Moaned...a lot. But it was so weird to not leave my bed all day (except bathroom). And, believe me, just getting to the bathroom a few times wore me out. But it was nice in it's own way because my body simply would not let me do ANYTHING and I had to surrender without guilt. So even though it sucked to feel yucky, it was kind of nice too. Glad you enjoyed a day of rest!

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  14. I just bought the first season and am enjoying it immensely!

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  15. Hi, Julie. I guess I do feel guilty sometimes on those rare occasions when I just feel too mentally fatigued to turn on my pc. It isn't usually the writing. It's typically when I haven't been able to get around to my writer pals that I feel guilty. However, we could network all day long and still not have enough time.
    As it is I have given up playing golf, I see fewer and fewer movies, and I rarely watch television. *sigh*
    So, I think that your idea of taking a day off now and again sounds fantastic. It's a mental health day, isn't it?

    -Jimmy

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  16. I always feel so guilty so I rarely do this - but you're so right. We need to recharge our brains and bodies. Maybe it's time for a Firefly marathon! :)

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  17. I LOVE days like these--though their too few and far between.

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  18. A very sensible post, wish I could follow your good advice!

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  19. Today is my lazy day. Had such a hectic weekend, I need to lay down...and just lay. As for Downton Abbey, I love it, because it's so like the life I lead in the UK. Ahem!

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  20. I sometimes feel guilty when I take a day off. But I agree that there are benefits to taking a break! I've heard so much about Downton Abbey and I'm planning on watching the series soon. :)

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  21. I was truly inspired by this post Julie, so much so I didn't even tweet it, but I will now :)

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  22. Good for you! A day doing nothing sounds absolutely delicious! We probably ALL need to do that more often.

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