When was the last time you did nothing?
I mean: absolutely nothing
Not watching TV
Not half-watching TV whilst doomscrolling on your phone
Not listening to a podcast
Not fiddling with a pile of paperwork, you keep thinking you should file away
Definitely not sitting still whilst ruminating and over-thinking in your head
Absolutely nothing
What a luxury that would be, to sit and do absolutely nothing for a few minutes!
We spend so much of our time doing things that we can forget to allow ourselves to just be from time to time.
Try this experiment with me
Sit quietly somewhere
Close your eyes, and count your breath.
In – 1; out – 1
In – 2; out – 2
See if you can get to 10 without losing your train of thought
Or getting distracted by a thought that pops into your head
I know – technically, this is not doing nothing because we’re counting
But it’s a good place to start!
Even counting out ten breaths can feel like a welcome rest
These days there are so many opportunities to be entertained or distracted
How often do you see people walking down the street, staring into their phones?
I saw someone the other day watching a video as he walked down the street!
When we take a moment to just do nothing, it gives our brains a chance to relax
To chill out, without the need to process incoming data all the time
That can feel like a real gift these days.
How will you incorporate a few minutes of nothing into your day, today?