The Art Of Doing Nothing: Learning To Relax

“The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.” - Sidney J. Harris

Are you a hard worker who likes to get things done? Are you always too busy to slow down? If so, you might have a Type A personality? People with Type A personalities are achievement and success oriented. They always push themselves to get the job done. They are competitive and constantly feel rushed. Type A people are often frustrated or irritated because they never seem to have enough hours in the day. Hard working Type A people also have trouble relaxing, and this can create big problems for them. Could this be you or perhaps, some one you know?

In the complexity of modern life, we all live with stress and as our stress level rises it influences our ability to perform. Under high stress levels, we become inattentive, overlook details, and find it hard to concentrate. Our minds wander. We become forgetful and are prone to making mistakes. As stress builds up, the best thing to do is relax. Take a break. Let your energy regroup. If you do so, you will become refreshed, more focused, and better able to do your job.

While this is good advice, Type A people can’t stand it. They have a special way of describing such relaxation. They call it “doing nothing,” and they hate to do nothing, so they hardly ever relax.

Under stress, Type A people work harder and harder. They try to push through stress, but this usually only increases it. As stress continues to build, so does the probability of inattention, oversights, and mistakes. Frustration levels continue to rise as Type A’s now must take time to go back and correct the mistakes that might not have been made if they had only relaxed. That is, if they had done “nothing” for awhile.

You see what the Type A person calls “doing nothing” is a special type of nothing. It is a “creative nothing.” It is a doing nothing that not only slows you down, but invigorates you as well. Almost any relaxation procedure you choose to follow requires that you become quiet and focused. You might sit silently and concentrate on your breathing. You could sit and imagine being in a peaceful place like the beach, the mountains, or a favorite vacation spot. A short walk with no destination could do. You might meditate or you could practice yoga or Tai Chi.

Any of these methods will work, but they require time away from the task. They can feel like doing nothing, but they are not. A relaxation technique is only a brief break from the job that allows an easing of the automatic stress reaction with its tense muscles, fast heart rate, raised blood pressure, knotted belly, and negative emotions. Relaxation refreshes and refocuses you. It brings a renewal of energy so that whatever task you return to is seen from a new perspective, which may offer new solutions.

If you are a hard working Type A person, or even if you are not, try learning to do nothing. Learn to do the “creative nothing” of relaxation, and see if your day begins to go better.