The Joy of Doing Nothing

I spent this past Saturday essentially doing nothing, which is very unlike me. Well it wasn’t exactly nothing, but as far as the analytical part of my brain was conce
ed, it was a day of rest and relaxation. My husband and I drove 2 ½ hours each way to visit our son at college and attend his (indoor) track meet. For those of you unfamiliar with track meets, there’s a lot – I’m talking hours and hours – of sitting around. Our son participated in only two of the dozens of events, so we spent lots of time watching people we didn’t know compete.

Knowing how much waiting time was in store, I was tempted to bring along my laptop and “be productive.” But I consciously chose to disconnect myself from the world for the day and just enjoy the enthusiastic spirit of the collegiate athletes and crowd. Although my to do list is as long as anyone’s, and I could have easily spent the down time between events working on something, it was great to just relax and not think about anything in particular.

Although the snowy cornfields of Champaign, Illinois are hardly a glamorous vacation destination, I returned from our weekend jaunt refreshed and relaxed. Having some white space in what is normally an activity-packed life was just the break I needed to jump-start my week. I started my workday on Monday energized and productive, and amazingly unfazed by the fact that I didn’t “get anything done” over the weekend. As I’ve written about previously, this brief period of mental recovery was a great way to sharpen my cognitive ability. I thoroughly enjoyed my little getaway and look forward for future chances to give my brain and my to-do list a break.

What steps can you take to give yourself a mental break?

Wishing you simplicity, harmony and freedom.