Practicing the Fine Art of Doing Nothing

Let me tell you - doing nothing is not getting enough attention.  It seems to me that everywhere I turn it's go, go, go - and the next thing you  know I'm going, going, gone.  In the past year or so I seem to have been swept away in a flow of activity that hasn't added a single thing to my life.  By the time I do find a second to do something I'd like *read:  Friday night on the town* all that happens is me passed out in bed fully clothed by 8pm.  I mean seriously, I can't even stay awake during a movie anymore and that is not okay.  This state of chaos is something that's been bothering me a lot lately.  I get that a person has to work and be productive and contribute - really I get that.  However it appears that's not enough anymore and I'm getting pulled in 14 directions by people who are just trying to suck as much out of me as they can get for themselves without any thought of how their behavior might be affecting me.  Wait.  Did you hear that screeeeeeeech? 

That was me putting on the brakes.  Because this is stopping now.

By the time this past Friday hit I was so exhausted I actually felt nauseous - and lemme tell ya it was not fun.  Just before noon I shut my telephone off, was finished work by 2:58pm and bawling my head off by 3:15pm watching Oprah fulfill a gaggle of Wildest Dreams (still not sure how she managed to steal my life?!?).  Next thing I knew my eyes opened and it was after 7pm, the Chef was in the kitchen and Chance Chancellor (Y&R people - get there!!) wasn't dead after all.  Miracles always happen on Fridays in Soap Opera land!!  How do I get there?? 

You know doing nothing really is an art form to be perfected.  It means making zero plans, potentially lying around in a vegetative state with or without television, in clean or not so clean clothes, eating out of a chip bag all day or maybe making a slough of food - doing nothing means whatever you want it to.  And so it was.  An entire weekend of nothing.  Now if it could just last for 3 more consecutive days I might actually be nearing the stage of "rested". 

Here's just a little of what doing nothing consisted of for me this weekend.

Mid-morning strolls for tea.  My weekend dream state - lounging over tea.

 Discovering a pizza joint in my neighborhood had gluten-free beer on the menu.

And pizza.  That's it in the upper right corner.  

Saturdays filled with aimless wandering = bliss.

I tried to choose some candy, but it started to resemble work

so I had to snap out of it and get back to nothing.

Catching an amazing sunset at the beach with zero distractions = the height of doing nothing.

Of course this doesn't rank too far behind it. 

I really need to follow my cat's lead.  He clearly has nothing down to a science.

Technically the weekend's not over so I have to get back to practice, but before I jet - what were you up to?  How do you set boundaries to ensure your sanity/state of mind is not infringed upon?  If you are just getting started - I strongly suggest a period of doing nothing to detox and calm your weary mind.  It does wonders!