You might be surprised to find that there are actual benefits of doing absolutely nothing. When you turn off all distractions, it allows space for your subconscious to expand, ultimately boosting your creativity. When distracted, our mind jumps to the most obvious answers when trying to solve problems.
When you allow yourself time to do nothing, you give your brain a chance to process experiences, consolidate memories, and reinforce learning. Your resting state is a powerful tool for regulating your emotions and maintaining the ability to focus. Rest will also help you make better decisions and be more productive.
It means, simply, that you clear your calendar and make space for what could happen. You remove any social obligations, you let projects sit idle, you turn off your notifications, and you simply take a day to just be. Ever since my first daughter was born, I felt the pull toward a “do nothing” day.
Taking just a little bit of time out of your day to “do nothing” will actually make you more efficient with your work and boost your creativity. Our brains are computers, after all, and need time to rest and recharge.
Letting go of everything and doing nothing, even briefly, has mental and physical health benefits. Embracing the practice of doing nothing may create some discomfort because it's such an anathema to our usual ways.
In down time, a network of brain regions called the “default brain,” kicks into action. It remains extremely busy during periods of our inactivity, and has totally changed the way we think about “vegging out.”
Above all else, remember that it's not wrong to turn off your to-do list for a day, or even a few days. You're not a horrible person if you do it, even if it means putting all your obligations on hold, be they to yourself, your boss or client, or your family and friends, as long as they're not urgent matters.
You might be surprised to find that there are actual benefits of doing absolutely nothing. When you turn off all distractions, it allows space for your subconscious to expand, ultimately boosting your creativity. When distracted, our mind jumps to the most obvious answers when trying to solve problems.
“When we have nothing to do, all we are left with is how we feel,” he explains. “So we distract ourselves from our unsettled feeling. At some point, we need to learn how to be at peace with those feelings, and we can't do that if we keep consuming all the time.
You're the best judge of your own needs. Sometimes, doing nothing is exactly what you need — and that's okay. Just take care to pay attention to other signs that may alert you to something else going on.
What Is Apathy? Apathy is when you lack motivation to do anything or just don't care about what's going on around you. Apathy can be a symptom of mental health problems, Parkinson's disease, or Alzheimer's disease. It often lasts a long time.
Anhedonia is a word that describes a reduced interest in activities an individual used to enjoy, as well as a decreased ability to feel pleasure. It's a core symptom of major depressive disorder, but it can also be a symptom of other mental health disorders.
Causes of Spending Too Much Time in Bed
Spending excessive time in bed may be a sign of an underlying medical condition, such as depression. Depression is a mood disorder that has many symptoms, including decreased interest in activities or other people, weight changes, trouble sleeping, and fatigue.
While making a habit of spending the day in bed or on the couch is not good for anyone, using it as a well-placed conscious tool for your emotional and mental well-being is absolutely ok. As a matter of fact, it's an investment in your health.
Prolonged bed rest affects the amount of fluid in your body and the pressure at which blood is pumped, making it difficult for the body to adapt to activity again. It causes changes in the size of the heart, too, and the body's ability to replenish blood.
To help embrace nothingness, set a timer for five minutes. Just five minutes to sit and do nothing. “Doing this will help condition your brain to be less used to constant stimulation — and conditioning is the most important tool that you have for productivity,” Crenshaw said.
This doesn't mean you don't go anywhere, or just sit on your couch and stare at the wall. It means, simply, that you clear your calendar and make space for what could happen. You remove any social obligations, you let projects sit idle, you turn off your notifications, and you simply take a day to just be.
This "feeling guilty for not being productive" is actually a type of anxiety. This anxiety is called "time anxiety" and everybody has a little bit of time anxiety in them. It is a manageable anxiety therefore there are steps you can take to cope with it, making life much easier and stress-free for yourself.
It's Physically Good
Doing nothing for the whole day brings a lot of positive impacts on your physical health by giving relaxation. Stay in your bed for the entire day, enjoy a sound sleep without any stress or work, and believe me, every muscle and bone of your body will feel refreshing because of the rest.
Try meditating. If doing nothing doesn't sound like your thing, you can add something else into the mix, like meditating or listening to music. “When you have a busy mind, sitting down and doing nothing is quite hard,” says Lishman. “Meditation can help, and the more you do it, the more you'll want to do it.” 5.