The Minimalist Art of Doing Nothing — At Least Once a Day.

I don’t know if I’m just worse at life than everyone else or if I have figured it out a little more than most? Whatever the case, I think people need to get on board with my semi-lazy ways of living. Let’s not call it lazy, let’s call it the minimalist art of doing nothing. No matter what, every single day, I make sure to carve out a little time to do absolutely nothing. Living is hectic and simplifying your days is absolutely necessary to survival. So let’s chat about how to perfect this minimalist art. Let’s learn how to do nothing…at least once a day.

*This post contains affiliate links. Although I may make a commission, all recommendations are my own.

The importance of nothing

Joshua Becker of the popular minimalist website Becoming Minimalist, has a great post called A Helpful Guide to Becoming Un-busy.

In his article he talks about how saying “busy” has become the new way of saying “fine” when people ask how we’re dong. Like it’s a good thing to be busy.

The whole world is caught up in how to move faster, hustle more and be productive all day long that too many of us are forgetting the importance of doing nothing. At least sometimes.

Great posts to help you slow down:

• 5 Ways to Hustle Less and Still Get What You Want
• 5 Simple Ways to Spend Less Time on Social Media
• 26 Ways to Make Time in Your Day

When your thoughts are spiraling

Anxiety has pretty much run rampant in our world today, am I right?

In fact, I think 90% of parent hood is straight up anxiety.

If I’m not up all night worrying about my children’s futures, failures, motivations, creativity and general disposition can I even call myself a mom?

When my brain begins to race like this, I feel like I’m under attack when I’m really just standing still. This is a pretty good sign that it’s time to do nothing.

Do nothing tips

• Turn the screens off – Screen time has a way of making us all a little crazy. Like, for real. If your anxious thoughts are spiraling, turn your phone to airplane mode, unplug the wifi, and open a good old fashioned book.
• Take a bath – I don’t know what it is, but there is something incredibly calming about washing your face with some warm water and just allowing yourself to melt into a bath.
• Turn off the lights – If you can, get yourself into a dark room. Your mind is already racing, and the last thing you need to do is look at the dirty dishes, glance your to-do list, or find some other way to distract yourself.
• Pick one thought you can fix – Sometimes our thoughts trick us into thinking we actually have no control over our situations. This may be true, but chances are, in at least one area, you have some form of control. With all the thoughts you have racing around, pick one worry you have and think of one thing you can do to fix it.

Other great simplifying minimalist posts:

• 18 Ways to Downsize and Simplify
• The Minimalist Diet
• Morning Mindfulness: How to Reduce Stress Before Getting Out of Bed

Before your day begins

Most people wake up and instantly start scrolling social media or checking their e-mail. Instead, let your mind wake up a little bit more slowly than that.

Instant stimulation as soon as you open your eyes is a great way to instantly kick start your brain in the wrong direction.

I wish I could say I wake up with birds chirping outside my window and the sun rises when I do, but this usually isn’t the case. Wouldn’t that be great though?

Do nothing tips

• Wake up 15 minutes early – I won’t tell you to totally transform your life or waking schedule, but just imagine what you could do with 15 extra minutes to slowly start your day. Giving yourself this extra time to wake up can help transform you into a calmer, slower moving person for the remainder of the day.
• Practice gratitude – This is honestly one of the best ways to wake up each day. As soon as you open your eyes, start thinking of all the things you have that you are thankful for. Even if the last few days have been tough, there are always things to be grateful for.
• Make coffee or tea – Sometimes I’m not even sure if I like coffee itself or if I just like the calming affect it has on my soul. Holding a warm cup of coffee, breathing in the smell and slowly sipping it gradually stimulates all my sense and helps wake me up for the day. The caffeine doesn’t hurt either!

When you haven’t done nothing all day

It’s recommended that you take a break from working around every 60 minutes each day. This recommendation doesn’t only go for people who are physically moving but those who are sitting on a computer all day as well.

If you find yourself working hard all day without taking a break, there is definitely damage being done to your mind and body.

Here is a great post from Psychology Today that discusses 5 ways our brains benefit from breaks.

Do nothing tips

• Set an alarm – Whether or not you are working in front of a computer or have a physically demanding job, try setting a timer. When the timer goes off, give yourself 60 seconds to unwind. More if you can. Walk away from your desk to get a drink of water. Stop your body from moving and just take a few deep breaths.
• Pay attention to your brain – If you are feeling fatigued. You are. Maybe you missed out on sleep or maybe your brain is over-working. No matter what the cause, pay attention to these feelings and make sure you do something about them.

Doing nothing vs. avoiding everything

Now, let’s be clear, when I talk about doing nothing, I mean giving yourself a break from over-working. Doing nothing once a day is a way of giving yourself permission to slow it down so you can function better.

Avoiding living because you feel overwhelmed is not an option. So often people let their thoughts get the best of them. When you have too much on your plate, you might be tempted to just avoid it all. Sorry to say, but that’s just not the way to go. Instead, doing nothing for a few minutes is a great way to gather your thoughts and get some control back in your life.

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