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THE BENEFITS OF DOING NOTHING

June 24, 2016

The act of "doing nothing" has a pretty negative connotation in everyday conversations. It's pretty easy to see why: with all of the high-achievers and motivators being praised as model adults and the Netflix-obsessed "stereotypical" teens being subtly jabbed at by society, it's no wonder that many people cannot stand the idea of not doing anything for a set amount of time.

I'm definitely one of those type-A overachieving students who basically schedules out her days to the minute (as seen here), so I completely understand. However, I've started to realize something this summer: doing nothing is not always a bad idea.

Prep For A Day

In my personal experience and through a bit of research, I've found a few practical reasons why setting aside downtime can actually be beneficial, so if you think it's high time for you to take a break, read on.

1. To Relieve Stress: This is perhaps one of the greatest aspects of downtime that I've experienced. For some reason unbeknownst to me, stepping back from a slew of tasks allows me to forget all of the stress that accompanied them. To sum it up: if you're feeling stressed, try to allow yourself some time to take a break from whatever is causing the stress.

2. To Give Your Brain a Break: According to researchers, doing nothing actually allows the brain to recuperate and, in a sense, recharge. Taking a break shifts the brain's focus off of a few time-consuming tasks to many miscellaneous ideas; this shift does wonders for your mind's overall health and energy levels.

3. To Look at the Big Picture: Partly due to the shift described above, the brain is able to get a much broader perspective of previous events and confrontations when it's resting. Believe me, when you're doing nothing it's infinitely easier to think of solutions to any of the conflicts you're facing as opposed to when you're in the middle of them.

4. To Brainstorm: Punny, right? Anyway, downtime practically gives you an excuse to daydream and get your creative juices flowing. Research states that people recall most of their best ideas when they were relaxing or on a vacation away from the hustle and bustle of their everyday lives. If you need a good idea, try giving your mind a break and see where it goes!

5. To Be More Productive: This last benefit seems a bit misleading for pretty obvious reasons. However, as paradoxical as it may seem, the fact that your mind and body are able to revitalize during downtime actually increases your productivity levels in the long run. In a way, doing nothing is actually pretty productive in itself!

Now, if you're ever debating whether to stop and take a break, here's all the evidence you need to support your case. Here's to doing nothing!

What are some other benefits of doing nothing?

Love,
Tori

4 comments:

  1. lovely post-I too am a busy bee and often feel guilt when I am 'sitting' but I try to get the most out of the day and give myself a few hours of nothing time at night...
    happy weekend, Tori
    Katelyn
    xo
    www.theyellowspectacles.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I find myself doing the same thing! Thanks for reading!

      Delete
  2. I wish I set aside more time in my life for doing nothing. I couldn't agree more with those benefits!

    xo Jen
    Skirt The Rules

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should definitely try it; the benefits far outweigh any consequences!

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