How and Why You Should Make a Practice of Doing Nothing

Doing nothing is a privilege these days and it’s almost impossible to do. With the ever-increasing advancement of ways to distract yourself (think stumbleupon.com, twitter, the iphone and Farmville on Facebook), it really can be impossible to step away from it all.

It may sound arbitrary and perhaps a bit pointless to you to make a practice of doing nothing on a regular basis…in fact you might be sitting there saying, “How am I supposed to get things done if I am doing nothing.” Valid question, but it has its benefits I assure you. A little “nothing time” is important because it helps us recharge, be present and check in with what’s really going on in our lives. Instead of signing onto facebook, flipping through a gossip mag or sitting in front of the tube watching the Kardashians-- turn your phone off, flip of that nonsense TV show, shut the computer down and step outside. You can walk to that place you always wanted to have coffee at, or that place with the menu that caught your eye or just keep walking until you find something that really interests you. Or use your nothing time to start a project (one of personal interest); do that one thing you’ve always wanted to do: paint, write, pick up your guitar again or pull out your favorite CDs.

It may seem a little self indulgent at first, but get used to using your “nothing time” to catch with your self, your passions and get away from your typical schedule. Do something spontaneous –make your “50 Things to do before I die” list and use this time to get a start on a few of them (click here for a personal list to get inspiration for your own, also here's site that might be helpful in really completing some of those goals). Practice doing nothing as means to improve what is required of you, as an excuse for a little “me time” and as a tool to improve your quality of life and be present (click here for a little artice on being present, because it has a lot with the practice fo doing nothing).

You might feel you already know how to do nothing so you may think a how-to-do-nothing guide is just complete BS, but this wiki how provides some perspective an few tips.

In today’s fast pace culture (especially in the big city) sprinting through life is simply the most common way of getting things done; but there's nothing scarier than the idea of running through life only to get to the finish line and realize that you’ve passed up the things that mean the most to you. So slow down, schedule some time in, put your feet up or down in the sand and breathe. Reflect, think, feel and recognize the present. Practice doing a little of nothing so you can reflect on those things that are really important to you…there really is enough time in the day.