Why do we feel guilty about doing nothing?

There is definitely a belief right now that doing nothing is a bad thing. People wear ‘busy-ness’ (and exhaustion!) as a badge of honour; they see it as a mark of success.

As a result, adults are overstretched and children are overscheduled. And if they aren’t, then the sense of failure often starts to creep in. I ‘should’ be busier, I ‘should’ be doing more. But why do so many of us feel that way? Why don’t we feel we can just relax and take a breather anymore?

In all honesty, I don’t have the answer. I have some thoughts on this though.

I like to have a productive morning. I feel better when I know I have achieved a lot of my work or personal tasks before midday. If it’s earlier than that, then I reward myself during the week with a walk over a bridge, or along the river to get a coffee and try to enjoy my surroundings.

I am then reminded of the need to sometimes to just stop. It could be for a minute; it could even be for 10 minutes. It’s good to just be in that moment. Not thinking about where I need to be next, what I need to be doing next, or about a chat I have just had that has left me either delighted or disturbed. It’s just about being in that moment.

In those moments, it may look like I am doing nothing. But those moments are not ‘doing nothing’. They are moments of rest, of connection, of balance and they a vital part of life. It feels like we have somehow managed to re-brand  the idea of rest and of taking a moment as a negative idea – ‘I’m doing nothing’ isn’t exactly a phrase people say with pride. Maybe it’s time to change that…

Related or not. I have resumed Pilates (for anyone that attends these classes you may lose a rib every time when you witness some of my stretches). One key aspect of Pilates is that most of the moments are done at a slower pace and with considered breathing. It reminds me that being in the now is so important, because once that moment’s gone, it’s gone.