The more you worry and get stressed–the more you block the subtle answers that are trying to come through from your intuition.  So give yourself permission to relax and let go—trusting that the answers you are chasing will be able to come to you–and you will be able to hear them in the quiet.

3. Doing nothing with others helps you to connect more deeply with them.  A story that I read years ago that really stuck with me was about a family in New York City that regularly had “do nothing” weekends.  They all would stay in their pajamas for the weekend and just hang out together.  They would talk a lot, do skits for one another and make up games.  They limited the outside activities that their kids were involved in to protect the time that they had to be together.  So often we are so busy with outside activities that we become strangers to the people we are closest to.

Having big chunks of time together can create safety for more vulnerable information to be shared.  This is what happened this past weekend with my sisters. What we shared on day 3 of being together was deeper, more vulnerable information then the first initial sharing during day 1.  

4. Doing nothing can help you get more done!  The analogy I use is that it is like we have a kid inside of us that needs rest and play.  If we just are busy and don’t stop to rest and play this little kid gets very cranky and starts to cause some problems.  These problems look like procrastination, forgetfullness, working slower etc.  If we do take the time to rest and play the kid inside of us is happy.  Then when we start to work again it will be very cooperative with what we want to get done and things will go smoother.

Ideas to add doing Nothing to Your Schedule
1. Have “do nothing” breaks during the day.  Go outside and lay on the grass for 10 minutes and look at the sky.  If you are in your office shut off your computer, take off your shoes and close your eyes for 10 minutes and do nothing.

2. Take a nap.  If you have never taken a nap–give it a try. It’s OK if you don’t sleep, just resting with your eyes closed can be very relaxing.  Try taking a nap in a hammock.  There is something about being outside and gently swinging that is very soothing and peaceful.

3. Go to a coffee shop where you don’t know anybody and hang out.  I am writing this article at a coffee shop and there is a woman sitting alone reading a book and another woman alone working on the computer.  Go somewhere where there are no distractions, so you can focus on whatever you would like to –reading a good book, journaling or just relaxing and being.  Check out all of the coffee shops in your area and find a special place that feels relaxing to you.

4. Go on a Retreat.  A wonderful way to do nothing and connect more deeply with yourself is to go on a retreat.  You can find a place that is a short drive away from you that you can go to for the day or for the weekend.  A place locally that some of my friends have gone to is “The Bridge Between” which is just outside of Green Bay.  You can plan a retreat in your own home too.  Plan a time when no one will be there and eliminate distractions–turn off the phone, the computer etc.  Block out a designated time as your “retreat” time–you could do a half of a day or a whole day.

5. Find a place in your house that you designate as your “do nothing” place.  This is a place that you can go for peace and quiet when you need it.  Eliminate distractions and also let the people in your home know that when you are in this place that you are to not be interrupted.

6. If things are really busy for you and you feel like you don’t have any time—take a 5 minute break to do nothing.  You would be surprised at how even a small amount of time like 5 minutes can make a big difference in helping you relax.  You can focus on your breath and make sure you are breathing deeply.  When we are busy we often  hold our breath–so taking this break and breathing fully can relax you and help your body release tension.

7. Designate one day a week to take off.  Have one day a week where you aren’t doing any work–no errands, no work around the house etc.  Just a day to be and do as you please.  When you have a full day off you can really get into a relaxed state and enjoy the full benefit of this.   Then when you go back to work you will feel energized, more focused and you will be more productive.

Give yourself the gift of putting more time in your schedule just to “do nothing” and watch your life become more peaceful, productive and rich with a deeper connection with yourself and others!