The Psychological Importance Of Wasting Time

Moon CranioSacral Therapy, Health, Insight, Journeys Inward Leave a Comment

This article is so relevant to our culture of work and busyness these days.  As a self employed person I can completely relate to feeling like I need to always be working – if it’s not one on one with my clients it’s research, studying, tackling the many lists of to do’s I have, and on and on…

Even weekends have slid into a mix of catching up on administration tasks and then some non-work activity.  I love what I do so I can find it challenging to pull away and take time off just for me.

This winter however, I had time to reflect on, and put into practice, the importance of wasting time.  Earlier this year I sustained a concussion and had no other choice but to wast time.  I can tell you tho, it did not come easy.  In the first few weeks of my concussion I fought the fact that I was injured.  I was resting yes, but I was still trying to work and keep busy.  My first thought was, well if I can’t physically be with clients I can catch up on reading and studying and research.  I’ve got my endless list of to do’s.  Well, I got shut down.  My body said, “No!!!  We can’t do this right now!”  I had to listen.  What a blessing it was.

I slowly learned how to let go of the “to do” and just “Be”.  I went for walks with no agenda, I sat and looked out my window on rainy days and just stared into the distance, I watched movies and let my mind wonder.  I actually learned how to day dream!

What a wake up call.  Prior to my concussion I was noticing a feeling of burn out and taking time off helped, but not totally.  During my recovery period I began to realize that I never really stop.  Sure I take time off and have weekends but I wasn’t unplugging.  Not even for half a day.

“Wasting time is about recharging your battery and de-cluttering,” he says. Taking time to be totally, gloriously, proudly unproductive will ultimately make you better at your job, says Guttridge. But it’s also fulfilling in and of itself.”

So, I am learning.  I’m now back to work and putting into practice the skill of wasting time.  I have to say, unplugging like this really does seem to cleanse my brain and make space so that when I come back to my tasks I feel ready to go.  My suggestion – give yourself permission to wast time!

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