Do you ever just do nothing?

I've only just picked this thread up because I was asleep until almost 11, then made coffee and came back to bed. I've been reading and watching TV and only picked the phone up to read emails etc at about 1.45, so in answer to the OP, yes, I most certainly do just nothing, in a very regular basis!

Grandma 70 reading is doing nothing it is "being"

Don't feel guilty GreenGran.

My mum does that, and it's such a waste of energy (the guilty, I mean). She misses things on TV because they are 'on too late', and when I ask why she doesn't stay up and watch them, she says that if she stays up late she would struggle to get up on time in the morning. In time for what is never clear.

I know she disapproves when I lie in, which I regularly to, as like you I am a night owl. After decades of setting the alarm for work I refuse to feel guilty if I sleep late now that I can. I think I have more waking hours than my mother anyway, so what difference does it make whether they are early in the day or late at night?

Love sitting and doing, I habit of looking out the window in our living room, watching people going by or reading at the moment Barack Obamas book, on my iPad, browsing. Nothing like it.

I have just returned from singing at the funeral of a man of 66. A very worthy man. He was always rushing about, getting involved in charitable causes, and never seemed to relax. He died, suddenly, from a heart attack.
I brought up 5 children, and fostered many more. Looked after a husband who worked shifts, so meals were being cooked at strange times of day. I worked part time until I finally retired at 70.
Now I'm 82, widowed, the children are all settled and I have no pets. I can do exactly what I please, which means that housework gets done when I'm in the mood for it. I go shopping, for a walk, or sometimes meet friends, when the mood takes me. I eat what I want, at whatever time I feel like eating. I often spend a day doing nothing but relaxing with a book, knitting, watching tv or on my iPad. I go to bed when I'm ready. Anywhere between 11pm and 2am, and get up when I wake, whenever that may be.
The only thing that I can't shake off feeling guilty about is getting up late in the morning! A niggling little voice at the back of my mind tells me off for being in bed when I 'should' be up and about. The other morning my neighbour, who has two large dogs and is an 'early to bed, early to rise' person knocked on my door at 9am, waking me up. When I appeared in my dressing gown and she asked if she had wakened me I felt compelled to fib and say that I'd been up for a while.
Why should I feel guilty? I spent many years cooking breakfast for my husband at 4.30, and working in my local newsagents' from 6am. I wish my little nagging voice would go away!

Hello Geeljay. Welcome to this merry band.
Some days I’m busy but work at a suitable pace being mindful I can do what I want.
Just being well is a blessing these days x

Only if I am ill. Then I read or watch tv. For me, life is too short to do nothing and having had two health scares , I make the most of everything tbh.

I have two types of doing nothing. When I feel very depressed or anxious, find making decisions of any kind difficult and either just sit about or sit there knowing I should do something but have difficulty making a start. Once I have begun something I am a bit better. Then when I am feeling better I look round at all the jobs I have not noticed waiting to be done and feel the need to catch up and get something sorted. But then I take pleasure in seeing the sun coming through the window, looking at a few flowers I have picked in the garden and for me the prime reason to sit quietly is if there is any Bach on the radio. for me Bach has the highest level of attention. No banging about while I listen and it is lovely to just sit with eyes closed and feel part of the music. The most calming and wonderful sound that gives me pleasure and hope for the future. When I sit listening to this I never feel guilty or think of other things I could be doing

I hate the glorification of being busy We are retired we don't have a routine we get up when we wantgo to bed when we want (not just to sleep) Get out and about but equally may not go out for days Oh and shock horror for some GNers we often lounge in dressing gowns ALL DAY I've read 4 books this week but I'm also a carer24/7

I often do nothing. Then again I often have lots of things to do all on one day so doing nothing occasionally doesn't matter. I like sitting watching TV and knitting. Its not a problem. I go to keep fit or Zumba a couple of times a week and I walk to the shops at least once a week. I'm sure thats enough. In Spring and Summer I do a bit more as I do basic gardening and a bit of house maintenance. Winter is always a do nothing sort of Season for me. It takes all sort to make a world.

I do stuff until about 3pm and then that is it! Apart from cooking dinner, the rest of the day is mine. Otherwise I find I potter about all day long and then sit down tired!

Welcome on board Geeljay

Even if you are sitting in a comfortable chair staring into space, you are probably thinking, daydreaming, or better still meditating. I think that all of the above can be classed as ‘doing something’ - at least that is what I have started to tell myself. When we had the first lockdown there came a point when I did have nothing in particular to do, but I admit that I could almost hear my grandmother’s voice saying that if I had nothing to do she would soon find me something!

I think we should rejoice in that we have reached a time of life when we have a choice and enjoy the choice we make.

It is good to do nothing , we all need it .. For the moment I am being forced to do nothing,, as I have developed Polymyalgia ,, and after just a small job I need to rest and sit down , even just standing for a while and I have to rest ... So it is either in my computer chair which is very comfortable or in my departed husbands chair .. I never sat in it when he was alive , so didn't realise how comfortable it is .. So I am "Borrowing" it ! just in case he still sits in it secretly ! So I have come to terms with my rests ,, and we should look forward to them ..

I have some health issues that cause me to feel quite tired. (diabetic with chronic kidney disease) I do care for my granddaughter 3 days a week. I am so tired after those days that I hardly move on the others and I don't feel guilty. I used to but I worked for a long time as a single parent and now a single grandma so I let the guilt just slide away. When I say nothing I really do mean doing nothing! grin

I suppose it's trying to be healthy that makes me need to keep moving. I've read so many scare stories about inactivity. I try to manage my BP and blood sugar levels etc by making 'positive lifestyle choices'. Just feeling negative today!

I love doing nothing, well nothing special,I love to read GN and then other things on the computer.I do write a lot, e mails and short stories.In the speing I will be out in the garden again, but above all its lovely not to have appointments to keep, to do what I want when I want.I think we all do something, but we dont think we are doing anything is if isnt important.

Hello geeljay nice to meet you!

I love doing nothing and I'm very good at it! I often watch daytime TV and don't feel at all guilty about it. I think the past two years has taught us that letting our minds and bodies totally relax sometimes is very restorative. My Mum was of the mind that one should always be 'doing something useful' otherwise you were just idle or lazy. I wake up every morning and think 'what shall I do today?' I make plans in my head, but if I pick up my book or turn on the TV every thing can change in an instant, and I really don't care. It's my day, my life and I'll do (or not do) as I please.

Have a nice Do Nothing Day everyone!

I'm just back from food shopping. It's blowing a gale outside. I don't think I can do my regular and boring routes march this afternoon but I'm already feeling guilty. I love the thought of a TV drama marathon but ...
I know. I do this to myself.

I love this thread. I do very little these days. Living in the tropics is the perfect excuse to do not a lot. I get off the sofa to make a cup of tea, to take the dogs into the garden, but nearly my whole day is spent on the net. I network dogs who will die unless they find homes. I spend hours on this. Then I read the papers online and yesterday I tried to get my head around Wordle but was annoyed when the world was “Humor” I would never have got it. I love days when I am alone all day with my old dogs and now I am nearly 88 I have stopped feeling guilty at doing nothing. I love it!

I work full time, and have just started working one day at the weekend (only half a day) I get in from work and do my housework (i like lists- so plan my evenings), then finish anything i haven't got done on a Saturday morning, after a nice lie in. Then I have 'me' time. Sometimes just sitting in from of the TV doing my nails, sometimes an epic 4 hour bath while i'm reading (thowback to when the kids were little and bath time was the only time i got to myself - although it wasn't 4 hours!) sometimes going out to browse round the shops, or visit a friend for a cuppa.
Doing nothing for me is doing what i want, even if i'm out and 'busy'.
Things didnt change to much for me during the pandemic as i worked from home and still had to do the housework as normal, the only difference was not going out the house, but me and friends would meet up for a cuppa outside sitting on the wall (most of them live within 100 yards). I dont think i could sit. Sleep yes - sit no

I do ‘nothing’ most of the time. Lockdown induced plus a knee injury which means I’ve been unable to hobble far. I have little incentive to get up and go, my get up and go having got up and gone. Sometimes I wonder if with the passing of time I’d be like this anyway ?. I’ve just acquired a lovely lady wot ‘does me through’ once a week and am negotiating with a gardener to deal with the jungle. Hurrah! I feel quite liberated.

Not at all, Callistemon (in answer to your post at 11:59:11).
?.
In fact, it’s quite informative ?.

After I walked the dogs this am, I was thinking about my Sister. She is in a Nursing home and I was tearful after seeing her on Sunday. She was very unwell. I though if I sit down I will cry, so instead I have spent the morning baking. I am still upset but at least I am not crying. I am not good at doing nothing. If I'm sitting I am usually, at least knitting. It is my way of relaxing apart from dog walking.

I like to do a bit then sit down for a bit throughout the day, for instance we get up wash dress, I make breakfast I then wash up , sometimes put washing out , sweep & Hoover the main rooms , clean the bathroom then have a sit down and we have coffee about 11.00 am . The same in the afternoon , I really enjoy watching "Escape to the Country" at 3.00 pm so that is My sit down time to watch TV. Sometimes go for walk late morning if the weather is agreeable. Today we are meeting friends for lunch.