Do you ever just do nothing?

During lockdown I learnt to do nothing because I had no choice. I pottered about in the garden, did lots of reading and drawing and painting. It was a chance for me to explore myself without the demands of the modern world imposing itself upon me.

Unfortunately this spills over to children who think they must always be busy, after school activities, weekend clubs etc.
There is a world of imagination in just sitting and doing nothing or reading.

While you are in your beds, you are saving shoe-leather .
Enjoy.

I'm still in mine.

To my shame have only just got out of.bed. That’s how little I can do.

I love doing nothing, I really enjoy sitting and contemplating. Or I may read a book or meditate. lt soothes me, I don’t feel guilty unless my husband is doing something, at the moment he is fitting a new bathroom!!

Having worked really hard most of my adult life, I love having the time to "do nothing". Reading, watching TV, looking out the window at the birds, squirrels, and even foxes, make me appreciate my free time even more, and I don't feel guilty, or at least, not very!!

I love just pottering around. I do a bit of this, a bit of that. Read the paper, check my emails, pay bills, read, watch rubbish TV. Now and again I bake, especially if I'm expecting callers or if I'm visiting a friend. It's bliss. I don't think I've ever been bored.
I'd hate to be dashing about - plenty of that went on in the past. And I absolutely refuse to be made to feel guilty . To each his own!

Like many, I worked every single day since I was 15, some 60 years, so to do something seems normal. Life. Raised a family of 4, built up a business, sometimes working 18 hours a day, retired looked after my other half, travelled a bit, like everyone. Now fingers crossed to enjoy good health, and looking out to sea aometime each day and writing silly poems.

Honest? About 90% of my time since pandemic started is spent doing-nothing. I've only been out to shop/supermarket, or short walk occasionally, but no holidays no seeing family , what there's left of it, no social outings either. DH goes to pub most Tuesday and Thursday with band colleagues after practice And I do choir for 1.5 hours on Thursday but generally I sit browsing web. Or just messing about. Life is seeming less and less worth the effort nowadays.

My DH is always busying about- a trait he inherited from his mother. It drives me mad, so I often place myself ostentatiously in full view with a cup of tea.

He is now slowly getting round to the "doing nothing" idea however. For example he is now reading the paper, which he has started to do, extending the breakfast period well into the late morning.

I wish he would at least clean his teeth so I can get on and do the bathroom.

I’ve had that ‘busy doing nothing’ song on the brain for a few days - it’s used in some ad on Classic FM - I couldn’t tell you what the ad is for, though!
Which, according to the theory, defeats the object of the ad.

Welcome Gordon.
In answer to the question I’ve just reduced my days at work and most of the day I’m now off I do nothing. I have a stressful job and a weekend to do stuff so I mainly do nothing with my dog.

Theoddbird

We're busy doin' nothin'
Workin' the whole day through
Tryin' to find lots of things not to do
We're busy goin' nowhere
Isn't it just a crime
We'd like to be unhappy, but
We never do have the time

I have to watch the river
To see that it doesn't stop
And stick around the rosebuds
So they'll know when to pop
And keep the crickets cheerful
They're really a solemn bunch
Hustle, bustle
And only an hour for lunch

La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

We're busy doin' nothin'
Workin' the whole day through
Tryin' to find lots of things not to do
We're busy goin' nowhere
Isn't it just a crime
We'd like to be unhappy, but
We never do have the time

I have to wake the Sun up
He's liable to sleep all day
And then inspect the rainbows
So they'll be bright and gay
I must rehearse the songbirds
To see that they sing in key
Hustle, bustle
And never a moment free

We're busy doin' nothin'
Workin' the whole day through
Tryin' to find lots of things not to do
We're busy going nowhere
Isn't it just a crime
We'd like to be unhappy, but
We never do have the time

I have to meet a turtle
I'm teachin' him how to swim
Then I have to shine the dewdrops
You know they're looking rather dim
I told my friend, the robin
I'd buy him a brand new vest
Hustle, bustle
We never do have
We never do have
We never do, never do
Never do, never do, never do have the time
Never do have the time

Aww thanks Theoddbird. I couldn't help but sing -a- long with that as I was reading it.

CarlyD7

I think a lot of people won't admit to regularly putting up their feet as (a) from their childhood they were taught that this was lazy (so they still retain some feelings of guilt over it) and/or (b) they don't want friends to think their lives are empty! BUT I saw my mother never rest (even when she was ill she fretted over things not getting washed/tidied, etc) and she died too early. I've seen my best friend burn out and is now in a wheelchair (and still raging because "I can't simply do nothing") - as though resting your body to enable it to relax is "nothing". My favourite poem is WH Davies' poem "Leisure" - says it all really:

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

Lovely, Carly.
I intend to take that time this year.

Welcome Gordon. Please post soon.

Golly, it's lovely to hear from others who can benefit from doing nothing. Right now I am doing nothing because I am recovering from surgery for a broken ankle. Except I'm not doing nothing. I am the oldest generation now and I have to be my own advocate for care and rehab and medicine, etc. My husband had back surgery the day before my ankle surgery. He is at home recovering. We've been married 45 years and don't like to be apart. He's rather pining. I'm doing the banking, thinking ahead about bills, checking with children, keeping my doctor's outside of the rehab center informed of my progress, returning emails and calls. So though I am immobile a lot of the time, I am not doing nothing. I think a lot of time is worthily spent daydreaming, remembering, looking at your mother's pretty things and remembering where she got them and what they meant to her, etc. Good on you all! If you're praying person, please send prayers for me and my husband. Thank you.

Hello Gordon!

I reward myself with doing nothing days and I love it. I feel very privileged that I have this choice. It doesn’t suit everyone, of course. I have a friend who works full time in his 70s and has no intention of stopping.

I very rarely do nothing. Usually I am reading, writing, messing about online, knitting or watching TV when I'm not doing something more constructive. I don't think I could just sit and stare into space if I tried. Even watching TV I have to have knitting to occupy my hands, or I feel twitchy and can't concentrate.

I don't feel guilty if I'm not 'achieving' anything though. Life's too short for that.

Yes do feel really guilty doing nothing and suppose I should be doing some craft or hobby - since grandkids have moved house suddenly have a lot of free time now not caring. Very difficult to think of things I would enjoy having spent so long being busy for everyone.

kircubbin2000

'Do you ever just do nothing?' Yes, frequently!

I give myself 'permission' to do nothing much in January/February - as it's a low point in the year for me (and many others). I can just 'be' rather than 'do'. I'll only engage with things I enjoy, everything else can wait.

I feel I'm often fighting the 'Make yourself useful!' still ringing in my ears from childhood. Why should I?

Kryptonite

Sleeping in the day or gazing into the fish pond. Highly recommend.

Do be careful. ?

I was gazing into a fish pond when I was about 6.
The next thing I knew I was in with the fishes.
Luckily I managed to clamber out.

I love doing nothing. Which means reading, watching TV, surfing the internet. Or even having an afternoon nap joined by the dog.