It's ok to do nothing

[susandennis]

The other day, lifeinroseland asked me if I ever spent a day doing nothing - eating, napping, going to the bathroom and maybe binge watching - but really doing nothing.

Sometimes the most innocent question really resonates with me and this one is still reverberating.

I not only spent my life being productive - at work, at home - but taking great pride in just that. I've always felt almost defined by what I produced. When I retired, I turned that hose on other things. Sewing, knitting, swimming. I often feel lazy. Give me a remote, do not make me get up and do something, but, in truth, I really am not.

I've never been one to sleep in. Closest I come is maybe sleeping til 6 on weekends. I get up and go swim and then my day starts. So doing nothing gets short circuited right there.

This morning I went swimming and then went to the eye doctor and then came home and did not feel like doing anything. Nothing. So... I didn't. It was a funky realization that I didn't have to do anything if I didn't want to. I could fuck off all morning or all day if I waned so I did. I interneted some and just sat some and finally got back into bed and slept.

It's now 1:30 and the baseball game starts at 5 and I may go sew something. Or just organize the sewing room or maybe just piddle around some and then watch some TV.

I've never before appreciated the value of wasting time. I think it's what retired people are supposed to do and I just didn't get the memo. I got it now. I probably won't do it much but baby steps.

Comments

[badrobot68.livejournal.com]

I love my "nothing" days! Sometimes I'll at least do laundry or go grocery shopping to feel productive, but there are a few days when I barely get out of bed...and it's wonderful.

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

I'm not very good at doing absolutely nothing but when I do I enjoy it more than I think I will

[lifeinroseland.livejournal.com]

I need my "recovery days." But your posts make me look forward to retirement when I hope The Event of the Day is like, going to Trader Joe's. No guilt.

[susandennis]

I had a friend who had been retired for a couple of years and she had a NEVER break rule of ONE thing on the calendar per day and nothing else. So if she went to Trader Joe's it was literally The Event Of The Day.

Retirement rocks. I promise.

[letmesaythis.livejournal.com]

If I live into the golden years I will do nothing but self-care on most days. Nothing includes browsing the web and consuming copious quantities of mindless entertainment via television and sometimes theaters. I know this is a waste of time and I'll be OK with that, I think. Should I find that I am wrong and that I need to do something productive I'll consider volunteering if I have any skills or capabilities that someone can use.

[susandennis]

sounds like a plan to me!

[tilia-tomentosa.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid I need some lessons on "doing nothing" myself. I catch myself feeling guilty for not working on one charity/gift knitting project because I'm working on another or not having managed any knitting because I've spent the afternoon cleaning. Or for just having a long walk instead of doing "any useful work" - although, ironically, sometimes the best writing, translation or knitting design ideas come to me while I'm walking (and it was good that I had a ballpoint pen and a piece of paper in my bag when the writing muse visited me last week while I was trying to knit in the park). And then there is all that "organizational communication" about my various charity work when I make it to the computer - and hey, I'm not even "employed'! :)