I was reading about the importance of “lazy days” in one of my spiritual books. It got me thinking about how rarely I do nothing.
I was taught it was a sin to be idle; lazy days were for lazy people. Hard work brought good luck and many rewards. I’ve lived by that creed in many ways.
Maria and I are poor at having lazy days, although she is better than I am at times – like Saturdays. Her idea of a lazy day is to line up a dozen chores and tasks and go to work doing all of them.
(Above, Zip can teach me something about lazing around. He is very good at it.)
Maria and I both find great peace in reading, but that is hardly not doing anything. Reading is essential, but it is not a lazy day.
Doing things all day is not the same as a lazy day, which is theoretically about doing nothing. I’m not 100 percent sure what that means or how I can achieve it, but I’m working on it. Doing nothing is critical for spiritual, physical, and mental health.
The American idea of energy is working hard and making money. There is no noble word for doing nothing outside of a Buddhist temple. They call doing nothing holy. Catholic ideology suggests we’ll end up in hell for doing nothing. The Jewish Bible indicates it is blasphemy, something to be severely punished.
In our hyper and chaotic culture, and in rough times, the idea of a lazy day is more appealing; we all need to rest and gather ourselves.
I’m increasingly drawn to the idea.
I want a lazy day, and I believe I need one, as we all do. It takes a lot of hard work to do nothing. I’m guessing since I don’t remember ever doing it. My best thoughts and ideas have come through silent meditation, which is almost the literal definition of doing nothing.
None comes from the news or a politician’s mouth.
A lazy day is more challenging than it sounds. For people like Maria and me, living on a farm with a million chores and lots of creative work, a lazy day takes work. So far, I’ve not been able to do it for anything longer than a half hour.
But I’m working on it, perhaps as early as this weekend. I’ve said this a thousand times, but I must be more determined to make it happen. My mind is never still. First, I must sort out what a lazy day is for me. I’m still determining.
Planning a lazy day is difficult; most of us are taught that doing nothing is undesirable, even irresponsible. No one got rich doing nothing, one of my uncles told me. Whenever I try to do nothing, guilt, and voices in my head, stop me and warn me to back off and find something to do. I won’t be rich or famous. Deal.
(Every afternoon, weather permitting, Zip and I do nothing. I like it. I think he does, too. Does it qualify for lazy time?)
But doing nothing can be the key to happiness, relaxation, and goodwill. Smiling when you aren’t doing something takes a great deal of strength.
Doing nothing is important; it is a valuable and often neglected skill, a matter of mental health and what is called “wellness.” Doing nothing is about the quality of being, about freedom to reflect and feel, rest and find peace. It’s also about focusing on a meaningful life.
It is, I am told, vital to a life with a spiritual direction.
Looked at in that way, doing nothing is doing something, something that is important and full of meaning, especially in the context of a spiritual life.
Doing nothing is something. Using that as a mantra might help.
I will try it tomorrow or Sunday for a few hours. I’ll let you know how it goes.
In our capitalistic country, we are taught to be humans doing as opposed to being a human being….
Interesting – what is lazy? For me, it is slowing down and engaging in minimal activity for pleasure rather than working and that is NOT something to be avoided but embraced. It’s ‘playing hooky’, skiving off, doing what I want to do that is not necessary or productive. I love taking an hour or two (or three) and reading, I feel wonderfully lazy when I do that. Rarely it might be watching TV during the day (something I almost never do). I don’t think yoga or meditation feel ‘lazy’ to me. Anyway, you got me thinking.
I guess my idea of a lazy day is getting up in the morning with nothing planned. It differs from doing nothing. I think I would be like you; doing nothing would be difficult!
Perhaps this is what Zip came to teach you. Cats are very good at it.
I am terrible at doing nothing. I get bored and restless. I’m interested to see how you do with it.
I was raised with the concept that being idle or not *productive* or busy. 24/7…..was sloth, and laziness. My folks were european immigrants and very rigid in their work ethic. Only since my *retirement* 6 years ago (after working 45 years) have I come to realize that….even sitting down to read a book for several hours mid day…….or sitting outside and birdwatching for an hour……. is NOT being non productive or slothful……..it is in fact restorative and VERY productive. Just a different perspective on what *productive* means. It has been a work in process (still) and I times I still feel that guilt creeping in…..but I’ve come to a place where I’m comfortable *at ease*
Susan M
Occasionally I stay in bed until 3pm then get up & do little more than cook dinner. I work hard, sometimes 7 days a week. I blame those sleeping days on my sugar which is up & down. Boy do I treasure those sleepy days after several hard work days though.
My ideal “lazy” day would be sitting in the garden, pot of tea close by, cat in my lap while I listen to the Woodpecker on the nearby telephone pole. As I sip tea, pet the cat, watch the butterflies and hummingbirds, I am decidedly not bothered by the weeds that need pulling or the plants that need trimming. I smile and wave at the neighbors walking their dogs, they may comment “Must be Nice doing nothing”, yes, it is. Although my nothing may be someone else’s something.
I love the photos of you & Zip!! So incredibly sweet. Zip is super-photogenic!
I agree that it is hard to be ‘lazy’ — it makes me feel guilty. But, it is also important to take care of ourselves both mentally and physically.
Just had a conversation with my 39 year old niece, about her feeling guilty for “doing nothing.” She’s in-between jobs, has plenty of money so that she doesn’t need to find a job soon, and enjoys her days going to the beach and going to Disney. She has that nagging feeling of “she should be doing something productive” that taints her fun and just won’t go away. We talked about tribal and societal dogmas of productivity and how deeply rooted they are in us, and that it’s all made up bullshit to control people. These beliefs are hard to release, for sure, and some of us need help from skilled therapy to do it. When I retired, I nearly killed myself trying to continue to be productive and relevant, because after all, I was fortunate enough to be able to retire, when many of my friends couldn’t. I felt so guilty having do nothing days. I spent a lot of time in my therapy sessions deconstructing this stuff and am far more balanced now, with only occasional guilt.
Italians have a famous saying, “Dolce far Niente”, which means “the sweetness of doing nothing.” Here’s a post on the concept – https://www.travelitalyexpert.com/dolce-far-niente-the-art-of-doing-nothing/