With such a RACING and ACCELERATED world it's hard to stop at times to do nothing. Everyday, as I complete the tasks on my agenda, there are more things that approach--it's like an infinite list. I always have something else I can do. For example, this past week was extremely stressful, I was burned out by Friday because I had millions of things DUE. Even though I had completed all the BIG and major tasks I still have work to complete on the weekend, work is never ending. When I have emptier days--like these ones--I spread out more my work, but I still spend time doing something. There is a thing in my brain that pushes me to work every minute that I have free because otherwise, when I relax or stop working, I have a small guilty conscience that I am wasting my time. However, this is not true doing nothing at times can increase productivity more than working endless hours nonstop.
"THE BEST WAY OF COMPLETING A TASK , OFTEN, IS TO LOOK AWAY FROM IT;IT'S THE PAUSE IN A PIECE OF MUSIC THAT GIVES THE PIECE ITS BEAUTY AND ITS SHAPE"
-PICO IYER
During our socratic seminar this week we read an article that talked about the benefits of doing nothing. As I read through it and reflected upon myself I realized how my perception of productivity was so WRONG. Working on something too long burns you out, it begins to frustrate you, and it's not healthy. However, if you chunk your working time and have small breaks in between you can breathe and then work a little more. Also, the workload will look a lot smaller than if you chose to complete it all at once. Additionally, sometimes we need to talk on the phone, meet with co-workers, or simply have a snack, and when you shift your concentration, while working, it takes about 10 minutes to gain it back. By having small breaks, your brain will be more focused for a period of time, and you will be able to do those things that interrupt your concentration. Moreover, these small breaks shouldn't be ALL about talking or doing something else than your work, some of the breaks should be used as a moment to do NOTHING.
There is a BIG misconception out there about what doing N O T H I N G entails. It's NOT about turning down the tasks for a while and looking down at your Facebook home page, doing nothing literally means doing not anything, no single thing --well expect for breathing. These "NOTHING BREAKS"--this is what I like to call them--should be about getting yourself together, letting your brain oxygenate, and let it rest by not forcing it to think or stress. It will be a CHALLENGE, at least for me, because we are all used to work and be active either by completing a project, studying for a test, responding emails, or even watching TV. However, if we take on this demanding challenge, we will have extremely positive results. If you relax the body, when you go back to the task, you will be more productive as you're mind is FRESH, fresh to generate new ideas and to improve the work you already have crafted.
Currently, society is losing it's HUMANITY as we've become slaves of technology. Technology is supposed to help us, to facilitate our lives, but it's not supposed to DOMINATE us. It has gotten to the point were technology has COMMANDED over us. When we have a free moment or time to do something else than working we choose to go in our laptops, instead of jogging or walking our dog. We are running all the time and our body can't handle it--it's not healthy. At times, we need to TAKE a BREAK from society, form technology, and from our work and do NOTHING, only REFLECT. It will not only increase your productivity, but it will allow you to GAIN PERSPECTIVE of your life. It will help you rethink if you are going in the track that will take you to your goals, if you are happy, if you are doing something relevant, and if you are fulfilling your purpose. We have gotten, so caught up in this expeditious WORLD that we've forgotten the meaning of NOTHING. We have to take a moment to B R E A T H E.