Resolving to Waste Some Time
“This is a story about one of my favourite pastimes: Wasting time. Or maybe put a little nicer: Enjoying time.”
…
We are at the beginning of a brand new calendar year. And as December changed into January many of us set out with new resolutions and intentions. Plans on how to spend our time more effectively and productively. Ideas on how to get the most out of every single moment. We optimize our morning routine, our lunch break, our exercise regime. If you want to, you can even try a number of tips on how to sleep more efficiently.
While I totally get the sentiment that life is precious and shouldn’t be wasted or missed, the level of optimization and strive for maximum productivity in our society can’t be healthy for our souls in the long run.
A few months ago, I looked at myself and noticed some symptoms in myself: My inability to sit down with a nice book and just enjoy it, even if it might not be ‘relevant’ or teaching in any way. My foggy brain after a day of listening to informational podcasts and news updates in every spare minute without any chance to let my thoughts wander wild. Or the sense of guilt I felt after an afternoon watching my favourite Netflix shows and not having anything to show for at the end of the day. Can you relate?
I wanted to use every minute of every day for something useful, something that might make a great memory one day. Instead, I ended up feeling frazzled, always hurried to get to the next helpful and important thing.
“So here is my idea for 2021: Why don’t we all waste a little more time? Let our souls breathe and just be.”
Just sit and watch what is going on around you, the clouds moving or candles flickering. One of my favourite ways to start the days lately is to slowly make a cup of coffee, sit on the couch and look out the window. Think about what the day might bring and what I enjoyed about yesterday. Taking the tension out of the day before it begins. Turn off your phone and ignore the news (for a little while). Go for a long walk. Take a pause between completing the tasks on your to do list. Make bad art that nobody will ever get to see. Colour.
I am not talking about numbing out with Netflix for 10 hours, but about being present in your life, in the moment you are currently living and experiencing. Not achieving goals for the future and getting to your best self, but simply being. Here and now. And of course: If you’re feeling giddy like a child at the thought of spending your day in pyjamas with your favourite snack and a great show, go for it!
I, for one, have just got my first puzzle for Christmas. Completing it won’t contribute to any goals or help me develop new skills, I won’t lose any weight or experience something extraordinary that I might tell my grandkids about one day. Instead, it will give me a few joyful hours of simply being.
Of course, I still love listening to podcasts and stretching my mind. I want to be a constant learner and not stand still. But I am also a lot more gentle and kind to myself when I feel like my brain just needs to catch up for a while. When I need to go for a walk without my headphones on. When I need the cosiness of my couch and the hundreds time of watching You’ve Got Mail.
And I will send a wish your way: That you might join me and maybe put ‘waste more time’ on your list of resolutions for 2021. You won’t regret it.”
-
To see more from Hanna, you can find her on Instagram at @hannaulala or via her website www.hannasplaces.com.