The Art Of Doing Nothing It's a funny thing to think about. Doing nothing with our days. Focusing on absolutely nothing. Not sitting watching Netflix on the TV as that is doing something. Not laying in bed for a lovely lay in before getting up. But 100% switching off and just existing in your own space. Reclaiming your energy and focus, whilst losing yourself in your thoughts Is that possible in today's world of notifications, beeps and electronic seduction? Can you really do nothing all day and not be classed as some kind of mad freak? Well this week i thought i would do an experiment and discover if the art of doing nothing can be mastered. I started with something that has screwed me up time and time again. Meditation Has Always Been a Problem For Me Over the years I have tried to meditate but have failed spectacularly. It doesn't matter when I attempt to sit there and go through the meditating motions I get twitchy. I can't get myself into that zone that i guess is the art of doing nothing with meditation. My mind always comes up with some new idea, or banging tune to play out in my fruitless attempt to silence my mind. So for me meditation hasn't been something that I thought I could master. However, I thought this week "How about I don't call it meditation, but just doing nothing?" Would this slight change of mindset make a difference to me. Well it doesn't just have a slight difference, the difference was dramatic. The Art Of Doing Nothing - Step One I waited until the house was empty and the family were long gone then i got in position. Sitting in a nice comfortable chair which looked perfect for doing nothing in, i turned to my Amazon Echo. "Alexa, set an alarm for 30 minutes time please" Her robotic but almost human voice announced that she was now set and doing nothing was now happening. I started with just sitting there, looking around the room but felt a bit stupid to be honest. I shouldn't be wasting time like this really. Let's get it done before the family came home. Doing nothing seems really self indulgent I discovered to my shame. To hide my feelings of guilt and disgust I closed my eyes and simply focused on my breathing. I felt calm, relaxed and at peace. I was in a lovely place...it was just like meditating!!! I had discovered the key to getting into the zone I had always struggled with in just a few minutes. I wasn't trying to do something I was trying to do the complete opposite to something. I found that doing nothing often leads to the very best of something. I had allowed myself the space to slide effortlessly to where I wanted to be without pressure. So why was this? Why was it that doing nothing, and i mean really doing nothing has such a restorative effect to me? Well I started digging a little bit deeper and found that their is a science behind it all. The Science Behind Doing Nothing In Your Life There are so many benefits to doing nothing in your life, they really come to you quickly. However it is really hard to just go cold turkey and disconnect from the stresses of life but its so important. Danish researchers found people who disappear from social media for example actually experience a wave of positivity and great emotions. They stop filling out their time with needless comparisons of other peoples live and achievements. They do however start savouring the simple things in life like a wonderful conversation with a stranger of loved one. They get into the present and the present as they say is the real gift of life. There are actually whole movements occurring around the world where people are trying to slow down and disconnect. Mentally this is hugely powerful to do, and gives the brain a complete detox from electrical impulses. Which then brings better sleep into the equation, which also makes you feel better again. This in turn gives you more energy to do what you want in your life at full power when you choose. Heart Issues Become A Thing Of The Past Rushing around like a headless chicken is obviously not good for your health. Blood pressure increases, you heart pumps furiously, and bad things happen to your blood. We are just like an engine, and you wouldn't dream of just going full pelt for hours on end in your beloved automobile. You would expect things to over heat and stop functioning well. The same goes for our inner workings, and medical professionals recommend doing nothing as much as possible. Give your self a chance to cool down your engine and get ready for the next big push. So there you have it, if you want more energy, better sleep, more time, more focus the list goes on and on. There is really only one thing that you can do in your life. And it starts with "N" and ends with "G" Go out and be lazy for awhile and you can thank me later.