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Want to Know How Mentally Healthy You Are? Try Doing Nothing
When was the last time you consciously did nothing?
And I don’t mean watching TV or scrolling social media. I mean doing nothing at all. When did you last just sit still with no entertainment, purpose, or agenda?
Most people will do almost anything to avoid being unoccupied. Even if that means:
- Watching awful TV shows.
- Scrolling through meaningless Facebook updates.
- Doing unimportant busywork.
But your ability to do nothing is a good measure of your mental well-being. How long can you just sit and be with yourself before the urge to do something becomes unbearable? One minute? Two minutes? Five minutes? Half an hour?
Sure, it wouldn’t be good to spend all your life doing nothing, but that’s true of anything. It wouldn’t be good to sleep all the time or exercise non-stop. But we need regular doses of those to be in good health.
Doing nothing has mental health benefits. And being bored can boost creativity. Being unoccupied might feel uncomfortable at first, but so does exercising if you’re unfit. You have to push past the initial discomfort to get to the benefits on the other side.
So, see what happens if you sit for a few minutes and do nothing. If uncomfortable thoughts or feelings emerge, those are the things that need your attention the most.
When you’re keeping yourself busy, what is it inside you that you are avoiding?
