The Importance of a 'Do Nothing Day'
Work culture sucks.
Yeah, I’ll say it! It’s not exactly a mystery, but somehow, it feels wrong to say it aloud. Don’t worry, I’ll take the blame for you. I’ll bear the burden!
So, yes, work culture sucks. We have been conditioned and reconditioned to think we are always running out of time. That every second is meant to be fed into the machine of productivity.
I'm here to tell you about my experience having days where I do absolutely nothing, and how it's benefited my brain chemistry.
Now when I say do nothing, it doesn't mean lying prone in bed all day staring at the ceiling. I made up two rules for these days that seem to work so far.
1. Do whatever you want.
2. Try to seek offline activities.
Yup, that's it. Pretty simple, right?
A few weeks ago I vowed to free up one day, a SINGLE day of the week, to do whatever I want. That meant no grinding out blogs or posts for social media. No doing a ton of chores. No work of any kind. I also added that second rule not as an ultimatum, but as a suggestion for myself. If you're like me, you know how easy it is to lose hours scrolling through your feed. That's how it's designed, and ultimately, it's a genius strategy to turn the brain off.
So what have I been doing these days? Well, I'm glad you asked!
Learning / Journaling
Now, whose idea was it not to tell me about commonplace journaling!
I'm a lover of learning. Too many times, I've gone off the deep end researching a subject because I simply needed to know more. That's always been a hobby of mine, though I guess I never considered 'learning' to be a hobby.
A few months back, I came across the term 'commonplace journal,' and decided it was something I'm interested in. It hasn't been that long, but I've already got a few entries written! Mostly about horror media that I love, but I'm also learning other things! The great thing about having this journal is that I'm actively thinking about what I can learn and add to it next, which prompts me into seeking information.
Creating for Fun
This is one I've been struggling with for a long time. Being a creative online is amazing, but there's always this lingering feeling that I'm not allowed to create for myself. That everything I make should be posted for the world to see. That everything should be pretty and perfect.
So, I started creating more. Now, hear me out on this one!
If you don't know me or the content I create, I'm an author and poet. I post poetry every day on social media. I love what I do, even in the deepest bowels of burnout, but the one thing I wish I could do more of is to create for myself. When you curate an online persona, it's hard to stray from the content you've been putting out. This is all to say: I want to make things outside of writing, too.
Now when I say this it's not meant for you to go on a treasure hunt, but I have a personal TikTok. Scandalous, I know, but I'm so thankful. I usually use it to share memes with friends and family, but recently I started posting. The videos are low-effort, but they make me happy. I enjoy filming, and even if people don't see it or don't care, I enjoy having the freedom to post something when I want and about what I want.
Reading (a LOT)
Last month, I FINALLY renewed my library card. I know, hold the applause!
This is something I've been thinking about for a while. My first card expired in 2019, and I hadn't really thought about it since, until a few years ago. First, I want to say that walking into the library for the first time since I was maybe 13? The experience was breathtaking. I was instantly transported to being a kid and leaving my mom to her section while I wandered and browsed.
Going there as an adult, I realize how important the library is, especially in a world that's set on destroying books.
Speaking of which, have you seen that they're destroying books to upload digitally? Check out this article if you haven't.
But let's get back on schedule. Gaining a library book felt like holding a medal of honor. I adore reading and writing. I'll take any opportunity to protect books and libraries, which provide education and free resources for EVERYONE. Get your library card!
Gaming, of course!
I've been watching some videos about gaming, and I find a lot of them to be true. I promise you, video games are better than doomscrolling or doing nothing at all. They challenge you, forcing you to use your brain to complete complex or non-complex tasks.
I think I can speak for everyone when I say that at the end of the workday, all I want to do is decompress. Gaming has been a great way to do that, but at some point, I thought of gaming as something I could only do after finishing my work. On these 'nothing days,' I'm free to game as I please. I want to give more time and dedication to games with a more open-world, story-based structure.
Not only do these games suck me into their worlds, but they also provide practice for writing. I may not notice it, but I've been taking storytelling and dialogue from these games. And not only am I learning, I'm also ENJOYING myself. I've always been an avid enjoyer of video games since I was a kid, and now I can see the benefits it has on me as an adult.
Solo Journaling RPGs (to be explored)
This one is something I haven't delved into yet, but I bought a notebook specifically for it.
Basically, I'm a nerd, and I absolutely love Dungeons and Dragons. Ive been listening to D&D specific podcasts for a few years now, and have always wanted to play with a group. Unfortunately, I don't have enough people with the experience or interest, so I started looking up other ways to play. Thus, I landed on solo RPGs (role-playing games).
I'll have to talk more about this once I get into it, but for now, I'm excited!
That's enough yapping from me. Thank you all for sitting and reading through my inner thoughts, and I hope you have an amazing Saturday <3
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