Vijay Phanshikar in his highly readable column ‘Loud Thinking’ strongly advocated using the ‘doing nothing’ approach to stress-busting. Ironically many of us regret doing nothing to bust our stress but aren’t even aware that we have to simply ‘do nothing’ to relieve the stress of modern living. Contemporary life has made us fidgety and anxious so much so that our nerves never ever seem to be calmed. Even while we aspire or undertake some activity for leisurely joy or relaxation may it be a tour, excursion, an artistic or an adventurous undertaking many of us may be at the risk of getting nervous while planning or executing it.

 

Doing nothing is a simple technique to unwind which modern psychologists also suggest today. Well it may be the most talked about de-stressing method today but it is surely not a discovery of the modern world. Traditionally in the olden and even mid-olden times when technology hadn’t taken custody of our lives, when limited options of leisure were available doing nothing was naturally, unconsciously, effortlessly and fruitfully practiced by majority of us. This organic doing nothing freshened up our minds, clean washed our hearts, reset our mental modes, hundred percent charging us for the next working day.

 

Most of us have completely forgotten this innate art of doing nothing. Today, we frequently look for some ‘activity’ to relax ourselves through engaging in social media or snacking or eagerly practicing a hobby, watching a new movie or even reading a news paper. Leave practicing today doing literally nothing is an unthinkable thing with majority thinking it to be a waste of valuable time. In reality it is something that can add immense value to our life. The deliberate idleness can sure gift us creativity, mindfulness, peace, wellness and happiness. Doing nothing can be practiced in solitude with self as well as with friends, family and favorite relatives provided it is ensured that agenda of coming together (with self or others) is truly doing nothing, nothing doing! It is a priceless treasure and can take us closer to our inner harmony and even activate our emotional intelligence taking us closer to the Sattva guna of the three basic gunas governing us.

 

Doing nothing simply means a conscious inaction of sitting or moving to practically do nothing when the ‘nothingness’ itself opens up long closed lovely interiors of mind, heart, and soul giving us a very different feeling about life. It needs to be cultivated as an everyday habit and gradually developed into an individual art which we can practice in our own way to experience the beneficial outcomes. ‘Doing nothing’ is something ‘we can purposefully do’ very easily anytime, any moment, anywhere to ease our selves. So, do nothing when you get the next best opportunity!!