Do Nothing With Purpose

Friday always brings the question ‘what are you doing this weekend?’ Sometimes it’s busy, sometimes it’s not and sometimes you have no clue what to do and will just go with the flow.

The days where you want to do nothing apart from chilling after a busy week can be daunting as you often have no idea where to start. You feel guilty for doing nothing and think you should be doing something. However, your wellbeing is important and doing nothing can be good for your soul. Every so often take time to do nothing.

You can do nothing, but do it with purpose. Focus on what feels good for you in the moment. What is your wellbeing wanting from you? Here are some ideas for your ‘nothing’ weekend and being purposeful.

Sofa sitting – busy week? Looking to park your bum and relax on the sofa at the weekend? Great, do it, and let go of the week and relax. Make it cosy, get a blanket or even your duvet and settle in. Even if you only have a few hours take the time for you to stop and chill.

Bed chilling – how often do you get to lie in bed and do nothing or sleep longer with no alarms going off? Give yourself time to wake up naturally at the weekend. Your body will give you the right amount of sleep and the chances are you will wake up around your usual time. Why not start your day reading? Whether it is your current book or you get a new one to just read for the day, brilliant, crack that spine, open your kindle and get stuck in. Just relax.

Music listening – with so many ways to listen to music these days, you are certainly not short of finding the music you love. Why not spend the day listening to music, you could have different genres for each step of your day. For example, play soft chill out music as you get yourself up and about, then breakfast could be pop music followed by motivational music to exercise or do housework – although leave your housework to another day. Find music to suit your mood, activities and enjoy.

Movie watching – hands up if you love a movie day, sitting on the floor or sofa and putting on a movie you haven’t seen or an old favourite or one you’ve been meaning to watch for years. I’m sure you will find a movie on one of the many platforms available. Who knows, you may end up finding something you wouldn’t normally consider. If you are with your friends or partner, then alternate your movie choice. You could create a comfy setting by getting all of your cushions, pillows, duvets and blankets on the floor and settle in for the day. Make it an all day PJ Party!

Chocolate or crisps (or both) – what, if any, snackage are you going to have? Sweet or savoury? If you are watching a movie or reading a book, what snack works for you? Alternate between sweet and savoury – a bit of chocolate, followed by a few salt n vinegar crisps. Mmmm. Perhaps you are more of a carrot and humous person or prefer to grab an apple. This is all about you, so chose something you want.

Cook or takeaway – this is a tricky one as it really does depend on the mood you are in. For some, cooking is a relaxing way to spend time with nothing more satisfying than creating a dish and sitting down to enjoy. If you do decide to cook – what is it you are cooking? A dish you love, know and can cook with your eyes closed or are you looking for a challenge and want to try a beef wellington or cook a roast. If you love to cook, go for it, put your tunes on and have fun creating. Otherwise, choosing a takeaway can be a challenge as there are many good ones available. You don’t have to stick to one kind either, go wild and explore! Mix it up and order something different. Order too much? Keep the leftovers for the next day. Saves you time.

Yoga or walk – or any other exercise. Whilst you might be all about doing absolutely nothing, for some, doing a little bit of exercise will be part of your day no matter what. What you choose, will depend on your mood and what you feel will benefit you in that moment. You might choose to do a quick walk around the block, or a 10 minute yoga practice. A little bit of exercise can go a long way so choose your exercise to suit you. But don’t put any pressure on yourself, if this is a ‘do nothing weekend’ then allow yourself to do nothing if you wish. You could always do several circuits of your house or walk up and down the stairs every time you get off the sofa.

PJ’s or clothes – This is entirely up to you. I can imagine some of you prefer to be all dressed and ready for anything whereas for others lounging in your pj’s all day is pure bliss and the opportunity doesn’t come around very often. Dress whatever way you want. If you are going to be in your pj’s all day then why not go for a shower and put a fresh pair on and feel good ready for your day of leisure ahead.

Doing nothing might seem unproductive for some, but if you do it with purpose you can really get a lot out of it. For your own wellbeing, you need downtime and what works for some might not be for you. Do what feels right for you and what makes you happy. Whether you are doing a few hours, a day or a whole weekend, make every decision based on whether it will make you feel good and happy in that moment.

Thank you for reading, have a great week and look after you.

Love Emma xx