in praise of not doing

Lydia Fazzio
Sep 3, 2018 · 2 min read

What if you just stop…yes, you , stop ‘doing’ — worrying, yelling, podcast listening, facebook trolling, instagram gazing, rss feed chewing, phone hugging , optimizing, chasing a delusion; what if you could just sit down, look outside; watch a squirrel rummaging the trash, stare at the neighbour’s cat in the windowsill , or watch the young one trying to parallel park next to a fire-hydrant.

Perhaps you would get anxious, not doing, not fussing, not ruminating, not planning … but that too will pass, it has to. We can’t live full on without our neuronal equilibrium resuming.

What will you do with all that time ?

  • call a friend from long ago
  • talk to a stranger
  • walk or bike instead of drive
  • write in your diary or write something that helps others
  • have a real conversation with your lover
  • give instead of buy
  • fold your clothes the Marie Kondo way

wait, didn’t I say inaction, the above is action — yes, but different, not fussing or reacting, just being or allowing, not forcing— hmm, isn’t this a type of wu-wei”be like water” [or something like that]

OR, you could … just…sit there, watching how ludicrous your thoughts are, how energy draining worrying can be , how you are just needlessly activating those anxiety cells and how ‘doing’ can be another addiction — and maybe, just maybe, this is the ultimate meditation — no lululemon [congrats though on their great quarter] , no chanting , no gurus [but this guy I like], just you and you.

Psst, OR you could try out Insight Timer and Pranayama apps [I get no perks, just use them daily and recommend them to my patients]to truly get your YOU on without doing anything but sitting there…

Lydia Fazzio

Written by

psychiatrist, medical strategist, web nomad

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