The brain has a fantastic way of overriding itself to help us get what we’re lacking and wouldn’t ordinarily be able to get because we’re neurotic and perfectionist and…well you get the idea.
Laziness is what I’m talking about here. R&R. Leisure. It’s probably as critical to a person’s well-being as, say, Vitamin C or Riboflavin. I find that every now and then, I find myself faced with a weekend full of things that should get done, and my mind just goes, “Mlaaaah.” And before I know it, I’ve spent hours miraculously devoted to one quiet task at a time: reading — reading — a stack of magazines, standing at the back door admiring the garden for the duration of a cup of coffee, catching up on episodes of Bones, lying on the couch with my legs stretched across my husband’s lap and listening to music with my eyes closed while he works on his laptop, enjoying an impromptu Netflix double feature. And all the while I hear not a peep from that nagging voice, which expects me to get myself busy doing something useful. It seems the nagging voice gets worn out sometimes, too.
Most of the time I hate myself afterward, thinking of all that hath gone undone, like having one too many doughnuts if such a thing is possible. Once in a blue moon, I look forward and think, “Ahh, that was just the thing.” My guess is that it’s just as important to sometimes give into the craving for calm as it is for that glass of milk or carrot sticks with peanut butter or a doughnut. Not too much — just enough to feel whole again.
Who knows? It might help you tackle those nagging to-dos with enthusiasm and energy. And start new projects with gusto.