So much of what we define as lazy is actually self care. We are so intent on being the best and the most amazing all the time, but it gets exhausting. In the United States we are so competitive about how busy we are. I measure how good my week was by how much time I had to actually make dinner and if I got my little humans off to bed with a book AND on time! Extra points if they brushed well! We are humans and need downtime, so that little nap on the couch, or the 5 minutes in your room after you pick up the kids, all necessary! I think boring is actually ideal, where time sitting on the porch watching the sunset, or sitting and watching the waves crash are put above rushing about, sending out one more text or email, or one more after school commitment.
I am a fan of big, chunky sweaters and comfy pajamas pants, I am a fan of Netflix shows, I am a fan of novels and Thai food. I love the beach with a passion and I love watching foreign shows, subtitles are amazing! I love leading a semi boring life where going to bed around ten is A Okay. Being busy all the time is exhausting. This life has so much more to offer than being tired and overworked all the time trying to keep up with the Kardashians. Most of us are never going to have the money or the inclination to be botoxed, limp plumped, plastic surgery enhanced, always on a diet...the lifestyle that they espouse. That being said, if they are happy with their life, that is all that matters, we are all for supporting one another.
Are you busy and happy, or are you always rushing about, do you do this because you are passionate about all the commitments you schedule or are you rushing about to fill a void? Embrace self care, embrace boring, embrace taking care of yourself; you deserve it!
I'm very, very lazy. I love to sit in a chair and look out the window and do nothing. -Ingmar Bergman
Some people think that being busy all the time is the goal and to a point I agree, getting things done and being productive is amazing, but sitting with my kids reading, watching a movie, painting, walking through a museum spending hours reading all the placards is my idea of luxury, i.e. lazy time. I know we have to work hard in life at our jobs, managing our health and our mental health, but it is also so important to plan in rest time. Sitting on your tush, reading a book by the pool while the laundry needs folding and eating sandwiches from time to time because you just cannot cook another meal, are all part of self care.
There is such freedom with allowing yourself the opportunity to be still, to not rush around, to find gratefulness in this moment in time. Time that you aren’t rushing around, grateful that you said “no” to yet another commitment or stood firm and made your child narrow their Summer activities from a million to a manageable 2-5. Because while I like the pictures of my friends on social media sitting on the sidelines for sports, or dance, or whatever, 5 plus days a week, I am not for it. I like having dinner before 7 and I am not ashamed that I make my family’s sleep schedule a priority every school night.
“When you feel thankful, you can be appreciative for a moment, then not at all the next. It seems the tank is full, then it becomes empty, and the cycle continues. If you don't feel the same gratitude for a moment, know that it's possible in the next moment that comes around.” - J.R. Rim
If you are like most American adults, you are probably exceptionally stressed at this moment, so first, take a moment to roll your neck around a few times, then roll your shoulders and take a deep breath. It is amazing how something so simple is so important, it is essential to move around during the day. Most of us are tethered to our desk throughout the day, but standing and walking around for a few minutes, or laying your head down for a brief amount of time isn’t lazy, it is self care, you are hitting the pause button and you will feel so much better for having done it.
“I believe that life is chaotic, a jumble of accidents, ambitions, misconceptions, bold intentions, lazy happenstances, and unintended consequences, yet I also believe that there are connections that illuminate our world, revealing its endless mystery and wonder.” -David Maraniss
As Summer speeds towards us, schedule at least an hour a day where you can sit and relax, come on the site, get some support, read, take a walk, schedule a massage, listen to some music and above all, see it as essential, a beautiful gift you can gift yourself, the gift of time.
Wishing you all the best!
-Team SG
