Tuesdays are my day off. And by off, I mean that Tuesdays are my one day a week at home. On Tuesdays, I get to stay in my pajamas all day and not leave my apartment. I look forward to it every Monday night—”I get to sleep in tomorrow! Drink coffee all morning! Do nothing!”
But come Tuesday morning, I feel that all too familiar pressure to get things done. There are emails to answer (one of my intentions for the new year is to be better at answering emails!), dog hair to vacuum off the floor, deadlines to deal with and projects to work on. When you work for yourself, it’s hard to take a day off—there’s always something you need to do, or should do, or should’ve done.
Here’s the thing: it’s important to pause and do nothing. I know we know this, but why not actually do it? Taking a step back gives us perspective. It gives us a chance to rest and recharge. If you’ve ever jumped over a giant chasm, you know how important it is to step back away from the cliff so you can get a running start. This is especially true for…absolutely everyone.
If you get a moment to yourself today, do not fill it. Go rogue and ignore the pressing, debilitating feeling of being totally overwhelmed by your life. Don’t squeeze in an extra email or scroll aimlessly through social media. And if you’re able to actually do no thing, don’t feel guilty about it. NO! Enjoy it. Savor it. Close your eyes and follow your breath. Or daydream. Let yourself go. I promise you that even a little bit of not doing will recharge you. You will feel inspired.
So today, as I write this in my pajamas, Ellie laying by my feet, the rain tapping my windows, a Christmas tree that needs to be taken down and a whole long list of other things I could be doing with my day “off”, I choose to do no thing. I trust that by creating this space for myself, I will be guided towards the things that fill my well and light me up inside. Today, I choose to be at h(om)e.
