When the mind feels stressed and clogged with thoughts, the effects on the body can be adverse. Taking time out to do nothing can have wondorous health benefits.
One very important aspect of mental health and well-being is simply allowing the mind time to do nothing. It is in this process of not being busy that one is free to contemplate, meditate, recharge and generally appreciate the world around them. A world which they are usually too busy to notice.
Stress and Anxiety
Over the last half a century, the average British lifestyle has been getting busier. With the increased ease of travel and communication thanks to fast-developing technology, the world is becoming increasingly globalised. What this has meant for most societies is the removal of tight-knit communities and its replacement with a tendency to work further away from home. It is common now for people to take over two hours every single day just travelling to and from work. Add this to the fact that the working hour is increasing, and the amount of time one has to be idle has decreased dramatically. In fact many people spend five out of seven days simply working and sleeping, with the remaining two used to carry out necessary chores such as washing and grocery shopping. It is no coincidence that the western world is a more stressed and anxious place than it was fifty years ago. Casually ambling through a green village amongst friends has been replaced by pollution, cars, traffic jams, motorways and road rage. Taking time out from all of this should form an important part of a healthy lifestyle.
Health Benefits of Rest
Before anti-biotics became the favoured prescription of GP's, the most common thing one would hear from a doctor was the need to get plenty of rest. This was meant literally, with no activities recommended whatsoever. The health benefits of doing nothing when one is ill have always been apparent, yet the same principle is not as often applied to those who are not ill. With stress and depression being increasingly common in the UK today, perhaps it is time that the health benefits of taking some regular time out should be more widely publicised.
The current idea of taking a vacation from work is to take a holiday which involves doing activities constantly for a week. Consequently, the vacation often ends up being as stressful as the job that was left behind. Many people recall the feeling of being shattered by the time they have got back from their holiday, yet this surely defeats the purpose. In order to get the full health benefits of a vacation, it is paramount to do as little as possible and to use the time to relax mind and soul; to return home feeling rejuvinated.
Idleness is often frowned upon in modern society, yet it is an important part of human mental health. It allows people to gather thoughts, to gain perspective, and to relieve stress. A certain amount of being idle is essential to a happy, fulfilled life.
