Most of my adult life has been spent going to work, coming home from work, and getting ready to go to work. In between 30 years of teaching and 10 years as a librarian, I also went to graduate school and post-graduate school. Oh, and raised a family—including an autistic son—and took care of an ill spouse. I did A LOT.
Now I’d like to try doing nothing.
We Americans are oddly proud of our ability to work 60+ hours a week, eschewing our paid vacation days, and working at home on the weekends. Typically, we work 30-90 minutes a day more than our European counterparts. We wear our exhaustion like badges of honor. For all of our work ethic, though, we are only 5th for productivity among the developed countries. Know who's first?
Luxembourg. Tiny little Luxembourg.
This little Grand Duchy in Europe is only 998 square miles but ranks as the most productive country in the world. They have a 29 -hour work week, get 25 paid vacation days, and 10 national holidays. Except for the travel industry, there is no work on Sunday. And everyone in the country speaks three languages: French, German, and English.
Clearly, Americans have got this wrong.
The Italians have a similar concept when it comes to work/life balance. La Dolce far Niente, the "sweetness of doing nothing", is a sharp contrast to our American expression of "I can sleep when I die." Not to rain on your plans or anything, but when I get to Heaven I plan on doing much more than sleeping. I want to enjoy those streets paved with gold, visit loved ones, and eat a hot fudge sundae without counting the calories.
I Corinthians 10:31 tells us, “So, whether you eat or drink , or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” The Apostle Paul provides some motivating factors for his words in 1 Corinthians 6:12, but the basic point is this: Do it all for the glory of God. All of it. Is working ourselves into a frazzle pleasing God? Is it forwarding His Kingdom? Or are we only serving ourselves and our own bottom lines?
There is something in our brains that scientists call the Default Mode Network (DMN). When we are quiet with ourselves, this amazing network allows us to see patterns in new ways, to problem-solve, and to come up with creative ways to engage with the world. So, in doing nothing, at least for a short time, we are really doing everything.
Since January, I’ve listed on this blog a whole bunch of things I want to do. But I also want to do nothing. I want to spend the first few months of my retirement just relaxing and recharging, waiting on the Lord for his directions.
Let’s face it, friends. God the Creator did not NEED to rest on that 7th day. He did it for our sake, as a model for us frail humans to follow. He did it so we might recover from the sweat of our brow and the carpel tunnel syndrome in our wrists.
I want to see if I can be good at doing nothing.
I’ll admit that sitting still does not come easily to me, but I’m going to give it a try! What about you? Do you find relaxing a challenge in our hectic culture? How do you choose to relax and recharge?
Read, knit, sew and do some of those things outside!
Lots of food for thought about productivity. Thanks. Even Jesus retreated and rested. I love relaxing with a good book, napping, and sitting outside.