Doing nothing consciously: Why lazing around is the trend

You make yourself comfortable in the hammock. Let your gaze wander. Out into the garden. Or even further. Up to the birds that are circling. Over to the red bush that now glows so beautifully in autumn. You don't talk to anyone. Your smartphone is not in sight. Instead, you focus on your breath. Listen to yourself. Do nothing. How does that sound? Wonderful, isn't it? Unfortunately, it has become incedibly dificult these days to really do nothing. Insead, we rush from one appointment to the next and in between we continue to focus on self-optimization. If we don't accomodate the sports unit during the week, it will be done on Sunday. And if we have forgotten to eat healthy, an app reminds us. Deliberately lazing around is simply not acceptable and worth striving for in a society that insists on speed and performance. Or? Not exactly, because countertrends are now developing. People are looking for ways out of the daily hustle and bustle. Minimalism is one of the trends that reminds us to focus on the essentials again. Hygge, a Danish idea, celebrates personal retreat into cozy homes. Lagom, a Swedish concept, goes along with the call for more balance in life. And now the Dutch come around the corner with the term "Niksen", which encourages people to simply let their thoughts wander more often. Day dreams. Ponder. Do nothing. So that's on our agenda now. But how can you consciously do nothing? And why is it so dificult for us? We hacve dealt with that topic and reveal how conscious lazing around and doing nothing works.

Why we find it so difficult do be consciously lazy

We live in a time in which everything is available at all times. At the same time, the world is becoming even more networked and faster. And we ourselves strife for self-optimization. Many people have therefore simply forgotten how to actually to nothing. No matter wether on the train, in the waiting room at the doctor's or in the last few minutes until the washing machine is finished - most of them can no longer stand short periods of time without entertainment. Instead, we pull out the smartphone, scroll through timelines, watch videos or read the videos. In addition, doing nothing is still frowned upon in western culture and many even feel guilty for admiting that they really haven't done anything for a weekend. But the constant availability and restlessnessmake you tired and often leads to diseases of all kinds. It's not for nothing that burnout cases are skyrocketing.Psychologists and philosophers therfore, advise pausing, because the brain needs breaks in order to process and store things better, to regenerate itself and to defelop creativity. Doing nothing provides more energy, mental clarity, vreativity and self-knowledge. It also makes us aware fo familiar automatisms and helps us break out of the daily routine. The French philosopher and sociologist Frédétic Lenoir believes that we should see moments of complete relaxatoin not as lost time, but as gained time. But how does it work? What does it take to consciously laze around? We have 5 tips ready for you:

Find your favourite place

The most important prerequisite for conscious doing nothing: Find a quiet place where you feel comfortable and where you can spend time undisturbed. For many people it's the couch - perhaps in combination with a scented candle, a cozy blanket or your favorite drink. But it can also be a specific bench in a clearing in the forest or a lookout point high above the village. Our hammocks and hammock chairs are also ideal for this - wether as an oasis of calm on the terrace or as a chill-out place in the middle of the living room.It doesn't matter wether your personal favourite spot is within your own four walls or in the great outdoors - it is important that you can switch off and recharge your batteries there. Make yourself comfortable and take a few minutes.

Eliminate distractions

In the next step, it is essential that you turn off or put away any devices that are distracting you. Move the remote control out of your field of vision in the living room or leave your smartphone in your pocket when you are out and about. Instead, direct your thoughts to the here and now and consciously let them come and go.

Breathe consciously & feel

It's not for nothing that it plays an important role in many teachings and health approaches: breathing.It can also help you to consciously do nothing, because if you concentrate fully on it, you automatically forget a lot of what is happening around you. Breathe consciously in and out . For support, you can put your hands on your stomach and feel it rise and fall.

Forget your guilty conscience

In a society in which more and more performance is required at ever shorter intervals, doing nothing is often accompanied by a guilty conscience. Make yourself aware that you don't always have to give 200 percent, but that phases in which you do nothing are just as much a part of life and are important. Say goodbye to overly high demands and develop a healthy relationship to conscious laziness.

Plan rituals and me-time

So that you don't gorget about yourself in hectic everyday life, you shuld plan fixed times for doing nothing.It doesn't matter wether it's the first 10 minutes of the day or the last quarter of an hour before going to bed. It doesn't have to be a long period of time - just a few minutes a day are enough. Spread over the year, you should consciously treat yourself to longer breaks. Some succeed in consciously lounging on the beach, others in the middle of the forest. And still others spend a few days at home around the turn of the year and think back over the last year.

Doing nothing as a stress killer

By the way: Conscious inactivity is not only a good way to get through life better, but also helps in acute stressful situations. Do you need to finish a projtct at work or laundry is piling up at home and you don't have the time? Then you shouldn't react hastly and annoyed, but first do nothing for a few minutes, breathe in and out deeply and keep calm. A short break in the hammock is ideal for this. In some cases, a short walk can help to escape the internal stress. In these breaks, creative solutions often emerge and you practice almness and concentration.