Sweetness of doing nothing

Empty space is the most important thing in a Japanese painting. Similarly, being still, or as your friends in the rat race world say ‘being idle’, is the way to happiness. To earn the right to be still, you need to have worked smart and hard at whatever you are doing. The Italians call it the sweetness of doing nothing. ‘Susegad’ is how the Goans describe this. Afternoon siesta is one of the ways you can celebrate this.

Doing nothing can be extraordinarily productive; it is what problem-solvers call ‘incubation’. When riding a bicycle, listening to music or enjoying a holiday, the mind is left free. “When I am doing nothing, I receive a constant stream of conscious,” says advertising genius David Ogilvy. He says one of his most inspirational works happened during the period of doing nothing.

Playing with dogs and babies, working in the garden, taking a long aimless walk can all qualify as idle time. Remember the only way to get out of the rat race is by not being a rat. Many global corporates are making ‘disconnected’ time a part of their work-life balance policy. Being wired 24 hours a day is a recipe for a burn out. France has actually passed a law in January giving citizens the right to disconnect after office hours. It allows for self-reflection. Family time, music time, movie time, play time — all the good things which made life worth living.

Indulge yourself in a slowdown time every day. Each weekend and of course on holidays indulge in the ‘slow food’ movements started by Carlo Petrini which challenge one to eat as slowly as possible and live reflectively.

Relax and say a prayer before every meal. The central nervous system gets prepared for the enjoyment of a meal once we do that. Chew and enjoy every mouthful. Eat slowly with a lazy mind like a cow. Don’t eat in the middle of a buzzing work place. Avoid fast food where quality takes a back seat.

Instant fame and instant love are myths. Even instant coffee does not taste so good. Slower eating reduces the number of calories, so opt for fresh, local produce. Avoid apples from Melbourne and strawberries from New York. Avoid processed food.

Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe teaches us food meditation and mindfulness of our bodies. After all, Isaac Newton  discovered the laws of gravity while lying dreamily under an apple tree. Friedrich August Kekulé was asleep dreaming of a fiery snake chasing its own tail, when he discovered the secret of the benzene ring. Archimedes was soaking in his bath when he made an inspired guess about the laws of displacement.

Let your mind wander. Scientists like Marcus Raichle suspected that the ‘resting state network’, or the default mode network, when we are idle, allows deep thinking, reflection and introspection to switch on  the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. Practicing meditation can also do this.

The writer is the author of Everyday Happiness Mantras