Are You Able to Relax and Do...Nothing?

Such a simple question yet such a complicated answer.

This past weekend, we whisked our family away to Getaway House for a weekend of rest and relaxation. Our lives in town are always go, go, go, so I was very much looking forward to do nothing for a few days. Being tucked away in the woods and surrounded by trees, Getaway House feels secluded and private, like your miles away from the outside world.

I was hoping that would translate into us kicking back and relaxing while our kids stayed entertained by playing with their cousin the whole time.

Not so much.

Saturday morning comes and PJ is up and out of the house before the kids even wake up. He drove to the farm to get some things taken care of that needed to be done. I thought he would go and be right back, but he ended up staying there for around three hours. And he loved every minute of it. The farm is his happy place no matter what he’s doing there.

Meanwhile, our cousin and I had other plans. She brought the cutest little portable hammock and lounge chair and set them up for us under the giant magnolia tree out front. She lit a citronella candle. She brought her book. I brought mine. It was total bliss.

We sat under the magnolia tree and watched as the kids played in the creek, the sounds of their laughter giving us the sweetest background music to relax to. And that’s just what we did: relax. We did nothing and it felt amazing.

And it’s rare we have the opportunity to do that, which begs the question: In a world where we’re all moving a million miles a minute, are we ever able to truly let go, sit back, and relax?

What is it with the constant need to feel like we have to be doing something at all times? I know for me personally, when I have a few minutes of free time and I don’t do something I feel is productive, I have a sense of guilt rush over me, like I should be folding the clothes or editing a video or cleaning off the dining room table instead of reading a book or resting.

I have this book my mom gave me called Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s all the small stuff by Dr. Richard Carlson, and in it he talks about something quite eye-opening. He says,

For many of us, our lives are so filled with stimuli…that it’s almost impossible for us to sit still and do nothing, much less relax. A friend a mine said to me, ‘People are no longer human beings. We should be called human doings.’

I couldn’t agree more. But sometimes, it’s not guilt that causes us to not be able to sit still. It’s the love of doing something that’s our reasoning behind it. And that’s the case for PJ. He just truly loves doing. Creating. Working. Building. Playing. All of it is his way of relaxing in a sense. It brings him peace and calm.

So Saturday, as we were relaxing under the magnolia tree, he comes back from the farm and suggests we all go rafting down the river. And weirdly, even though it would require some work getting there, that sounded like a great idea. We could all float down the river, a rather easy thing to do, while also having fun “doing” something. It was the best of both worlds and it was the most fun way to spend a Saturday. PJ got to relax and do something at the same time. Plus, the kids had a blast.

What about you? Are you able to sit still and do nothing for a while? Or do you feel the need to always be doing something?