Wednesday, October 28, 2009

PROCRASTINATION is a not a four letter word


Procrastination. Some days I love doing it. It's a luxury that I can afford now more than earlier in life. It's not that I am not doing anything at all.  Rather, it's that I'm doing nothing  that is imminent or scheduled. I call it putzing. I might
read a magazine, linger over coffee, start cooking something, organize some papers, surf the internet, watch TV, chat on the phone a little. Putzing is good for the body and soul.. Nowhere to rush to, no deadline or timetable to keep. Taking things at your own pace, and enjoying the "living in the moment" feeling. It can be as much about NOT doing things as doing. Not taking a shower, not running out the door, not spending hours on anything in particular. Sort of like child's play. When you watch children at play, they go from one activity to another, always remaining in the moment and letting nothing but their desires and imagination steer them. When was the last time you had such a day? At one of the jobs I had, we had a mental health day. One day a year ( more would have been wonderful, but one was definitely great). A day where you could call into work and say "I'm taking a mental health day today" when you didn't want to go in, no fake excuses about being sick needed. All understood and acceptable. A day to stay in bed, go to a movie, take a long bath and do nothing, curl up on the couch to nap, read a book, visit with a friend, do a hobby and not watch the clock, play with your kids, play hookey with your spouse and make love all day, sit in the garden, daydream, the list is endless. It's good for the mind, a time to relax and unwind, great for the body,  to rejuvenate and rest, to nurture yourself, and it is priceless for the soul. Try it as soon as you can, maybe a bit hard at first, but look at it this way, it's not so much about fitting it into your schedule as it is of  making it a part of your life. One small step and one breathe at a time. You'll be glad you did.

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