We all have our own definition of what a perfect day is. Our project manager David describes his as: "waking up early, hitting the gym, eating a hearty breakfast, excelling at work/school, meeting friends for afternoon drinks, eating a healthy dinner, working on some side projects (which in his case is learning Spanish), and being in bed before 11 PM." Very productive of you, David! But although it's great that we may strive for these "perfect" days, sometimes they don't come out too perfect (or productive).
I’m sure many of you have those days where you “do nothing”. Maybe you spent all day watching Netflix, or shopping at the mall even though you have way too many clothes at home, or playing board games with your parents, or caving and ordering McDonald’s for dinner. And let’s face it... how often do you sleep by 11 PM?
Do you want to know a secret? You didn’t actually do nothing! It’s OK if you didn’t advance your career or get ahead in your course syllabus or connect with those friends you haven’t seen in far too long. Not every day is going to go exactly how you want! It’s easy to write these days off as “do-nothing” days, but take a closer look at these days. Did you REALLY do nothing? Or did you just let go and take care of yourself for a change. Maybe you didn’t do anything to advance your career or progress a skill, but instead spent the day resting your mind, body, and spirit – recharging and rejuvenating so you can come back tomorrow with a clear head.
Here’s how you make these “do-nothing” days valuable: stop judging how good each day was based on how productive you were. Place value into taking care of yourself. It’s easy to get lost in the whirlwind of progress. These “do-nothing” days can help you get back on track; and sometimes, you just need a break.
And according to expert advice, not giving your body time to relax can cause fat storage problems and hormonal issues, so now you have science to back up your break days.