Why it’s important to learn to “do nothing”

I find it hard to believe that there are people who spend their holidays (summer, Christmas, long weekend…) who devote themselves to being productive. The truth is, as the years go by I’ve come to realize that there are many who think not only of rest, but also of those weeks away from work as ideal weeks to catch up on unread emails, answer them, by the way, to others and move forward with the problems you’ll encounter upon arrival. to the working day. This behavior has a name: leisurephobiaor what is the same, the fear of having nothing to do.

Originally, there is a file overproductive thinking And the efficiency that puts achievements and successes at the forefront
happiness.

It is a quantitative view (how many goals were achieved, how many tasks were performed) that does not focus on the quality of those achievements. The leisurephobia It usually shows itself especially during vacations, due to not knowing what to do with the many free hours available.

Entertainment phobia, says psychologist Moisés Suárez, of Mundopsicologos.com, is the fear or fear that can be generated from having nothing to do. These people need to take their time at all times, because they do not like to feel empty with no task to perform: “This is a very common thing in today’s society because people try to maintain most of their day and busy life with different activities, plans, work, etc. , because what is created in these people is the fear of having to face “empty” time, unplanned time, or finish tasks or obligations that they had to do.

Leisure phobia symptoms

The most noticeable symptom in people with this phobia is anxiety (bringing future situations into the present). In people with a phobia of leisure, it is interpreted that they have no plans and must experience some leisure. This results in activation of the sympathetic nervous system, and a feeling of high intensity inside, because they interpret the future in a way that they don’t want to face it and feel they have to find some task to do so that they don’t experience it. feeling. These individuals, usually, tend to be influenced by an idea Productivity and overefficiencyPutting their accomplishments and successes first rather than their happiness. When they talk, they tend to do so based on the number of goals they have achieved, the number of tasks they have completed in a quantitative way rather than seeing the quality of those goals and achievements really.

Causes of laziness phobia

In society, claustrophobia acquires importance due to the great remark that is given to being constantly busy and is due to the perception that has been given of achievement, competence, achievement, sense of importance, etc., excluding a certain priority of happiness. This has happened since the Industrial Revolution, as production efficiency (more quantity, better results) has been rewarded. For this reason, people in general always want more, but not in the sense of progress but in abundance, and this assumes that there is an external reason for achieving those achievements and always looking for more. This reason must be internal to enjoy the process while achieving those specific goals.

However, the expert says that almost no one likes to feel alone or empty because a negative interpretation consists of what “should” be. This is why people are looking for something to fill those gaps and not feel weak. Another reason is the fear of not being in control or planning, because if this is not the case, they think that they might be bored and not doing anything is not a good thing, so it generates great stress in these people.

These are the tips for managing and Overcoming this phobia And the importance of learning to do so, according to expert Moises Suarez:

– To determineThe first thing is to determine what triggers this fear in order to understand the cause and be able to establish guidelines for managing this fear.

– He distinguishes: It is very important to be aware of the problem and aware of the situation you are in (it is an irrational fear that affects a person’s daily life).

– expressing emotions: Talking about the feelings that the subject generates with the closest people is vital in the process in order to release all that energy that is forming inside. The most important thing is to express those feelings without feeling ashamed of what is happening so that you can understand what is happening.

– lower expectations: When high expectations are not created, disappointment will be much less if what is to be achieved is not achieved, so this reduction will allow to reduce anxiety levels that can occur due to activation of the sympathetic nervous system and thus avoid making the person easily upset.

– rest times: It is very important that a person does not fill his rest times with activities or tasks, as this will increase the load and he will not have free time to manage it. Therefore, relaxation time should not have a schedule.

– SlowerSometimes it is necessary to take a break, calmly read a book, watch a series or movie, take a nap when it is not common, look at a landscape, a blank wall, a horizon, a tree, simply Put the mind blank and forget those constant thoughts that invade you and be able to reconnect with yourself.

– FlexibilityFlexibility: Flexibility will give a person the ability to adapt to changes with relative ease, without feeling restless, anxious, or afraid of not having any activity or task to perform.

– Reduce requirementsConstantly being demanding of yourself does not lead to good results. It is necessary to set goals and deadlines, but know the limits that each person has and know the maximum that can be given.

It is very important to carry out all these steps for the simple reason that you should be aware of yourself, and not get carried away in future thoughts, as these prevent you from enjoying the present moment. The psychologist concludes that “it is highly recommended that people have free time” to do nothing “because no one is obligated to do things all the time.”

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