Why Doing Nothing Is Doing Something

In yesterday's post about the art of Niksen, I explained how doing nothing is actually good for you. 

In this short post, let's explore one good reason to make time to do nothing and how that is actually doing something.

Your CPU (brain) has too much to do

Have you ever been frustrated because your computer has slowed down? If you've experienced this then you likely know some of the causes.

One is bottlenecking, which happens when the processor isn't powerful enough to keep up with all the tasks being demanded of it.

Now, I'm not suggesting you need a more powerful brain. Your brain is far more powerful than the most powerful of supercomputers. The comparison isn't even close.

Yet, it is possible to have too many tasks running through your head (brain) at one time. You know when that happens and how you feel. 

You might even refer to it as being frazzled, or you might say things like, "I've got way too much going on up here," as you point to your head.  

The remedy? It's time to slow down so your brain gets a rest. (Yes, your brain needs to rest. It's one of the reasons we need to sleep to be healthy). 

Another common cause of a slow CPU is unnecessary background programs. The remedy is to get rid of the ones you don't need or set specific times when they should be running so that they are not running 24/7. 

Same for your brain. 

There are times when you have too many background programs running in your mind. You might call it multitasking. Multitasking is a myth because no human can concentrate effectively on more than one thing at a time. 

And that's why:

Doing nothing is doing something

When practicing Niksen - the art of doing nothing - you are actually doing a lot for your mental health, creativity, physical health, and more. Again, see my first post on this here. 

Sitting quietly and letting your mind wander is like giving it a rest. It's also like turning off the background programs you would normally have running and not be aware of. 

Another benefit of practicing Niksen is a notable increase in your creativity. Whether you're aware of it or not, you have the ability to be hyper-creative. If you don't believe you're a creative person, it's not because you don't have the power to be, it could be that you have never learned how to develop your creative powers. 

But trust me, you have them, and one of the ways you can power them up is by doing nothing. Once you get into the practice of doing nothing, I guarantee that you'll have all kinds of creative ideas popping into your head.  

In my next post, I'll give you a few suggestions to help stimulate your creative powers. 

In the meantime, practice Niksen today. 

Have a good one.