The Joy of Doing Almost Nothing

It is probably decadent to admit, but I can spend an entire day doing almost nothing. My seventy-something body occasionally sends me an unmistakable message: Enough! Stop! I need rest! I need to recharge!

What follows is time spent doing almost nothing. It might be a short time, a couple of hours or longer – like an entire day. I used to feel guilty, but not anymore. When my body craves idleness and sleep, I comply. The penalty for ignoring my body’s message is some illness or ailment. Maybe a cold, or irritability to the extent that NO ONE better get near me, I mean it! Or a condition requiring a doctor’s attention.

I am lucky to be able to do nothing for a day. No pressure to return to an office or anywhere else at a specific time. Most of my ‘must do’s’ can wait a day.

Surrendering to exhaustion, I sleep later than normal; no alarm rudely wakens me. I forego a shower, simply wash my face and brush my teeth, throw on comfy sweats, and shuffle to the kitchen. The only human contact this day will be my husband. I make myself a cup of coffee and retreat to the couch.

Online puzzles consume me for too long. I review emails and news headlines, taking time to read articles usually passed over – a science story, a travelogue, the obituary of someone famous enough to warrant an article in The New York Times, an opinion essay, a Love story, a real estate piece (which house/apartment would you choose?). Nothing weighty or gloomy.

Sometime during my virtual wandering my stomach reminds me it’s hungry. I prepare a quick breakfast/brunch, something simple with minimal prep time and utensil usage. I make another cup of coffee and return to the couch.

The following hours pass with phone calls to catch up with a friend or two, a couple of mindless TV shows, and a good, long read, during which I may drift into a nap.

Hot chocolate in winter, iced tea in summer, coffee between seasons, sometimes cold sometimes hot, the afternoon slips away.

Dinner time! Why cook when so many places yearn for my long-ago hard-earned dollars? Too lazy to put on makeup and an outside outfit, I settle for delivery. My husband and I discuss the alternatives, decide on a cuisine, and call the restaurant or place an order online.

 I wander into the kitchen, grab dishes and silverware, and await a knock on the door. A leisurely meal follows. I might splurge on dessert.

I change into my usual evening attire and watch a movie or more mindless TV before my bed beckons. A restful night’s sleep prepares me to jump back into a more energized and varied schedule the next day.

The best time for a do-nothing day? A wintry snowy day. No excuses necessary. I sit on my couch, caress a mug of hot chocolate, stare out the picture window into my backyard, and become mesmerized as I watch snowflakes camouflage my world.

I do not feel guilty taking a day off. I relish every minute.

The joy of doing almost nothing.