Being lazy or unproductive regularly gets a bad rep, but I think the time has come for us to stop glorifying being busy and start taking the time to look after ourselves more. The effects of COVID-19 are now being felt by everyone, and so thousands, if not millions, of people across the country are sinking deeper into uncertain times, despite the economy slowly getting back on its feet.
Many Brits have been left jobless and are now fearing for the future of their careers, homes and families as a result. All of this can cause a person to struggle immensely, and as a result, their mental health suffers. Even when one thinks they're doing ok, there are often times where reality sets in and they experience negative feelings all over again. Looking for work elsewhere is stressful in itself, but it too can make one feel inadequate as rejections are likely to come flooding in the the current job climate.
But the pressures and stresses of post-covid life aren't just limited to those feeling the bad effects of the pandemic. Going back to work, school and university comes with its own problems too, whether you're worried about your kids going back into the classroom, you're wondering how uni life will be now or if you're struggling to get back into the office, everyone has something they're stressing about.
So let's all take a breather and use this time to take a step back from the reality of what has now been dubbed "the new normal". Let's stop justifying being busy, let's stop making others feel inadequate or inferior for not being as productive as we are. Let's, instead, start to take as much time as possible to recharge our batteries and do the things we wouldn't have had the time to do under normal, pre-COVID circumstances.
For me, I'm going to try and pass my driving test, for example. Being in the office 24/7 made this incredibly difficult and drawn out, so I'm going to take this time and use it to my advantage. I've found that a lot of the effects of COVID-19 and decisions made as a result are all out of my control.
Someone else has been making big, life-changing decisions for me, so now I'm taking back control of my own life, and I'm going to start with some self-development and self-care - something I'm lucky to be able to do.
That's why I think it's important that we stop we we're doing and slow down. My overall mental health is better, my physical health has improved and opportunities have arisen which wouldn't have been available to me otherwise.
In some strange sort of way, lockdown, and what came after it, has been a well-rounded, positive experience for me, personally. I understand that not everyone will feel this way, but we have to try and turn negative situations around and pick out the silver linings in everything.
With all that in mind, and if I haven't convinced you enough already, here's why lazy days are good for your overall mental health and well being!
You'll be less prone to burning out when you are busy
Taking a step back from the pressures of everyday life, and being a little more liberal with your time, can help you to be more productive for the days when you're required to be busy. This is something you should do on your own terms.
Book a day off work or choose a day in the week where all you'll do is chill out and have some 'you' time. Whether you want a luxurious spa weekend or simply a day of Netflix and ice cream, it'll do you the world of good both physically and mentally. You'll be surprised at what a mental and physical detox can do to you, even if it's just once or twice.
When you go back to work, school or uni, you'll find that you'll feel refreshed and be more productive in comparison to weeks where you have very little rest at time at all. The same also goes for exercise, you should really rest up in between work outs, ideally having a whole day of rest before you next put on your workout gear.
Pacing yourself really does make a difference in every aspect of your life, so try and apply it to as much as you can and you'll feel like your mind and body is capable of anything when you come to being busy again.
It can lower your blood pressure
Having a 45 minute-1 hour nap in the middle of the day has been proven to lower your blood pressure, especially after a stressful event or heated conversation has occurred. If day napping isn't your thing, then don't try and get an extra 45 minutes in bed come nighttime as it won't make a blind bit of difference. The stress-busting, blood pressure lowering effects are ones that can only be felt through daytime shut-eye - the perfect excuse to catch some zzz's in the middle of the day.
You'll have a higher emotional intelligence
This basically means that you'll be more likely to detect the emotions of others quicker than those who are constantly rushed off their feet. By slowing life down slightly, you become significantly more efficient at noticing smaller, more subtle changes in someone's behaviour or body language. In turn, this also makes you more empathetic and sympathetic towards other people.
According to a study done by the University of Oklahoma, this is called "The Theory of Mind", where humans tend to be better at picking up on social cues and being more understanding on a person's situation or state of mind. Subsequently, this can help us to predict what another person may say or do in the next stage of the conversation or in a particular situation.
The sense of loneliness will decrease & your self-esteem will increase
You're far more likely to notice who and what's going on around you when you've finally taken a step back from the hustle and bustle of modern life. As a result, you find new things to do and more people to talk to, meaning that, if you felt lonely before, you'll feel less lonely now you're less busy - the two often go hand in hand.
Not only that, but having rest days will give you more energy and so you may be more likely to want to exercise and be productive. It's a proven fact that exercise makes you feel more attractive than you would have done initially, so you may even find that your self-esteem will improve.
For example, I now have the confidence to buy tighter clothes, lower cut tops and shorter skirts - something I never would have bought, let alone worn, prior to all of this. So whenever you have a lazy day, don't feel at all guilty about it, embrace it instead :)
Your skin will start to clear up
Stress has often been proved to cause acne, whiteheads, blackheads and other skin issues that could cause spots and blemishes. Just a couple of rest days a week can significantly reduce stress and subsequently, the skin issues it contributes to.
Stress causes a flair up of inflammatory chemicals that are slowly released into the pores of our skin. By having a lazy day here and there, we reduce those inflammatory chemicals, and so you'll either not experience skin issues at all, or the condition will alter for the better.
Thought processes will become clearer
Having a lazy day will help to free up your mind, allowing for more straightforward, clearer thought processes to occur. Often, writers will have days off should they get a bout of the infamous 'writer's block'. It helps to cleanse the mind and opens up an opportunity for fresh, free thinking.
Not only could this benefit you in your everyday life, but it could also help in the workplace, at school or at university. You may find that your best ideas come out of having a lazy, restful day at home.
Sleep quality & quantity will improve
In 2016, TIME conducted a study that found 37% of the British people said they didn't get enough sleep, which can be quite dangerous. A lack of sleep can cause a variety of health problems, including diabetes, a less efficient immune system, heart disease, depression and anxiety (to name a few).
Getting an early night or sleeping into the late morning is, actually, one of the best things you can do for your body. Sleeping for a decent amount of time can improve memory, elongate your attention span, decrease stress and even lessen inflammation in muscles etc.
If you're having a tough time getting to sleep at night, I wrote a blog post all about how you can get a better night's sleep. You can read that blog post
here. If you have anymore tips for getting more sleep, leave them in the comment section below for other readers to take a gander at!
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post, let me know if you'll now be taking a few days out of your busy schedules to rest up and recharge your batteries, together with how you would choose to spend your lazy days. I'll see you again soon with a brand new blog post :)
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I love a lazy day, even a busy lazy day where you're just doing something different. Just switching off and thinking about other things is all it takes sometimes to recharge.
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