Doing Nothing
I was talking to a friend today and I realized that I can never sit there and literally do nothing and I always feel the need to multi-task. I eat lunch at my desk at work because I always have to be doing something while I’m eating or else I’ll feel like I’m wasting time. I eat and blog while applying make up, doing my hair and playing with my puppy. I watch movies but my mind is always on something else like social networking. I read blogs while talking to a friend on the phone. I walk around the mall and shop while text messaging, reading emails, constantly checking Twitter and reorganizing my calendar.
I always want to do a lot of things at once but sometimes the best thing to do in the world is to do nothing which I have officially mastered. Hey, don’t call me lazy because doing nothing is a great way of taking a break from a busy life AND it’s also a great source of inspiration— sometimes a lot of great ideas can come out of nothing because your mind is at rest. Just remember to bounce back to doing something after you’ve finished with doing nothing.
How do I do nothing?
- Read a good book from start to finish.
- Re-organize my bookshelf. Or just stare at my bookshelf. That’s how much I love my books!
- Play with my puppy and try to make her attack Boyfriend and jump on his face while he’s trying to watch TV.
- Watch Korean dramas with Boyfriend and constantly run a finger under his eyes to check if he’s crying. Then make fun of him if he is (which he never is) or call him cold and heartless if he isn’t.
- Take a nap.
- Re-organize my make up and closet.
- Be an “old woman” and listening to classical and country music while sipping on strong, bitter Chinese herbal teas (yum).
- Play video games with Boyfriend… or watch and nag him to do this or that while he plays alone. When we play together, he usually fights all the bad guys (it gives me heart-attacks) while I explore every nook and cranny in the game world.
- Pig out on Boyfriend’s mom’s food while lying around like a slob at his house and watching movies on PPV (watched Yes Man last night).
- Hang out with friends and doing absolutely nothing (eg. girl talk).
What are your favorite ways of doing nothing?
KATY:
jen (1)
Kathy (1)
I hate doing nothing, too. Right now, I’m eating dinner, reading, typing this comment, working on a response paper, and twittering. Talk about multitask overload.
& I agree. I feel like I do absolutely nothing when I read a book from start to finish, but at the end, I always feel like I accomplished something.
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Katy
April 14th, 2009 |
Reading is one of those things I try not to multi-task on because I want to be completely involved in whatever book I’m reading so I consider it doing nothing because I just lie there all day reading and it’s immensely enjoyable… yet I’m not working!
I don’t think it makes sense at all but it makes sense in my head. Ahahaha.
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Damn, well the way you put it, I guess I do a whole lot of “nothing” all the time. Haha.
But I totally agree with you. I feel like I have to be doing something else when I’m eating or doing something on the laptop. Just doing it alone is pretty boring. =P
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When I do nothing I usually just sit… Stare into space or at my fish tank :/
and, to be fair to your boyfriend, korean drama is terribly predictable most of the time… someone is either sick, dying, sick and dying, lost, lost and dying, or lost and dead :/
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haha i’m like you, i feel like i always have to be multi-tasking…but you’re right, some weekends i look forward to just doing “nothing” at all…it allows you to appreciate the little things!
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I always have to be doing something while I’m eating or else I’ll feel like I’m wasting time
Oh I hear you on this — I’m the exact same.
I think it’s funny that you list reading as “doing nothing” though. I consider it a big something — one of those few pleasures that don’t fall into the “waste of time” category.
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Katy
April 13th, 2009 |
Hehe well I guess my “doing nothing” is also stuff that doesn’t require effort or work and things that are pleasurable… not just waste of time!
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i usually look for work when im doing “nothing” hahaha more freelance gig. plus im single and busy so i dont really really have someone to bother when i have downtime… boo. haha all good i save money hehe.
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*wave* hallo there
been following your bloggie for some time…
doing nothing?
im doing nothing right now when i really need to get my butt off da lappie to cram T-T
haih, i wish i could do nothing…
lying on my bed + crossing my leg + a good book + a hot choc + cool weather = bliss!
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Katy
April 16th, 2009 |
Aw thanks. =)
A good book with some hot chocolate or tea on a rainy day is the best!!
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I like hanging with my friends and do nothing best.:)
I need to do nothing soon or I’ll drive myself crazy with shitload of school works.
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Reading, watching TV, playing with puppy, walking with puppy, and NAPPING!
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Katy
April 16th, 2009 |
I took my first nap today in like MONTHS! I try to sneak in naps like every day especially when I was in school. =P
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-Read anything and everything. Though, my favorite genre is 1300s historical fiction.
-Nap on the couch while Baby watches Baby Einstein.
-Eat saimin and watch episodes of Prison Break or The Office.
-Sing and play the piano.
-Watch my favorite America’s Best Dance Crew routines on YouTube.
-Turn on some Soulja Boy and practice my booty poppin’ in the mirror. Baby will usually get up and start dancing, too. She’s a hip hop star in training!
-Reorganize the play lists on my iPod.
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Katy
April 16th, 2009 |
Ooh what are some of your favorite books then? Recommendations? I got really into historical fiction in Tudor England after I read my first Philipa Gregory book.
Everyone talks about The Office… I need to jump on the bandwagon too!
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Claire
April 17th, 2009 |
Yeah, Phillipa Gregory got me hooked. The Other Boleyn Girl, need I say more? (Too bad the movie was crap). Have you read any of her other books? The Boleyn Inheritance is all right, and The Constant Princess about Katherine of Aragon was okay. Oh, and Earthly Joys had some shinning moments.
And of course, I read Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. Those were great!
You should check out To the Tower Born by Robin Maxwell. Though it’s a little later, like in the 1400s, it’s a short, quick fun read. It puts a new twist on the story of the lost princes of York.
Currently, I’m reading Dooms Day Book by Connie Willis. It’s set in the future and it’s about time travel (not generally my cup of tea). This historian travels back to the 1300s to do some research. Apparently many people claimed that this book was amazing. It’s all right but WAAAAAAAAYYY too slow.I can’t wait to be done with it!
Anyways, sorry this comment is so long! I LOVE talking about books!
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Katy
April 18th, 2009 |
It’s okay, I love talking about books too.
Yep I’ve read most of Philippa Gregory’s books except for her Earthy Joy books (haven’t gotten to them yet), The Other Queen (waiting for paperback) but I’m SUPER excited for her new book, The White Queen! The last one I read was The Wise Women. Good stuff! Have you read her Wideacre series? It’s a little hard to read because of the content and some of the characters but it’s strangely addictive. I thought the last book, Meridon, was the best.
I just finished Pillars of the Earth a couple weeks ago but haven’t had time to go out and buy World Without End yet. I can’t wait though… I loved the book sooo much! Are there any other times in history you like to read about? I was obsessed with Chinese historical fiction before I got into the Tudor period and I think I’m going to try Russian history next. =P
I like books that are fast paced and filled with suspense and drama. What other genres do you like? Fantasy is my favorite and I also love post-apocalyptic and a little bit of science fiction.
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I spent this past Saturday doing nothing. After I got done working in the morning, I sat out by the pool. I read for a little bit, but I also just sat and literally did nothing. I watched the birds, sipped on a drink – it was awesome!
It was rest that was much needed.
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im the total opposite. i’ve mastered the art of doing NOTHING for years. not really a good thing. At least your list of doing nothings sounds fun & productive. My list consist of eating + sleeping. Ultimate lazy bum here. Sometimes. When I do nothing.. its more because of laziness/procrastination. I need to take more time RELAXING while doing nothing, instead of being a slob. lol. But I do multitask. Right now, I’m at work, making packets for a meeting in a few hours, designing a T-Shirt design for a friend, writing this comment, listening to music, checking e-mail, and helping the bf research on schools he’s considering attending. Oh and in between that, I managed to empty my purse + clean it out. The downside of big purses… It always gets messy no matter how I try to organize it.
The end. lol sorry for the essay. haha. your entry inspired me to do nothing today.. & relax… its very much needed. I might stay at home + watch movies
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I’m a fan of doing nothing, but I’m the same way about how I feel about it. I WANT to enjoy doing nothing, but in the back of my mind, I’m always thinking of all the other stuff I could be doing while I’m doing nothing.
I usually eat lunch at my desk and tap away at work too. But lately, I’ve been going out to lunch alone and bringing a good book. It’s like a mini-vacation from the work day. Sometimes I’ll bring my co-workers along, but really, whenever they come along it still feels like work haha.
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Katy
April 17th, 2009 |
I bring a book to work too sometimes and read it while eating on my lunch break except it’s sometimes too dark but I’m too lazy to plugin the light at my desk n my new cube (LOL.. it needs an extension cord!!) and I don’t want to open the blinds which is a cube over because my co-workers keep it shut to keep the sun out of their eyes.
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I’m always busy, so I’m usually always multitasking. At work, I’m working of course, reading blogs, checking emails, watching videos, etc. Sometimes I can’t seem to stay focused on one thing for long periods of time unless it’s something that I’m TRULY interested in so I have to multitask. Most of the time when I’m “doing nothing” I’m usually watching a movie or joking around with my friends & family in my living room.
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I love doing nothing! I usually do my nothingness on the computer/Internet. I also like hanging around in the kitchen where I listen to the radio while finding random things to eat
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Haha tweaking my blog endlessly – it’s a great way to actually not be working while working I guess
I love sitting on the steps of Copley Square in Boston eating icecream and people-watch, that’s pretty great
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Katy
April 17th, 2009 |
Omg I do that too. I’ll update my stylesheet one thing at time, upload it, refresh page and do it all over again… one thing at a time.
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Hah! That’s exactly what I do too! Especially with eating. I don’t EVER eat at the dinner table, I eat at my computer, typing and cutting my meat at the same time.
Hooray for us multitaskerz!
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Katy
April 17th, 2009 |
I can’t remember the last time my family actually sat down together and ate together. =S I usually eat in front of my computer too… my dad brings my food up for me. ♥
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I love reading when I wanna relax. Or just surf the net looking for nothing special. I do watch alot of tv aswell.
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I wrote about my quest to do absolutely nothing when I was a senior in high school and even though my teacher frowned at first when he read the title, he actually quite liked the paper and gave me a good grade.
We were supposed to write about something I’ve never done before and it really was a lot more challenging than I thought because I never “do nothing”. When I’m “doing nothing”, I’m usually reading a book, blogs, a newspaper, a magazine, etc.
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oh, I’m TERRIBLE at doing “nothing”. If I’m not doing at LEAST 3 things at once, I feel like I’m being lazy. Normally it’s 6 or 7, but sometimes I think it would be so nice to be able to actually do ONE thing, and ENJOY it properly, without feeling guilty or slack.
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