It's time to take a breather and write an article for the lazy :) We'll talk about idleness and similar things that don't bring you closer to your goals but help you recover your strength. It's important to remember that achieving goals is always long-term work. There's no need to burn out in the first days and get burnout in the first week. Long-term persistent work — that's what we'll bet on. By the way, if someone isn't familiar with the term "burnout", it's a state of emotional and mental exhaustion that makes a person feel disgust for life and everything around them. During burnout you don't want to do anything, and the person doesn't know where to go next. Oddly enough, the IT industry is one of the most burnout-prone sectors, but this applies to other professions too.
In this chapter we'll discuss how to try to reduce the emotional load you've placed on yourself when you started actively planning your affairs. There are different ways to reduce and relieve burnout — from emotional release to taking up hobbies — but in this chapter, oddly enough, we'll talk about idleness.
Have you ever thought that not all forms of idleness are the same? By idleness we can mean, for example, computer games, walks, watching series, lying on the sofa staring at the ceiling, relaxing in a warm bath, and any other activities. Some forms of idleness, such as watching series and computer games, are generally completely useless and won't help you recover. But walks I would call one of the most useful forms of idleness.
First, walks are a change of scenery; second, fresh air; third, physical exercise if you walk a lot. And most importantly — it's ideal time for getting your thoughts in order. You can of course walk along noisy streets, but you'll get far more benefit from a quieter, more secluded place, such as a park or embankment. You not only rest and reset your thoughts, but also do reflection — a kind of review of what you've done and what you need to do. In Mason Curry's book "Daily Rituals: How Artists Work" the daily routines of over a hundred outstanding people are described in detail. They had very different lifestyles: some from poor families, others from wealthy ones. Some achieved success through long work on themselves, others — through luck. But what united them all was that they devoted considerable time to walks.
Another good form of idleness I can name is taking a bath. Although most often this happens in winter, after cold runs. At that moment I enjoy letting go of all thoughts and problems.
In general, whatever form of idleness you choose, you need to find a suitable place for it where you'll be comfortable. Perhaps it should be a secluded place so no one disturbs you.
We talked about useful forms of idleness, but didn't discuss regularity and duration. There's no universal answer to how much time you need to take your mind off things and restore your emotional and psychological state. A few years ago I set aside a whole day a month when I didn't do anything important at all. I did all sorts of trivial things, and that was enough for me to recover. Over time I realised I don't even need that day: I don't get tired of work and personal goals enough to need a "lazy" day. I like my work and the goals I set for myself. For you it may be completely different. You can set aside a whole day a week for idleness provided you work effectively the other six days. On that day you can do, for example, household chores or go somewhere. But remember: walk as often as you can afford. Don't listen to music during walks, but try to enjoy the space around you. Moderate idleness helps your brain recover. Here's what the authors of the book "No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention" Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer wrote about rest:
Rest gives the brain high 'bandwidth', without which neither creative thinking nor a fresh perspective on a problem is possible. Working without a break, you won't be able to soberly assess the result.
