I started writing this piece pre-corona as a reflection on slow living, self care and the potential need for a re-brand of being lazy. But now, because of this almost unreal situation where we’re forced to sit back and watch our world being turned upside down, these reflections have taken new turns. One can only guess where this will end but for now, we’re forced to slow down and I’m wondering whether it’ll lead us to carry on with a slower way of living afterwards?
Many of the latest self care trends are about taking time for ourselves, to treat ourselves to a facial or going to the spa or going out for a long walk. But the time for ourselves when we’re actually not doing anything is normally not called self care though. It’s in most cases just called being lazy. And with that comes, mainly, bad connotations. Why?
lazy. unwilling to do work or use energy
I think the above definition gives us a few hints as to the complexity of the meaning of the word lazy. Because the unwillingness to do work could be an arrogant act by someone who refuses to do something others might be expecting them to do. But the unwillingness to use energy could just be when someone just wants a break from it all. A time to relax, to disconnect, to avoid using energy to gain new energy.
Using the word lazy when someone isn’t doing anything in particular, just laying on the sofa for example, makes it sound like a bad thing. It makes it sound like we should feel guilty about not doing anything more productive.
Taking the time for nothing
Today, having time is seen as a luxury, but maybe we should also see it as a chance to do nothing. We don’t necessarily have to fill that time with a pilates session or a visit to an expensive gym.
It’s on us though to make the time for this. I for one don’t feel I have time to do ‘nothing’ if I’m stressed about things I haven’t yet done. So for someone like me it’s about making a list of things that needs doing, ticking them off, and then relaxing afterwards. Probably to feel like I ‘deserve’ it.
Forced to slow down
Because of the corona virus, many of us are now forced to slow down, whether we want it or not. Maybe you’ve been ill, maybe you’re in quarantine or maybe you’ve decided to self isolate as you’re able to work from home. We’re not able to socialise, we’re not supposed to be in crowded places. Some of us are having to do with what we have within our four walls and some can go out for a walk or jog, away from people, ideally in a secluded forest.
We’re essentially being forced to do mindfulness and self care, forced to stay inside and do nothing. We’re forced to be lazy and in this case, being lazy is most definitely a positive thing because it helps stop the spreading of the virus.
We can only speculate what the total damage will be from this worrying and challenging situation, but we can hope that it will pass fairly soon. And we can hope that it’ll also bring something positive amongst all the sadness and tragedy. Because this is a time for us to think. Think about how we have been leading our lives. How we want to live our lives going forward. How we can reconnect with nature and take better care of our planet.
It’s a time for reflection and it may be a time when we learn to appreciate a slower way of living.