Granted: Permission to do nothing

Do you give yourself permission to do nothing?

For most of my adult life, I had zero chill. It was physically impossible for me to sit still. To rest. To give my mind a break or my body permission to just be. The list of to-do’s in my head was never-ending, and having a “free” moment meant that something on that list needed to get done. 

I never liked that about myself. It bothered me that I couldn’t relax. The concept was foreign. I made some half-hearted attempts to make it better, but honestly, I told myself that I just wasn’t built that way. I was meant to hustle and bustle and stay in motion.  I didn’t feel really compelled to do something about it until I had kids. 

I didn’t want them to feel like time was scarce. Or that it was more important to do than to be. I especially didn’t want to send the message that the things on the list were more important to me than spending time with them. 

There are layers and layers of complexity to why we do the things we do. I know that my need to accomplish was deeply rooted in my need to feel worthy and useful. If I wasn’t doing, where was my value coming from? This inability to give myself permission to slow down was one of many elements of my mindset that had to be examined and transformed. 

Now, I can chill with the best of them. I can see a mess and let it sit for just a little while so I can be present. I can put the to-do list down and know I’ll get to it eventually. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this was a life-changing shift for me. It was part of my journey to accepting my value simply because I am, and not because of what I do. 

What mindset shift could you make that would change your life?