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Sitting Idle Can Be Overwhelming: 3 Tips To Deal With Stress And Anxiety

Doing absolutely nothing seems unusual in this fast paced world but, experts say it is essential for your mental well-being.

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Written By: Kinkini Gupta | Updated : August 2, 2022 1:05 PM IST

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Doing Nothing Can Benefit Your Mental Health

Embracing the practice of deliberately sitting idle might seem impossible considering the types of lives that people lead in the 21st century. Humans have become so accustomed to a fast paced life where people are constantly engaged with something or the other. It does not have to always include office related work, even at home, people find important chores that need to be done or people that they need to take care of. Doing nothing creates this feeling of discomfort because it is such an anathema to the way of life that people are used to. This is one of the reasons why some people fear what they would do after they retire. This kind of lifestyle no longer seems unusual. Taking a break to do nothing on the other hand seems like the most unusual thing a person could do. Fear of not doing anything or not having a clear purpose in life can be overwhelming. But, experts believe that breaks are as important as a person's profession.

Why Doing Nothing Can Trigger Anxiety?

Anxiety is triggered by fear. This can comprise fear of anything depending on the person. A person who worries a lot may have the tendency to intentionally stay busy. Staying busy is simply a way to distract one's mind from the thing that is actually worrying him or her. Some people also tend to over think a lot. This is another reason why they feel like keeping busy would mean they would say distracted and therefore stay calm. Worrying is completely normal. But, experts say that people need to learn to deal with it in a different way. Keeping oneself busy will only serve as a distraction technique for a while. It will not solve the problem of over thinking. It will not teach the person how to calm oneself. Eventually excess worrying and over-thinking can lead to serious long term mental and physical health problems.

This is why experts say that taking time out to do absolutely nothing can be relaxing and prevent you from burning out.

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3 Tips On How You Can Remind Yourself To Take A Breather

The first step to successfully do nothing is by addressing the cause of your anxiety. Once you get to the root of the problem, you will not fear not staying active anymore.

  1. Tell yourself that nothing is permanent. If you are working, you can stop when you wish to. If taking a break makes you too anxious, you can go back to doing what calms you down. But, it is important to remind yourself that you deserve a break. Instead giving up easily, try some relaxation techniques that do not involve anything intense.
  2. Experts recommend certain techniques to calm yourself when you feel stressed or anxious. Whenever you feel jitters while you are trying to relax, breathe in and breathe out and keep those thoughts aside. Mindful breathing is an effective strategy that can be applied to all anxiety symptoms. Sometimes you might need to constantly remind yourself to keep bad thoughts away.
  3. If your comfort level hasn't improved, ground yourself in the here and now. Look around you at four objects that are familiar and pleasant. Listen for three familiar sounds maybe the hum of a fan or refrigerator, birds chirping, dishwasher running, and so forth. Find two objects that are soothing to the touch and stroke them like a blanket, a sweater, a pet, or a warm wet washcloth. Nurturing any of your senses lends a sense of calmness.
Kinkini Gupta

Kinkini Gupta

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