News You Can Use
Overscheduled these days? Consider benefits of being lazy
University Relations
News Bureau (662) 325-3442
Contact: Kasia Haupt
June 22, 2004
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Thanks to modern technology, we now can squeeze 40 hours worth of work into 32. So, why do so many feel they must put in so much extra time on the job?
A counseling professional at Mississippi State says persons feeling overworked and constantly stimulated by their work and play environments can end up in a “burn-out depression” if they don’t allow for some “down time.”
Linda Cox, director of the university’s Office of Counseling and Testing Services, describes the depressive effect as “a numb feeling that makes one not want to do anything.”
Cox points to what she terms “the disappearance of leisure time in America.” She adds, “We don’t build any ‘do nothing’ time into our daily schedules; we don’t allow ourselves any free-flowing, unstructured time to just ‘be.’”
In addition to affecting moods, high levels of stress from these conditions have been linked to impaired concentration, forgetfulness, anxiety disorders, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, sleep loss, fatigue, and even heart disease and high blood pressure, she says.
To prevent conditions that eventually may stall progress at work and life in general, Cox urges harried individuals to make time for relaxation. “We need to take time to do some ‘sacred dawdling,’” she says.
Just half an hour each week doing nothing can be beneficial to both mental and physical health, she observes. She emphasizes, however, that there is a major difference between shirking personal responsibilities and adding downtime to personal schedules.
To be “responsibly lazy,” Cox recommends:
—Letting others help with projects, instead of attempting to do everything yourself;
—Avoiding the desire or need to be “perfect,” remembering that no human is flawless;
—Learning to schedule occasional time gaps between appointments at work; and
—Keeping life in perspective and not allowing things that go wrong to be considered as tragedies.