The power of doing nothing

When is the last time you did absolutely nothing for 10 whole minutes? Not texting, talking or even thinking? Mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe describes the transformative power of doing just that: Refreshing your mind for 10 minutes a day, simply by being mindful and experiencing the present moment. Reassuringly there is no need for any incense related activity or strained muscles from attempting the lotus position.

It is true that our minds are like washing machines on spin with a full load of thoughts, to-do lists and anxieties. But our minds are our most precious commodity (if a mind can be a commodity) and by overloading it we don’t give it the chance to do what it does best.  Think.  Really think.  There are those who spend a lifetime in search of nirvana and that is a choice.  A great choice.  But most of us are not so desirous of such a way of life.  The good news is that we do not have to devote hours of each day in silent meditation but rather just find ten minutes to let our minds do nothing.  No emails, texts, TV, phone or other distractions.  Early in the morning, last thing at night or in a quite place near the office (they do exist) by just taking ten minutes to let our minds relax we can distinctly and noticeably improve our well-being and creativity.

We are not here for long comparatively speaking so we really should do the best we can to get the most out of our time.  By overloading our minds and preventing them from functioning properly we will not find the fulfillment we strive for.  After all, our minds now absorb more information in one day that the average mind of a person living in the 16th Century did in a lifetime.