Mental Health Matters - with Jo Loach

Being No t Doing

We live in a culture f ixated on doing, on being productive Yet as humans we need su ff icient periods o f no t doing, o ther wise kno wn as being It can o ften feel like a waste o f time to simply be and yet su ff icient times o f stillness are crucial for our mental and emo tional health

One o f the key terms o f the time is the phrase ‘well being’. The clue is in the name! In order to do well or to function well or to per form well, we must f irst focus on being well. And this requires periods o f rest, inactivity, reduced activity and or increased self care. The amount o f such time needed will var y f rom one person to the next. It will be also be determined by the stage and season o f life. Times o f additional stress/change/loss/bereavement will likely require more times o f being and less times o f doing. The more challenges we are dealing with in life, the more we may experience a diminished capacity for doing

As with all experiences o f life, we are each unique and must each listen to the needs and limitations o f our o wn bodies to determine ho w much ‘doing’ versus ‘being’ we need to maintain mental health During the most demanding times, it can make a huge difference to create small windo ws o f time to practice being in

Typically summer is associated with the larger windo ws o ffered by holidays. Yet even these can require much effor t, planning and doing bu t it remains impor tant to intentionally include time during breaks for simply being. Taking time away f rom daily life and all forms o f technology or television can allo w a new no ticing o f the beau ty and wonder o f the great ou tdoors. To simply be, resist doing and no tice nature can increase our well being.