Doing Nothing to Increase Productivity

I admit it, I overdid it.

Saturday was Nanaimo Pagan Pride Day. Last year, our Circle performed the main ritual for the day. This year, another group was scheduled for that task. Several members of our Circle had items they wanted to sell, so we booked vendor space. My intention was to sell my guided meditations, and share information about our church. I also agreed to do a one-hour workshop during the event.

About two weeks before the event, there was a call for volunteers to help with onsite tasks. I signed up to support all the people (many of whom are friends of mine) who put in so much effort leading up to the event. There were supposed to be quite a few members from our Circle attending, and they would be able to watch our booth while I was working.

Two days before the event, I was invited to play a part in the main ritual. Since I am always keen to participate, I said yes. My theater training comes in handy at times like this!

The day before the event, I found out that one key person who was going to be selling items at the event had decided not to go because of a miscommunication. My family had another commitment Friday night that ran longer than anticipated, and so I got to bed later than I would have preferred. And my youngest son woke up sick just after 3 am. I ended up cleaning him up twice, and not really falling back to sleep.

On four hours sleep, and two large mugs of tea, off we went to the event. At the site, I turned on. We set up the booth, and got ready for the event to officially begin. Thirty minutes before the opening ritual, the event organizer came up to ask me for help. He needed a priestess for the opening ritual, since the priestess he usually works with had a baby last week. Of course, I agreed.

My day had gone from some commitment to a very full day. My energy held out all day – I think I was running on performance adrenalin. I even made it through dinner after the event, still feeling pretty good. I had thought I might sleep on the way home, but my husband was also pretty tired, and needed to talk to stay awake on the 90 minute drive.

Doing nothing is very importantWe made it home safely, and fell right into bed. When I finally woke up on Sunday, I got dressed like it was going to be a normal, productive day. Only it wasn’t. I did nothing all day. Well, not entirely nothing. I watched a movie with my children, did one load of laundry, and played games on my phone. I tried to read a book, but I couldn’t keep focused on it. I also made dinner for the boys and myself.

Throughout the day I kept thinking that there were other things I could be doing. And I gave myself permission to just be where I was, low energy and all.

Monday was still a bit low energy, though I was much more prepared to take action on blogs and video and coaching. I was very grateful for the time I gave myself to do nothing. It was definitely necessary for recharging my batteries!

What do you do to recharge?

Blessings,

Mary

1 thought on “Doing Nothing to Increase Productivity”

  1. i hear ya mary. i had 3 hours of sleep, i helped set up, did my volunteer shift, helped with the booth when i could, and manging energy in the main ritual, and managed to wander around from booth to booth chatting with people on various pagan topics, as well as the atc, spin poi, swim in the ocean, and support a friend on stage for the first time, all through out the day and dinner, and keep talking to keep us awake for the drive home, and fell into bed and passed out for 16 hours. apparently my body needed the rest. the next day i woke and layed on the couch and watched angel by joss whedon all sore from the spinning poi the day before, and just recouperated, and enjoyed every minute of doing “nothing”. however my body was doing nothing, i was doing something, i was processing everything prior to pagan pride, during and relfecting on the messages it had for me this year. i realized that the things i had been working on, a balance of feminine and masculine energies in my life, and attracting good people into my life, and manifesting the things i desired, and being aware of my words, thoughts and actions, as well as working to changing my pre- programing was beginning to work, it was work, but the small efforts i am beginning to see are worth it. i feel loved more, safer, more creative, and comfortable to be me, and a willingness to step into my own power at my own speed and know i am exactly where i am suppose to be, and am grateful for all i have, because i know i have more than some others, and the difference is, i feel happy, because i choose to be. i may not have everything i want yet, but i have faith what is needed is here now and the rest is on it’s way, and as long as i continue to be my fantastical self and push my boundaries and limits with an open mind and balance my energy i know i am going to be headed for great experiences. and through all of this reflection and taking time for me, i realised an old passion has been sparked up again for me, the ability to write, as i have had others comment on my poetic way of expressing myself and just how beautiful it is for others to read it. so i have decided to pick back up my creative writing skills and just go with the flow.. who knew spending time doing a angel marathon into joss whedon’s world could help me find my inner writer, and let go of olf programing that the world is only full of “grr arghhhness”, when there is so much more to it than just that:) so here’s to joss, to self relfection, and to those doing nothing days, they do help recharge your batteries, as well as help move you along into more productivity…:) grrrrrr arggghhhhhhhhhhh.

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