08/17/2024
https://www.facebook.com/100076144128321/posts/520089327205867/?mibextid=l2hJJHjNVOBSwHk4
When the body/mind/spirit says rest… rest!
Cannot recommend this book highly enough.
It verbalises many of the things I talk about with clients and have learned in my own life in such a clear way.
Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price talks about the laziness lie, what it is and how we can combat it. Here’s some notes I took while reading, so much important wisdom in here.
- 3 tenets of the laziness lie: your worth is your productivity; you cannot trust your own feelings and limits; there is always more you could be doing
- “When we feel unfocused, tired, and lazy, it's often because we desperately need some time to rest our bodies and brains. Research has repeatedly shown that a person on the verge of burnout will have trouble staying focused and productive: No amount of pressure and stress can magically help a person overcome that lack of focus and motivation. The solution is to cut way back on expectations for a while. Overextended people have to find space in their lives to sleep, power down their stressed-out minds. and recharge their mental and emotional batteries. You can wait until you reach a breaking point like Max and I did, or you can prevent illness and burnout by being gentle with yourself before it's too late.” 36
- Laziness isn’t evil, it’s a warning; laziness helps us be creative, problem solve, reminds us of what matters; “when we give our lives space for slowness, relaxation, and doing ‘nothing’, we can begin to heal some of our greatest wounds and to create lives for ourselves that are nourishing rather than exhausting.” 64
- “Embracing laziness can have a revolutionary impact on our quality of life. When we stop measuring our worth by how many items we check off of a to-do list, we can finally begin to seek out the activities that truly matter to us. When we set priorities based on our real feelings rather than society's "shoulds" we feel a greater sense of authenticity. And when we savor our free time and work to move at a slower, lazier, more intuitive pace, we begin to repair the damage that years of overwork has done.” 71
- the importance of Savouring the moment, making time for awe with novelty and wonder
- mental habits that help us appreciate and amplify feelings of joy: behavioural displays (showing happiness in our behaviour), being present (present moment, mindfulness), capitalising (communicating about a positive experience, sharing, celebrating), positive mental time travel (positive memories, planning and anticipating desired events)
- Mental habits that dampen happiness: suppression, distraction, fault finding, negative mental time travel
- “Fighting the Laziness Lie, after all , isn’t about abandoning all goals. It’s about connecting with goals that truly light a fire inside us - and pursuing them in a healthy way. “ 196
- Keeping the Laziness Lie at bay: practice compassionate curiosity; look at the broader context; stop associating productivity with goodness; be gentle with yourself
Image description: a photo of me a brown haired person wearing glasses smiling and holding up the book Laziness Does Not Exist.
