"Chill Out"

Do you have trouble switching off?

Is your downtime haunted by thoughts of your to-do list?

Have you ever had one of those mornings when you knew you should be getting up but you seemed glued to the mattress? As the clock hands ticked by you continue to lie in bed hating yourself for the laziness you can't seem to control.

Take some advice from british author Tom Hodgkinson who has devoted his career to the idyllic art of idling. "Idleness..is not bad. It is noble." And if you're looking for him you might call his office in London and recieve this message. "This is the office of the Idler [the magazine of which Hodgkinson is the founder/editor], there's no one in right now, we're not in very often, so if you leave a message it might take a while for us to get back to you…"

Wow, what a life! Idleness without the guilt! Think of it! But before you judge him it seems he's decided that excessive busyness has caused all our problems. I like that!

Here is Hodgkinson's top ten ways to enjoy doing nothing.

1. BANISH THE GUILT...we are all told we should be busy and that's not really true!
2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT ROLE MODELS
3. SKETCH A FLOWER..to bring divine contemplation into your life
4. GO BUMBLING ...a nice word that means 'wandering around without purpose'
5. PLAY THE UKULELE..brings the sound of 'I'm not doing anything special'
6. BRING BACK SUNDAYS...as a day of rest
7. LIE IN FIELD...listen to the birds and smell the grass.
8. GAZE AT THE CLOUDS...this activity gives a purpose to your dawdling.
9. TAKE A NAP..a wonderful luxury that will revitalize your spirit
10. PRETEND TO MEDITATE...by telling everyone and then locking yourself in your bedroom to stare out the window or read or lie down for half an hour.