Doing nothing, adding nothing to the GDP, no meetings, no quick phone calls (that are never quick); that is what vacation should be. Make no mistake; it is harder than it sounds.  We have turned taking vacations into a lite version of work.

We cram as much as we can into every minute of our time off.  Spreadsheets are created for our activities; to-do lists become must-see lists, and for some we even squeeze in actual work while we are on paid vacation.

We need to learn to do nothing.

By doing nothing I mean anything from well, actually doing nothing – sitting in a cafe, sipping a drink and watching the world go by – to doing things that are not work related. We need, actually need, time to do nothing.

The Business of Vacations

First we need to actually take the vacation time we have earned. There is always a reason to postpone a vacation. There is a project that needs to be finished, a meeting that can’t be rescheduled or some conference that we have to attend. We worry so much about what will happen if we leave for a week, let alone two, that we just never let go.

Tell me if this sounds familiar.

Not long ago, a woman told me that she uses her accrued vacation to take three-day weekends throughout the year. Yes, of course she would love to take some extended time off, but it is just too hard. There is all the work you have to do before you leave, and then all the work you have to do when you get back just to catch up! Besides, knowing all that? It just makes it impossible to relax.

Ironically, the very strategy she is employing to find a little down time will keep her from ever disconnecting. I hear this song, or variations of it, a lot. As a society, the majority of us suck at doing nothing.

The Lost Art of Relaxation

Taking a vacation seems to have become a lost art. We all need to unplug from the business of business on a regular basis, we all need to recharge. Studies show that we are more productive when we have time to relax and recharge.

Heck, even when we do take a vacation, we have a tendency to cram as much as we possibly can into that short time! I think of an old teacher of mine, a noted curmudgeon and generally wonderful man. On a high school trip with my senior class, a group of boys were in a water gun fight. He yelled at them “We don’t have time for fun! We have a schedule to keep!”

It was funny at the time, but the words come back to me when I look at how most of my friends and clients approach vacation. I look at these trips and see a marked lack of fun in favor of rigid schedules to keep.

When did we lose our ability to just let go and relax? Even when the vacation calls for some beach resort, most of us have a tendency to adhere to a schedule that marks out when we will take a tour, when we will eat dinner, when we can spend time on the beach. It is one reason package tours are so popular; they do all the planning for you and provide you with someone to herd you.

There is little time to have fun, there is a schedule to keep.

In the end we come back home and half heartedly joke about needing a vacation to recover from our vacation. Consider the alternative – instead of packing in lots of things to do, think about having some time to do nothing. Let me explain.

Doing Nothing On Your Own Terms

What “doing nothing” means will differ from person to person. For example I get bored really fast, so lounging on a beach isn’t for me. Even with a good book I am going to last about an hour, tops. That’s just me; I know folks who are more sigh longingly at the thought of hanging out by the water all day long, book or no book.

My idea of doing nothing is meandering through the streets of some new town. I love to wander somewhat aimlessly to see what I can find. I have been rewarded with fun little shops, unexpected peaceful courtyards, funny scenes, and spectacular views. On occasion I have met interesting people and had some pretty great conversations.

Doing nothing can also be sitting in a café with a cold drink, people watching. A friend of mine defines doing nothing as planting her happy butt on one of those ‘hop on/hop off tours’ for half a day. She calls it low energy sightseeing. For the price of a ticket she gets to ride around taking in the city.

What all of these have in common, is the notion of letting go.  They all put aside schedules and lists in favor of the unhurried moments.

The Pay off

You might be skeptical about all of this. I understand; you paid a lot of money and spent a lot of time planning for this trip! Squeezing as much into as you can, seems like a better return on investment than sitting in a café sipping wine.

Doing nothing isn’t wasting time, it is taking time to relax and enjoy just being where you are. Imagine for a minute finally feeling relaxed. Few things are as exquisite as those moments in which all the cares of the world seem to disappear. That is what you gain, that is the payoff. It is more than worth the price of that plane ticket.

Take the vacation, and take the time to be on the vacation. You might just be surprised at what doing nothing will do for your soul.