Recently, I have fallen in love with eggs. No, not eating them--I don’t care for the taste. Actually, I’ve fallen in love with one egg in particular whose name is Gudetama. The thing to know about Gudetama is that it is notoriously lazy. Gudetama’s desire to not do anything (except eat some soy sauce) has helped them win the hearts of people around the world.
But would you believe me that in this busy, fast-paced world, it’s actually important to take time to be lazy? No, really! Don’t believe me? Well, here are some reasons why you should incorporate more lazy time into your life:
Your brain needs to recharge
We live in a very busy society, and Autistics can lose their energy really quickly. If you are always go, go, go, then you will lose all your energy, like your phone when you forget to charge it. It just disappears! At some point, you may not have the energy to do the things you want or need to do.
This is why you should take breaks where you can be lazy and scroll through your phone during a mediocre Netflix show. These moments allow your “batteries” to charge so you can be productive later on. Purposefully planning for a lazy Sunday could help you have clearer boundaries for when it’s time to work and time to rest.
Creativity comes from laziness
Have you ever been singing in the shower, and you make up your own song that should win a Grammy? How about you’re just about to close your eyes for the night, only for them to pop back open when you have the plot of the next New York Times bestseller? Okay, maybe those situations are a bit…overpromising. However, rest allows your brain to come up with new ideas that it cannot do when it is occupied. When you’re more relaxed, your brain has time to “look for a new angle” for any project you’re working on.
You’re more likely to think about the future
Now, you may think that when you’re busy being lazy that your brain is idle…not a thought to be found. You may be shocked to learn that you are 8 times more likely to think about the future! A study titled, “Back to the future: autobiographical planning and functionality of mind wandering,” found that when your mind has time to wander, you are probably thinking about your future about 48% of that time.
When your thoughts meander, maybe you start to think about your dream vacation, or walking across the stage at graduation, or adopting a new furry family member. Regardless of what your daydream is, remember that it is important to let your mind roam free occasionally.
Lazy is a preventative measure against autistic burnout
Those of us who have been in Autistic circles for a while have probably heard of the dreaded Autistic burnout. (Dun, dun, dun!) Autistic burnout is when you lose the ability to go about your daily life in the way that you’re used to, driven to exhaustion, and having to survive in a neurotypical world. While there are no guarantees, I suspect that taking a lazy day when you can would help decrease your stress that could lead to burnout. Please take time for yourself so that you can keep doing things you enjoy!
When is your next lazy day?
Have you been able to get the rest you need lately? Our coaches can check in with you and help you find ways to incorporate just the right amount of lazy into your calendar. If you can summon the energy (unlike our friend Gudetama), contact us today to learn more about how autism life coaching can help you meet all your needs.
*This post was written with assistance from Chat GTP. The author used ChatGTP for help with topic ideas. All the words are originally produced by the author and not copied from ChatGTP.