When was the last time you did less?

Most of us live very full lives. Between work, exercise, housekeeping, and other commitments it seems like being on the go is the natural state of affairs. However, is it healthy to remain constantly picking up new projects, agreeing to new responsibilities and rushing to the next meeting?

In a Time magazine article from last year titled Do Less. It’s Good for You, journalist Jamie Ducharme explores how doing fewer things may bring greater health and life enjoyment. To do so, we must first rethink what it means to do less. Ducharme points to a set of studies that show how hard it is for most people to relax.

Researchers including Michelle Newman, a professor of psychology at the Pennsylvania State University, have also studied the concepts of “relaxation anxiety” and “relaxation sensitivity,” which relate to the discomfort, boredom, or unease some people feel when they slow down. For some, “There’s this view that, ‘I should always be busy doing something,’” Newman says. “Often people feel like it’s not okay to just be reading a good book or watching a good program on TV.”

She then points out how relaxation through doing less is vital to staying healthy.

The truth is, rest and relaxation are vital to well-being. Chronic stress negatively affects nearly every aspect of mental and physical health, even contributing to higher risks for chronic disease and premature death. Meanwhile, rest may boost your health, quality of life, and longevity. Getting better at resting and relaxing, then, isn’t frivolous; it could actually be lifesaving.

The challenge of doing less involves setting boundaries between work and home, relaxing the body, and starting small with changes. To learn more about how to reprogram yourself from a state of constant doing to a lifestyle that values relaxation, please read the rest of the article.