Hanging out is a lost art of our times.
We humans have lost the ability to slow down and relax. Would you agree? This condition is affecting all of us and it feels like there’s nothing we can do about it.
Pursuit of more success, money, and possessions most of us used to give a lot less thought to, have risen to ridiculous levels of importance.
Fabricated obligations create barriers to enjoying free time.
I’m pretty sure you know what I’m talking about. I really believe this. Think back to the last time you were hanging out with friends—at a backyard cookout, watching the game, or getting a good sunburn at the beach.
Okay, okay, NOT getting a sunburn at the beach is now a good thing. We can keep that one.
British philosopher, Bertrand Russell, once said—
The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”
That quote resonates with me. It makes my list of Best Untucked Quotes.
Here’s the thing… I’m a bit of a personal growth junkie. I was doing one of those, what-do-I-love-to-do? inventories when it hit me. Even though life has become far too busy and complex, I love hanging out with friends, family, or even by myself. The pandemic taught me how to do that last one.
But who makes time for hanging out these days?
Here’s the problem… Hanging out is another one of those skills that we master as a kid, then slowly un-learn how to do it the older we get. We humans have lost the fine art of hanging out.
Simply. Be. Present. It’s about being there, it’s about the experience. And yes, it’s about learning to allow yourself to throttle back, and do nothing more than relax and unwind.
What about you? Do you still find time to hang out? What do you think? Am I the only one? Am I nuts or just unrealistic?
I believe we owe ourselves downtime if only because it’s good for us.
Hanging out with others is much easier than hanging out alone… and we should be able to do both!
Do you know what I think made people so incredibly uncomfortable in the early COVID-19 lockdowns? Yes! Hanging out alone. We needed to learn how to spend time alone with ourselves!
To get you started, here are some basic hanging-out techniques…
- Hanging out is a lot like beer. It’s better with friends. Hanging out, with friends and having beers is even better yet.
- Hanging out alone is awesome too. For one reason and one reason only, you get to choose. Choose what? Choose everything… where, when, how long, doing what. Everything.
- The place you choose to hang out is of utmost importance. It’s all about the setting, the mood, ambiance if you will.
- Hanging out is about sharing, being, relaxing, resting, watching, laughing, observing, chilling… you get the idea, right?
You’ll feel guilty at first… Don’t let it stop you!
If you’re restarting the practice of hanging out, you’ll probably feel a little guilty at first. That’s okay, it’s completely natural.
Once you begin to experience the benefits, you’ll be well on your way. It’s okay, you deserve it.
You waste years by not being able to waste hours.”
—Amos Tversky, psychologist
Now, that’s one to ponder the next time you’re practicing hanging out alone!
So, go spend some time doing nothing. You’ll like it.
Be untucked.
p.s. Do you have a friend who can’t seem to relax? Think about forwarding this post to them. It could help!
p.p.s. Click here for another post about hanging out.
p.p.p.s. Wouldn’t it be great if you had a nice long holiday weekend to practice your hanging out? Hey, wait a minute… you do! Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!
Copyright © 2024 Jeff Meister – All Rights Reserved
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