Are you a Human Being or a Human Doing?
We live in a society with a never-ending to-do list, leaving you feeling unfulfilled because you never make it to the end. Technology has complicated our existence because it created multitasking and distraction, contributing to our massive to-do lists. Think of working from home with multiple tabs opened on your computer while doing laundry and getting phone calls at the same time. It also made it possible to always be online and therefore be available 24/7 for your work, family, and friends while doing your daily activities. It seems that our self-worth depends on how much we get done every single day. This leads to stress and anxiety. Not being able to be present in our activities and feeling rushed all the time. Afraid of failure because the pressure to be successful and productive is too high. But aren’t we living in an illusionary world? Are our happiness and self-esteem really based on how productive we are? And can we really be productive if there’s no time to calm the storm and recharge? Ask yourself, are you living this terrible lie? Are you a Human Being or a Human Doing?
The Benefits of doing Nothing
We have always believed that hard work and being productive is important for achieving success and happiness. This workaholic culture is reinforced by religion and science, regarding laziness as a sin and correlating it with unhappiness. But current research in psychology and neuroscience shows that daydreaming and mind-wandering have more value than we have ever imagined. Studies show that taking breaks and allowing your mind to wander can help your brain retain information, re-focus, gain fresh perspective, and make new connections between ideas.
Another study shows that mind wandering, typically associated with laziness and unhappiness, can help you with complex problem-solving. Moreover, one study shows that workers are generally more creative on low-pressure days than on high-pressure days. When we give ourselves some downtime we create space in our mind to develop new ideas, insights, inventions, or novel products. When we are active and productive most of the time our brains are not doing very much. On the opposite, when we take a break and engage in a low demanding task or mindless pursuit, our problem-solving brains kick into overdrive. This is the most active when we daydream. These findings suggest that we have more creative potential if we prioritize rest and leisure instead of hard work and being productive.
The Consequences of Being a Workaholic
Living on demand doesn’t only deprive you of creativity and a problem-solving mind, it also deprives you of living a meaningful life. Without any time to rest we experience more stress and anxiety. When we feel rushed, not only do we make more mistakes and work less efficiently, we also don’t enjoy our activities. We are too caught up in the end result, and forget the value of our experience.
Giving too much value to hard work and success also impacts our self-esteem. This signals to your being that your self-worth depends on your accomplishments. When you fail you will experience nothing more than judgment and emotional negativity. When you base your self-esteem on what you do rather than who you are, you’re inflicting yourself with unnecessary pain. Failure is normal and an inevitable part of life, but we will perceive it as an attack on your self-esteem. As a result, you will feel pressured to be successful and live in a constant state of fear. Even when there is a success, there will not be any happiness.
How can we learn to become Human beings?
The solution is to live more from your being than from your doing. Don’t only create to-do lists, but also to-be lists. This list entails anything that serves your being. How do you want to feel? Vital, calm, more sure, etc. Then feed your soul and do whatever makes you feel good on a daily basis. Scheduling me- time without any (digital) distractions. Trying out remedies when you’re out of balance or depleted. Incorporate practices or activities depending on how you feel and how you want to feel on a daily basis. This can be a walk, a meditation, saying a mantra, doing some yoga, eating nourishing food, getting enough sleep, reading, daydreaming, listening to music, etc. Anything that doesn’t imply work and being productive. Prioritize the to be as much as the to do. That’s where the practice begins, to hold this new boundary for yourself.
Paradoxically, when you are in the productive mode you work more efficiently, you’ll get more things done, get more creative and innovative, you’ll experience more satisfaction and fulfillment. This is because your efforts came from your being. Achieving as a human being is very different from achieving as a human doing. When you are a human being your efforts emerge from and affirm who you are. Achievement is pursued from a position of strength rather than weakness, in which failure is being seen as a teacher and motivation. Because success and failure are not related anymore to your self-esteem, your obstacles for success and happiness will disappear. You’ll find meaning in your achievement efforts because your passions and commitment are connected to those efforts. The successes you will experience will provide you with fulfillment and joy. So from today start living from your being!
Sadja Faili
Founder and creative director at Humana Spirit. I am passionate about spirituality, personal development and the arts. I'm also very decicated to a holistic lifestyle. Think oganic and unprocessed food, a plant-based diet, natural cosmetics, yoga and meditation. My purpose is to reach my full potential and help others to do the same.
Matilda
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Today, I went to the beach with my kids. I found a sea shell
and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.”
She put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside
and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is completely off topic
but I had to tell someone!
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gcwin99
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I wanted to thank you for this wonderful read!!
I definitely enjoyed every bit of it. I have you bookmarked to look at new things you post…
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zortilonrel
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Enjoyed looking through this, very good stuff, thankyou.
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Sadja Faili
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thank you!
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zovre lioptor
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zortilonrel
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I really appreciate this post. I’ve been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thank you again!
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Sadja Faili
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Happy to hear!
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