“Sorry, I’m Busy Doing Nothing”: Why It’s Time To Make Time For Yourself

When I was preparing this sponsored content for Henry London Watches, I thought: “what can I write about that’s relevant to time? That I don’t have enough of it? How to make the most it? Where all of my time goes?” As I’m racking my brains and jotting down ideas, I think forward to the weekend just passed. Keiran and I had planned to spend the afternoon in Norwich since he had a rare Saturday off, and then Sunday was kept absolutely free to do nothing at all. I quickly asked Keiran if Sunday was indeed still free of plans, and he confirmed, at which point it hit me. Instead of talking about what I do do with my time, why not share what I don’t do (or rather, what I do do not doing - bear with me…)? When we hear the word introvert, we instantly think of the watered down dictionary definition. “Shy”, is a description that pops up a lot, “reticent” another. Well, I’m neither. I’m a fairly confident person in the sense that, even when I feel uncomfortable, I can usually bullshit my way through anything, and as I’m sure you’re well aware by this point, I’m hardly uncommunicative when it comes to my feelings. If anything I have more feelings than time to share them, a situation of which my boyfriend is begrudgingly aware. 

How can I be an introvert, I hear you scream, if I’m not shy or reticent? Because those qualities do not necessarily an introvert be, and oftentimes, are quite far off in terms of what it actually means to be introverted. In fact, the best way I’ve seen the introvert vs. extrovert dichotomy described, is this:

Do you draw energy from being around other people? Or do you need time to recharge by being alone? If it’s the former, then you’re most likely an extrovert. If it’s the latter, then you’re most likely an introvert.

I’m not asocial in the sense that I’m hostile around other people or avoid interactions completely, but rather that being in social situations is draining for me, and after a while I need some solo space to refuel and feel myself again. I can happily schmooze my way around a press dinner full of unfamiliar faces, but by the end of it, I can’t wait to get home, take my pants off and eat garlic bread from my bed (also if you didn’t instantly think of ‘schmoozing the private school headteacher’ on The Sims just now then who even are you).

Big trips, days spent with the gals, a friend of a friend’s house party; these are all social events that I love being a part of and obviously enjoy, but as an introvert, however, I need time afterwards to climb back into my nest and recharge. I need time to be alone, to be quiet, to reflect.

Inspired by classic watch design and craftsmanship but with a modern twist, Henry London is a watch brand built on both the old and the new. Boasting a range of different styles - from Milanese metallic mesh to deeply coloured leather - the brand encourages each individual to #WearLondonYourWay. Keep things classic for the summer to autumn transitional period by layering up the Gold Westminster Watch with a simple bracelet and maxi-trench coat, and thread together the gold accent with other accessories (cue me being able to show this bag off yet again). Want to make more of a statement? Try a masculine two piece suit and let the watch take it up a notch.

The trouble is, as an introvert, that the need to take time to do nothing often goes unfulfilled. We feel guilty declining plans for the sake of doing nothing at all, or we fear that other’s wont appreciate that we need time for ourselves.

The people that know me best understand that I need my quiet time, but that doesn’t stop us introverts from feeling guilty when we inevitably say no to a wine and cheese night because we’ve simply run out of social juice. “Are we being antisocial? Are they going to get sick of us? Can we really make plans to do nothing at all?”

Well today I’m donning my Introverted Fairy Godmother hat and I’m declaring that, yes, doing nothing is in fact doing something - nothing. Cryptic and jumbled as it is, allocating a day or an evening or even half an hour to let yourself recharge is time well spent, and if you’d been planning to keep your weekend free, then simply say that. “I don’t want to do anything this weekend” is a perfectly valid excuse for turning down that last minute family BBQ, and if you really don’t fancy going for a drink and mustering up awkward small talk with your colleagues on a Friday afternoon, then hey, fuck it, you’re already busy doing nada!

Time is precious. It’s overused, it’s cliché, but it’s true. Time is the one thing that once spent, cannot be reclaimed, so if making the most of it sometimes means doing nothing at all, then we shouldn’t neglect the need to do so. And hey, if some of that down-time is spent browsing the extensive Henry London collection, then so be it. 

This post was sponsored by Henry London Watches.