In Praise of Naps
On a recent podcast listen, In one of those bits of banter that didn’t get edited out (usually so not my favorite part), a host set aside a pen that wasn’t working, saying, “it just needs a nap.” It was still a good pen; it had ink left. It just needed a breather.
Naps make everything better, even for pens.
Today is Thanksgiving, perhaps the most socially acceptable day for human napping. A little parade, a little turkey, and many of us are out for a chunk of the afternoon. We’re refreshed for an evening of games, probably some seconds, and maybe a viewing of a holiday movie. (For me, it’s always Home Alone.)
Why don’t we nap more often? And what else could benefit from napping as much as our Thanksgiving Day selves?
Consider:
An argument you’ve been having with someone you care about.
A piece of art you’re tired of looking at.
A song or album you put on repeat one too many times.
A recipe that you make often, the same way every time.
A difficult thing you’ve been trying to write.
How could these things benefit from a nap?
Your marination gives you new perspective on the other person’s experience, priorities, and values.
An “old” thing, tucked away for a while, can later feel new again.
A sound or smell carries you back to a particular time.
You learn something new during the separation, and reuniting means adding something that wasn’t there before.
This year has forced us to slow down. When we’re clear to live our lives with more choices, what practices will you keep? Most folks I know have appreciated some aspect of dialing back, getting down to basics, and setting some things aside.
Let’s keep naps.
Sugar & Kiki subscriptions make excellent gifts. Just saying.
