When it Comes to Wasting Time, I Win.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 16% of women report that they feel tired.

Are you surprised? Because I’m thinking it should be closer to 98%.

In fact, I haven’t met many people in the past ten years who didn’t say they were tired or exhausted, or ready for a vacation. I’m so tired of saying that I’m tired, and tired of being tired, that I’m tired of it. Right?

Why are we so worn-out?

Well, for one thing we probably could use more sleep. Get more sleep, have more energy. Then there’s our diet. We need to eat the foods that fuel us and avoid the foods that drain us like excess sugar and carbs. And exercise. Everyone says it works.

But if you already know that sleep, diet and exercise are good for you, then pay attention. I suspect that our national exhaustion has to do with our inability to waste time. We are Type A’ing ourselves into the ground.

For example, how good are you at doing absolutely nothing? When was the last time you had a conversation like this?

Girlfriend:           What did you do today?

Me:                        I wasted the whole day.

Girlfriend:           Really?

Me:                        Yes. In fact, I’ve wasted pretty much this entire week.

I had that very conversation recently.  I met a girlfriend and we practiced yoga, then had a leisurely lunch. Afterward, while I raced off to get ready for an evening workshop, she decided to go to the movies. She thought the day was off to such a good start at expertly wasting time, that why quit now?

I was inspired. So this weekend, when I had a book proposal, query letters, book outline and a blog due, I did nothing! My editors are not that happy. But hey, I feel great!

I also wasted time at my favorite yearly sale, chatted with girlfriends about absolutely nothing, napped in the back yard, watched a movie, read a book, then napped some more. If you can be competitive at wasting time, then I have just kicked your ass.

One other thing that is exhausting is not being inspired. This is the biggest energy suck in life: the routine stuff we have to do that has nothing to do with our true purpose in life, which is probably saving the world or creating some kind of art that will save the world, or doing a yoga pose that will save the world. Or save a kitten. If we can’t save the world today, then at least we can maybe save a kitten somewhere.

And this brings me back to why women are so freaking tired, because they are more typically the ones who do the routine stuff that is making us tired, like the laundry.

So for now on in my house, you will not find me making dinner or picking up after my family. I am very busy saving the world, or at least I’m going to save a kitten. But first, I’ll be taking a nap. Do not disturb. Thank you.

Michelle Berman Marchildon is the Yogi Muse. She is an award-winning journalist and the author of Finding More on the Mat: How I Grew Better, Wiser and Stronger through Yoga, and Theme Weaver: Connect the Power of Inspiration to Teaching Yoga. She is a Columnist for Elephant Journal and a Contributing Editor for Mantra and Origin Magazines. She is an E-RYT 500 with Yoga Alliance and teaches Hatha Yoga in Denver, Co. You can take her classes on www.yogadownload.com or www.yogasteya.com.