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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Anita Chaudhuri

The perfect way to do nothing: how to embrace the art of idling

Man lying on his back, daydreaming
‘People often underestimate the extent to which they will enjoy inactivity.’ Illustration: Spencer Wilson/The Guardian

On a rainy afternoon last weekend, plans got cancelled and I found myself at a loose end. Given that I’m someone who likes to have backup plans for my backup plans, my initial response was panic. Now what? I wandered aimlessly from room to room, grumpily tidying away random items.

Noticing for the first time in weeks that most of my houseplants were critically ill, I decided to give them a spa day. I moved the worst cases to a south-facing windowsill and painstakingly removed the (many) dead leaves. For good measure, I organised a triage box containing plant food, a mister and a watering can. I might have got carried away and ordered a “beautifying leaf shine” too.

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