Mindless Activities

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Do mindless activities such as playing games on the computer or PS4 or watching TV (which I've never been a fan of) have a place in ones life?

There is a reason vastly all of society partakes in one form of mindless activity.

I was doing consciousness work yesterday and I found myself being absolutely drained by 5 PM so I just killed some time doing one form of those activities.

Even when I awoke today I still felt mentally drained and I could not get myself to do any really quality work so I spent my early morning and part afternoon playing a computer game that I enjoy.

Simple strategy game and now it's 3:00 PM and I feel a bit more refreshed and energized mentally. 

I couldn't even write in my common place book efficiently without suffering from mental fatigue. I was half assing it and decided to kill time playing the game.

That's roughly 10 hours! From the the time last night to today that I've spent doing mindless activities because I COULD NOT focus mentally anymore. 

Consciousness work is taxing so my question is whether or not mindless activities have a place in ones life.

I pretty much know the answer but what can I do alternatively. 

I also drank some water later during the day and felt my brain work better and had some wheat grass.

It may also be due to dehydration.

Do mindless activités have a place in one's life and do they yield some type of benefit to recharge you and to help you get back on your conscious purposeful existence?

I have college to focus on, my window cleaning business, as well as other areas in my life to work on.

I would like to eliminate my downtime as much as possible.

[Shin]

Limit it to 1 hour per day (2 the week end), and decide a monthly budget for it.

You could totally drop it, but that would require all your attention and energy, and apparently you don't have right now.

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Do mindless activités have a place in one's life and do they yield some type of benefit to recharge you and to help you get back on your conscious purposeful existence?

Walking, music, sport, yoga, meditation, sex, and even just sitting doing nothing are ways that are far more effective to recharge you than Video games and TV ever will.
 

[supremeyingyang]

Hello 1984,

from what I read, you are maybe stressed by your determination of mindful activity. You could do literally everything mindful, even watching tv. Then think about the fact, that people who are doing mindful activities professional (monks, for example) are in a 'safe environment'. They make it easier by taking 'risky activities' out of their environment! And their make it to their main focus. Do you want it that bad? Maybe not.

Why don't you play your little games really mindful? I bet, if you observe yourself, you'll stop 'binge-gaming'.

To answer you Question... I don't think that being 'mindless' is good if you do through watching tv. But you can loose yourself in a task and be in some sense mindless and mindful. But would that be still mindless by your definition? You decide.Maybe it would be good for you to go into nature to calm you mind. This helps me the most.

 

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@supremeyingyang I understand but I mean that I can't be mindful from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep because I get mentally tired. It's tiresome. I know all about mindfully gaming and watching TV. I can't do it mindfully because I prefer doing better things when my mind is sharp. Mindless what I mean is when you're not consciously using your mind. You're not thinking deeply and using your brain, your focus, your PFC. You just unconsciously indulge in an activity. But I'll try out your nature suggestion.

[supremeyingyang]

Thank you. You'll need a lot of preparation in 'normal' life to achieve a somehow higher state of mind. From what I experience it's perfectly normal to be mentally tired if you try to focus for 8 hours straight. Especially if you were the kind of person who switches task all the time. I know because I tried just the same as you seem to do.

I say yes, mindless activities can be used in contrast with mindful activities. It works pretty well for most people. But if you get soaked into video games for 10 (!!!!!) hours... that not even funny any more.

Edited November 22, 2017 by supremeyingyang