October 13, 2023 • 11 mins
If you've read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, or watched the movie, then you are familiar with the Italian saying: Il Dolce Far Niente (the sweetness of doing nothing). This episode touches on the issue of getting out of the everyday rat race hustle we are so used to, along with a how to section: how to slow down at work, and how to slow down at home.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello there, and welcome to Casual Fridays, the podcast where wiki themes are discussed
(00:07):
through personal experiences, anecdotes, and some storytelling.
I am your host Dada, and this podcast is part of my I Read Aloud channel on YouTube, where
I read fairy tales, short stories, children's stories, poetry, letters, and excerpts.
So if you like such content, make sure to subscribe to my channel.
You'll find me in the search box on YouTube under app I read aloud.
(00:32):
And you can also find me under the same name on Instagram, TikTok, and X.
I also want you to know that this podcast airs every Friday on the following platforms,
YouTube, Apple podcasts, Amazon Music, Google podcasts, iHeartRadio, Samsung podcasts,
Podcast Index, ListenNote, RSS, and Spotify.
(00:54):
Today's episode is titled, Slowing Down.
And I will divide this episode into a bit of a long introduction and two parts, how
to slow down at work and how to slow down at home.
But before I begin this episode, I want to tell you that I was unsure on whether to publish
(01:15):
this episode today in light of the events between Palestine and Israel and Gaza especially.
I felt was such a frivolous topic in face of the atrocities taking place so near my
home, Lebanon.
But because I had announced the topic last week, I felt obligated to go ahead with it.
(01:38):
And I decided that next week's topic shall be on being humane.
In the end, this is not a political platform, but I need to say something on the matter
and I found the humanitarian angle to fall right into my scope of topics and also allows
me to express myself a bit towards this raging war.
(02:00):
To get back to today's topic, slowing down.
We are all aware that today's world has forced us into a hustle culture where we feel obligated
to be constantly doing something.
Most of us in the workforce wake up early and rush our breakfasts, that is, if we have
(02:20):
time for any breakfast, in order to get to work on time.
Then the day at work begins and ends with endless tasks and pressure that we might or
might not have a lunch break and might eat lunch at our desks.
We almost always stay over time whether we get paid for it or not because it is expected
(02:41):
of us.
Then we rush back home to prepare dinner and it's more stressful if we have families and
kids because then we are dealing with laundry and homework and cleaning and vising and so
many other responsibilities that it's bedtime and we are exhausted and can only fall back
against our mattresses and go comatose for the next day when it all begins again.
(03:07):
And we get so used to hustle that we don't know how to enjoy our weekends and we feel
that if we don't plan every second of the day, then there is something wrong with us.
Maybe during the COVID years we had to slow down and learn a bit about rest and looking
after ourselves.
But now that businesses have reopened and people are asked to go back to the office,
(03:32):
we are being forced back into the hustle culture and if we have decided to pursue a more relaxed
lifestyle we feel guilty about it.
I was talking to a friend last night who had quit her job about two years before COVID hit
and she was upset at how time flies and how her day passes without her actually doing
(03:53):
anything and I reminded her that she was doing plenty.
She does volunteer work, she visits her two nephews at least three afternoons a week,
she takes care of the elderly in her family and takes a few freelance projects now and
then.
And when I listened all these to her she paused and said, that's true, I do all that, but
(04:16):
I feel that compared to my office working days, I am doing nothing.
To which I responded, that's because you are living the slower pace of life.
You are taking on the Italian philosophy of il dolce far niente or the sweetness of doing
nothing.
And this is a saying based on the concept of the importance of taking breaks and allowing
(04:40):
yourself to recharge.
More than that even, it implies living in the doing nothing moment with no stress or
work or pressure or even consciousness of time.
In Italy the idea is to enjoy a cup of coffee while watching passersby or eating pasta with
a glass of wine while enjoying the serenity of doing just that.
(05:04):
It is about observing what is around you while taking an interest in it.
So you are not bored and idle yet you are not rushing about.
I guess it's about being stationary and taking in your surroundings and enjoying the view
so to speak, whether it is a view of nature or of people and things.
(05:25):
I see it as becoming the observer of life instead of the actor in life.
And when you become the observer you detach from all the hustle and bustle, you detach
from all that makes your mind race and all that causes you anxiety and stress and negative
emotions.
And when you detach enough you might even catch yourself smiling at the absurdity of
(05:50):
life or at the beauty of it.
Now as I said all that I remembered the song Bear Necessities from Disney's The Jungle
Book and goes look for the bear necessities, the simple bear necessities, forget about
your worries and your strife.
(06:11):
And then at some point the bear Baloo starts itching himself against a tree, I don't know
if you have seen the movie but he starts itching himself left and right.
It wasn't enough for him to itch himself against a tree, at one point he actually dislodges
a tree so that he could itch himself on the head and on the shoulder and on the belly
and everywhere he could, he had an itch.
(06:35):
And then he slides into the river and when he does that he says, oh man that's really
living, so just try and relax, yeah cool it, fall apart in my backyard.
And then he's on his way to Mowgli, the kid who was lost in the jungle, he tells him,
(06:57):
if you act like that de-act, ah ah, you're working too hard.
I'm sure it's obvious that I love the Jungle Book, it's probably one of my favorite Disney
movies ever, but the whole point is to advise you to take Baloo's advice, Baloo the Bear.
Relax and end the hustle culture for you and your loved ones, make time for lunch, make
(07:22):
time for sleep, make time for relaxation, make time for enjoyment of family and life.
How?
Simply by asking those around you to take on their share of responsibility.
At work, allow others to take on some of your tasks, stop competing with everyone to get
(07:43):
ahead and see your colleagues as partners in crime.
When you let go of some of your tasks, you enable others to shine too and that is good
leadership.
You will not only relieve a lot of your stress and anxiety at work this way, but you'll also
have time for a proper lunch break and maybe even time to socialize at work.
(08:06):
If your boss is very demanding of your time, get at the courage to create boundaries with
your boss, explain that when you are not so stressed, you perform better and that you
need to take proper lunch breaks and leave work on time.
Now I know this is sometimes scary for employees because they feel that if they are this honest
(08:26):
with their superiors that they would get fired or they wouldn't get promoted or get raises.
But believe me, from experience I'm telling you and not only from my personal experience,
from watching others and their behavior on this issue, on the contrary, when you are
so transparent and you create boundaries, you are even more respected.
(08:49):
And in fact, when you continue doing your work silently, like a little slave afraid
to say anything and worried that you know that you get fired all the time or that you
will be reprimanded all the time, you are overlooked for promotions because they don't
show character to your superiors.
But when you have character, when you show confidence and you create boundaries and yes,
(09:14):
you tell them exactly things as they are, they respect you more and they will give you
more opportunities.
So if you do all that, you'll also leave work on time and arrive home with more energy
and a much more positive attitude.
Then when you get home, you also delegate tasks to family members.
You don't have to do it all alone.
(09:36):
Create a chores or a task list for your family members and create boundaries while doing
that.
Then you'll find you have time to relax before bedtime and you wake up so much more refreshed
and ready for a new day.
And when the weekend arrives, make sure you sleep in when you can and don't rush around
doing a million things.
(09:57):
Teach your family members to slow down too and make it a part of your family culture
and routine.
Enjoy and embrace the Ildolce Farniente philosophy.
Have long lunches, take afternoon naps, take long idling walks with no purpose but the
walk itself.
(10:18):
Do book reading sessions at home with your family.
Do movie nights, whatever tickles your fancy that allows you to relax and slow down both
physically and mentally.
And remember, this is a life philosophy.
It's not something you do for a week or a month and then just forget all about it.
(10:38):
So keep at it and make it part of your family culture, your family routine, and you will
see how things will change for you and your family.
Well, this brings me to the end of this episode.
Next week's topic shall be on being humane.
I hope you'll tune in then.
For now, I wish you a lovely weekend and I send you all my love.
(11:02):
Till next Friday.
Hello there, and welcome to Casual Fridays, the podcast where wiki themes are discussed
(00:07):
through personal experiences, anecdotes, and some storytelling.
I am your host Dada, and this podcast is part of my I Read Aloud channel on YouTube, where
I read fairy tales, short stories, children's stories, poetry, letters, and excerpts.
So if you like such content, make sure to subscribe to my channel.
You'll find me in the search box on YouTube under app I read aloud.
(00:32):
And you can also find me under the same name on Instagram, TikTok, and X.
I also want you to know that this podcast airs every Friday on the following platforms,
YouTube, Apple podcasts, Amazon Music, Google podcasts, iHeartRadio, Samsung podcasts,
Podcast Index, ListenNote, RSS, and Spotify.
(00:54):
Today's episode is titled, Slowing Down.
And I will divide this episode into a bit of a long introduction and two parts, how
to slow down at work and how to slow down at home.
But before I begin this episode, I want to tell you that I was unsure on whether to publish
(01:15):
this episode today in light of the events between Palestine and Israel and Gaza especially.
I felt was such a frivolous topic in face of the atrocities taking place so near my
home, Lebanon.
But because I had announced the topic last week, I felt obligated to go ahead with it.
(01:38):
And I decided that next week's topic shall be on being humane.
In the end, this is not a political platform, but I need to say something on the matter
and I found the humanitarian angle to fall right into my scope of topics and also allows
me to express myself a bit towards this raging war.
(02:00):
To get back to today's topic, slowing down.
We are all aware that today's world has forced us into a hustle culture where we feel obligated
to be constantly doing something.
Most of us in the workforce wake up early and rush our breakfasts, that is, if we have
(02:20):
time for any breakfast, in order to get to work on time.
Then the day at work begins and ends with endless tasks and pressure that we might or
might not have a lunch break and might eat lunch at our desks.
We almost always stay over time whether we get paid for it or not because it is expected
(02:41):
of us.
Then we rush back home to prepare dinner and it's more stressful if we have families and
kids because then we are dealing with laundry and homework and cleaning and vising and so
many other responsibilities that it's bedtime and we are exhausted and can only fall back
against our mattresses and go comatose for the next day when it all begins again.
(03:07):
And we get so used to hustle that we don't know how to enjoy our weekends and we feel
that if we don't plan every second of the day, then there is something wrong with us.
Maybe during the COVID years we had to slow down and learn a bit about rest and looking
after ourselves.
But now that businesses have reopened and people are asked to go back to the office,
(03:32):
we are being forced back into the hustle culture and if we have decided to pursue a more relaxed
lifestyle we feel guilty about it.
I was talking to a friend last night who had quit her job about two years before COVID hit
and she was upset at how time flies and how her day passes without her actually doing
(03:53):
anything and I reminded her that she was doing plenty.
She does volunteer work, she visits her two nephews at least three afternoons a week,
she takes care of the elderly in her family and takes a few freelance projects now and
then.
And when I listened all these to her she paused and said, that's true, I do all that, but
(04:16):
I feel that compared to my office working days, I am doing nothing.
To which I responded, that's because you are living the slower pace of life.
You are taking on the Italian philosophy of il dolce far niente or the sweetness of doing
nothing.
And this is a saying based on the concept of the importance of taking breaks and allowing
(04:40):
yourself to recharge.
More than that even, it implies living in the doing nothing moment with no stress or
work or pressure or even consciousness of time.
In Italy the idea is to enjoy a cup of coffee while watching passersby or eating pasta with
a glass of wine while enjoying the serenity of doing just that.
(05:04):
It is about observing what is around you while taking an interest in it.
So you are not bored and idle yet you are not rushing about.
I guess it's about being stationary and taking in your surroundings and enjoying the view
so to speak, whether it is a view of nature or of people and things.
(05:25):
I see it as becoming the observer of life instead of the actor in life.
And when you become the observer you detach from all the hustle and bustle, you detach
from all that makes your mind race and all that causes you anxiety and stress and negative
emotions.
And when you detach enough you might even catch yourself smiling at the absurdity of
(05:50):
life or at the beauty of it.
Now as I said all that I remembered the song Bear Necessities from Disney's The Jungle
Book and goes look for the bear necessities, the simple bear necessities, forget about
your worries and your strife.
(06:11):
And then at some point the bear Baloo starts itching himself against a tree, I don't know
if you have seen the movie but he starts itching himself left and right.
It wasn't enough for him to itch himself against a tree, at one point he actually dislodges
a tree so that he could itch himself on the head and on the shoulder and on the belly
and everywhere he could, he had an itch.
(06:35):
And then he slides into the river and when he does that he says, oh man that's really
living, so just try and relax, yeah cool it, fall apart in my backyard.
And then he's on his way to Mowgli, the kid who was lost in the jungle, he tells him,
(06:57):
if you act like that de-act, ah ah, you're working too hard.
I'm sure it's obvious that I love the Jungle Book, it's probably one of my favorite Disney
movies ever, but the whole point is to advise you to take Baloo's advice, Baloo the Bear.
Relax and end the hustle culture for you and your loved ones, make time for lunch, make
(07:22):
time for sleep, make time for relaxation, make time for enjoyment of family and life.
How?
Simply by asking those around you to take on their share of responsibility.
At work, allow others to take on some of your tasks, stop competing with everyone to get
(07:43):
ahead and see your colleagues as partners in crime.
When you let go of some of your tasks, you enable others to shine too and that is good
leadership.
You will not only relieve a lot of your stress and anxiety at work this way, but you'll also
have time for a proper lunch break and maybe even time to socialize at work.
(08:06):
If your boss is very demanding of your time, get at the courage to create boundaries with
your boss, explain that when you are not so stressed, you perform better and that you
need to take proper lunch breaks and leave work on time.
Now I know this is sometimes scary for employees because they feel that if they are this honest
(08:26):
with their superiors that they would get fired or they wouldn't get promoted or get raises.
But believe me, from experience I'm telling you and not only from my personal experience,
from watching others and their behavior on this issue, on the contrary, when you are
so transparent and you create boundaries, you are even more respected.
(08:49):
And in fact, when you continue doing your work silently, like a little slave afraid
to say anything and worried that you know that you get fired all the time or that you
will be reprimanded all the time, you are overlooked for promotions because they don't
show character to your superiors.
But when you have character, when you show confidence and you create boundaries and yes,
(09:14):
you tell them exactly things as they are, they respect you more and they will give you
more opportunities.
So if you do all that, you'll also leave work on time and arrive home with more energy
and a much more positive attitude.
Then when you get home, you also delegate tasks to family members.
You don't have to do it all alone.
(09:36):
Create a chores or a task list for your family members and create boundaries while doing
that.
Then you'll find you have time to relax before bedtime and you wake up so much more refreshed
and ready for a new day.
And when the weekend arrives, make sure you sleep in when you can and don't rush around
doing a million things.
(09:57):
Teach your family members to slow down too and make it a part of your family culture
and routine.
Enjoy and embrace the Ildolce Farniente philosophy.
Have long lunches, take afternoon naps, take long idling walks with no purpose but the
walk itself.
(10:18):
Do book reading sessions at home with your family.
Do movie nights, whatever tickles your fancy that allows you to relax and slow down both
physically and mentally.
And remember, this is a life philosophy.
It's not something you do for a week or a month and then just forget all about it.
(10:38):
So keep at it and make it part of your family culture, your family routine, and you will
see how things will change for you and your family.
Well, this brings me to the end of this episode.
Next week's topic shall be on being humane.
I hope you'll tune in then.
For now, I wish you a lovely weekend and I send you all my love.
(11:02):
Till next Friday.
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