Me time?

I've been contemplating the complexity of slowing down.  I've woken up in the morning some days in the past couple of weeks and have just said to myself "hey I think I'll take a me day and hang around the house and not do anything."  While this is a great idea in theory, by the afternoon of still being in my pajamas and the only thing I have done is eat, read, and watch TV on my computer...well I start feeling like a waste of life.  I have these voices in my head that tell me I should have done something, that today will be a waste if I don't go work out or walk around or run some silly errand.  Why is it that we constantly feel like we need to be on the go?  Why is it that what started out as an action to do exactly what we want to do can get turned around in our head as pointless?

I have found I have a very dramatic mind and I know I'm not alone in this.  It can make a hill into a mountain, an uncomfortable sensation into excruciating pain, and it fights me every step of my way.  I've heard a lot of stories lately that when people take time to slow down they inherently feel guilty.  We're on the go all the time, running to work, making meals, talking, taking care of everyone else, and trying to better ourselves on a consistent basis...why shouldn't we take a day for ourselves?  Even in every religion there are days where it is written that people must take a day of rest.  Why do you think places of prayer were created?  For religious followers (which most of our society follows something) we are told to take a couple of hours off to sit in contemplation.

I suppose the conundrum comes up when how much is too much sitting and contemplation?  Apparently for most people an entire day is too much, yet if we think about monks living in monasteries they sit in contemplation sometimes for weeks.  Thus, perhaps it is a product of our American society that wants us to speed up, that tells us if we're not being productive completing some task then what the hell are we doing?  My suggestion: next time you feel the urge to relax, let go entirely.  If you've sat in front of the television for the last 6 hours watching re-runs of America's Next Top Model, or Lost, or whatever re-runs hit your fancy then pat yourself on the back for letting yourself just be.  We often forget how difficult it is to simply live and that we fill our time with people and things to escape or just make living easier.  Be patient with yourself, that is all you can ask for: patience.