What Are You Doing? Nothing! And the Art Of It.

How doing less is often more!

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We live in the busy digital age. A lot is happening all at once.

Our brains are stimulated from the moment we wake up to the moment our heads hit the pillow. We jump from emails to texts to social media, and this loop keeps going on the whole day!

Our attention is demanded in so many directions today. Our work, our personal life, family, social media, friends, and whatever is out there!

So, let me ask you a strange question. When was the last time you did absolutely nothing?

If you’ve watched the movie “Eat, pray, love,” I’ll rephrase it. When was the last time you had your “dolce far niente” moment?

Today, we idolize hustle culture, and idleness has become a taboo. I am here to remind you why it is important to do nothing.

The benefit of Idleness

I know! The term idleness is associated with the negative sense of laziness. But for some reason, I feel like I want to explain this with the term idleness.

While it is a humongous taboo, it is important to carve out time for stillness and reflection. Only then will we be able to tap into our creative self and our inner wisdom and support our mental health?

1. When we are always on the run, be it our mind or our body, we lose touch with our organic creativity. When we allow our minds to be blank, creative connections and big ideas have the space and time to form.
2. With our brain stimulated at all times, it is obvious why our focus is always scattered. Removing the noise for even 10 minutes can help improve mental clarity. It gives your cognitive abilities a much-needed break to recharge.
3. Slowing down internally helps our inner wisdom to show up. Solutions to tough situations and problems will get clearer when we stop constantly searching for them. A quieter mind has better solutions.

For once, allow your brain to wander without any agenda. Free the brain!!

Ways to bring more “do-nothing” time to your life

It is easier to intentionally do something than to do nothing. I know; I have tried. But these little tips have helped me incorporate more quiet time that turned out to benefit me so well in productivity.

1. Add 10–15 minute “brain breaks” on your calendar like you would a meeting. Set a timer to bring you to the present.
2. Take mental vacations. Stare out the window, watch the clouds pass by, and take aimless walks or drives.
3. Take a morning per week when you are full “off.” No work, chores, or any digital stimulation.
4. Do a brain dump before you take your time off. Put everything that bothers you in a paper and then let it go.

I thought I‘d never see the day when I’d add lazy mornings to the calendar!

Why less often leads to more?

For someone used to being busy all the time, sitting still can be uncomfortable. But adopting the “do-nothing” philosophy every once in a while will have noticeable effects.

1. Letting your mind rest and recharge gives you more energy and concentration when you return to a task.
2. With less on the brain, you’ll have reduced fatigue in decision-making.
3. When external distractions are removed, internal space is added, and there is more room for inspiration and spontaneous creative insights.

By purposefully doing nothing, you’ll meet again the once-lost clarity, vision and peace of mind. Sit back and relax; let your mind wander however it wants to.

The paradox? Sometimes, doing nothing will lead to so much more!