"I just fancy doing nothing today.." is something we usually utter when we're feeling tired or devoid of motivation, but do we really mean it? From the minute we open our eyes in the morning, it feels like we're being bombarded with notifications, emails, texts and ads.
When we're scrolling through social media, or looking at the news, we may think we're doing nothing, but in reality, this is still having a negative impact on our wellbeing and life-satisfaction.
So how can we take back our time and ensure that doing nothing is actually beneficial to us?
What does it mean to do nothing?
When we use our phones for prolonged periods, our attention and brain development are negatively impacted. Combine this with an increase in advertising on social platforms and the constant news updates, which are often bad, the flow of information leads us to cognitive overload.
Doing nothing is as literal as it sounds. It's a state of mindfulness that allows the brain to rest and refocus. Even when we think we're daydreaming or letting our minds wander, our brain is still active in a default mode network. So I suppose the question should be, does doing nothing really mean doing nothing?
When the dictionary definition of doing nothing points to a lack of positive progress, it's hard to justify the act of just sitting in a quiet room to unwind. But this act of contemplation creates the building blocks to visualise and deliver progress towards your goals more effectively. To do nothing means you take time away from everything which is causing you stress or anxiety. This doesn't mean abandoning projects or tasks when they become difficult, but is more about listening to your mind and body. Struggling to sleep, concentrate or stay motivated may be signs that you need to take time for yourself.
The power in nothingness
It may appear like a waste of time, because when we say we're doing nothing, we're really doing something. We're becoming more connected with our thoughts in a way that allows us to control what we're thinking about (our consciousness).
Ryan Holiday is an advocate for the concept of stillness. Throughout his podcasts and books, he refers to the idea that when we step away from the frantic pacing of life and embrace a quiet moment, our best inspiration comes to us.
This idea of doing nothing is a well known principle in Taoism, which is referred to as effortless action (doing things more effortlessly). This concerns the individual's state of mind when practicing this principle, rather than the actual act of doing nothing.
The power in effortless action (or Wu Wei) is in the ability to know when and when not to act by having a clear mind. When this is mastered, decisions and actions will be taken with effortless effectiveness.
This can be related back to the flow state, mentioned in a previous post, whereby doing nothing becomes autotelic. We're not doing nothing (practicing effortless action) because we don't care about our future or goals, but because doing nothing allows us to have better control of our thoughts. How to do nothing
If you're like me and you find it difficult to do nothing, I try to opt for low brain power activities instead, to allow for maximal downtime. This could be reading a fiction book or listening to a podcast.
When you're doing nothing, you might:
🟢 Sit in a quiet room and let thoughts enter and leave your mind (don't engaging with them)
🟠 Schedule time in your calendar to practice doing nothing
🟡 Meditate - YouTube can help with this (if you can avoid getting distracted)
🔵 Listen, and only listen, to music without lyrics - classical music has been proven to help
It's easy to want to do the longest time, but start short. You might just do ten minutes a week. These ten minutes might be time to just stop, reflect, and breath deeply.
An activity which has also risen in popularity in recent years is the idea of off-grid getaways. These types of trips allow for a complete detox from everyday life and social media. They also make the act of doing nothing easier, as there are less distractions.
Conclusions
There is a real need to be comfortable with our minds. Whilst this post might not be the cure, there is definitely merit in taking the time to do less and improve our consciousness.
With a world constantly seeking our attention and so many people on social media to compare ourselves to, it seems like the right moment to embrace the power of doing nothing to maximise our mind health.
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