Doing Nothing is Something (and it can be something great)

I have always been an early rising morning person. I get up at the crack of dawn without an alarm clock, get out of bed right away and start my day. Just last week, though, I stayed in bed one morning until 8 am and felt compelled to confess to a friend. My confession was quickly met with a “good for u!!” text, soon followed by “why is it that when we lay around and do “nothing” we feel we are doing something wrong… or should be doing something more “productive?” Why indeed? Doing nothing is something, frequently something that’s good for us. It can be very productive.

By the time we reach “midlife,” we’ve spent countless hours doing something. So many somethings. And we’re tired. While it would probably not have been tremendously productive to do “nothing” your entire life, it’s highly unlikely you’ve reached midlife without doing something. And if you’re anything like me, doing nothing is outside your comfort zone.

Doing Nothing is Doing Something Good

Doing nothing sometimes is doing something good for yourself. Though it seems and feels counterintuitive, it has mental and physical health benefits. Research shows that eliminating distractions, taking time to do nothing and even daydreaming—just letting your mind wander—improves mental health, productivity and creativity. It improves learning, inspires kindness, and uplifts moods. Doing nothing for a pre-determined period of time can also induce a state of relaxation, lower blood pressure, improve digestion, relax muscles and sharpen your focus. Taking breaks improves concentration and attention, making you even more efficient and productive when you return to a task.

An experiment conducted by professors at George Mason University showed that short breaks can improve performance. They administered a test to students that required sustained attention planning and tracking train routes for 45 minutes. One group received no break and the other had a 5-minute break halfway through. Participants in the break group were randomly assigned to sit quietly, listen to music, watch a music video, or spend the break however they wished without leaving the room. Regardless of the nature of the break taken, all the students who got a break performed better on the task than those who did not. Many studies have considered the question and they all agree that breaks can help us focus and perform better. They further agree that it’s the break that counts rather than what you do while breaking.

One study that looked into the nature of breaks came to this conclusion after determining that people who spent their break time watching dog videos felt but did not perform better than people who did something else. In light of the fact that I spend an inordinate amount of time watching dog videos, I had to share. They are magical when it comes to improving my mood but, for me, they do not enhance my productivity in the slightest. They are my ultimate rabbit hole where I happily get lost for hours.

We’ve become so accustomed to the frenetic pace of our lives that we’re both afraid to stop (because, if we do, how on earth will everything get done?!) and ashamed when we do. We joke about the fact that we no longer have much of an attention span but the reality is that focusing our attention for too long can and does wear us out. Taking breaks helps us do life better. We should embrace breaks and take them when we want them rather than judge ourselves when we need them. Life is hard. Breaks are necessary. Short daily breaks, weekend breaks and longer vacation breaks keep us feeling, being, and doing our best. Doing nothing is something good, healthy, and free that you can do for yourself.

I recently spent a weekend with a friend just lying by her pool, reading books. Two days of utter and complete relaxation. It was the kind of relaxation I can’t seem to muster at home, no matter how hard I try. It was therapeutic and seriously fantastic. We didn’t feel compelled to do anything or go anywhere. We did nothing and, let me tell you, it was really something!

Musical Playlist to Accompany this Post

The Lazy Song, Bruno Mars; Feeling Groovy, Simon & Garfunkel; Down By the Lazy River, The Osmond Brothers.

There are so many songs about Doin’ Nothin’ and Lazy Days. What are your favorites?

Thinking and Trying

Something to think about: Ancient philosopher Winnie the Pooh corners the market on this one. Consider these gems: “What I like doing best is Nothing.” “Doing nothing often leads to the very best of something.” “This is a nothing sort of thing that we’re doing right now.” “People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing everyday.””Oh, I see,” said Pooh again. “It means just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear and not bothering.”

Something to try: Create a daily time-out ritual by dedicating a few minutes to doing nothing. Sit in silence as you drink your morning cup of coffee. Gaze out a window or close your eyes and let your mind wander. Just a few minutes once a day or a few times a day. Make it a habit.

Coaching Can Help

A coach can help you develop a mindfulness practice or minimize your urge to multitask or incorporate down time into your schedule. In other words, a coach can help you you bring out the best from doing nothing. Shall we jump on a quick Zoom call to see if I’m the right coach for you? The call is free and will take about 15 minutes. You can schedule here.