# The Joy of Doing Nothing Doing nothing is apparently very hard. It sounds ridiculous, right? Usually something is hard because it's exhausting, because it demands our full attention and energy. Doing nothing sounds like the opposite of that. But even for just five minutes, all I could think of was what I could have done with that time. I could read, I could do chores, I could start an episode, or go to bed sooner. As if five minutes were the "make or break" of my day, [[Rest|stopping]] the productivity train seemed wasteful and illogical. I (and probably most of you), have an urge to do something, to treat time as a resource that must be spend wisely, because how can we not? It's not like we're immortal, and it's not like life is too easy that we can just lay back and rest. Even when we are not productive, like doom scrolling or watching tv, we feel guilty, so we can't shake that urge or sense of obligation to utilize our time well. That guilt weighs on us like Sisophysus's boulder until we're crushed by it, going to sleep exhausted so we can repeat the process tomorrow. Another difficulty was to quite my mind. I tried focusing on my breath, on my body, visualizing my thoughts pass by like clouds in the sky, nothing worked. Even [[Meditation]] was something I tried "doing right", to think of nothing, to focus on my breathing or body. I realized that what bothered me, aside from having a mind that refuses to shut up, is that this kind of meditation, with it's countless rules on how you should do it well, was draining rather than renewing my energy. Paradoxically, I replaced productivity guilt with meditation guilt. However, there's a good ending to the story. After a year of experimentation, I finally found the meditation (if we can call it that) that works for me - a [[Slowing down|do nothing]] meditation. As the name suggest, I don't "try" to do anything, which includes trying to quite my mind or maintaining a posture. Meditation shouldn't feel forced or exhausting. The only rule is that I can't physically do stuff, like working or doing chores, but other than that anything goes. It's okay to think, it's okay to lose focus, it's okay if I move a bit, it's okay to just "be" or let my mind wander. And apparently, doing nothing for five minutes feels like forever in a good way. The stress that clouded my mind evaporates, bringing clarity and calmness. I get the most creative thoughts precisely because I don't try to suppress my mind, I let it [[downtime brain|run free]] without interruptions, without being stuck in the feeling that I "have to do something", whether being productive or trying to control my attention. I get off the "hustle train" for five minutes a day, and yet it's the most productive and rejuvenating part of my day. ## Ask Yourself 1. When was the last time I felt truly refreshed? What was I doing? 2. Do I have opportunities to relax during the day? 3. How do I feel about doing literally nothing? 4. What would happen if you take a whole day off for yourself? ![[joy_of_doing_nothing.png]] %% # Development Summary:: During our day to day we feel time scarcity, as if we never have time for anything, that we have to use every available minute for productivity. This feeling of scarcity narrows our mind, we try to suppress any thoughts that are "useless", which unfortunately holds most of our creative thoughts. Instead of letting our mind roam and rest, we work it overtime. That's why "do nothing" meditation is essential. It slows us down, helps us feel as if we have all the time in the world, we let the mind rest, and open ourselves to new creative ideas, calmness and serenity. Doing nothing apparently is very hard, and seems "wasteful", but it's one of the best things we can do for both our wellbeing and creativity. Pitch: Have you ever tried doing nothing? Literally nothing, not work, not chores, and even watching tv doesn't count. I'm talking about sitting with yourself for a few minutes, letting go of your endless to do list and your desire to unwind with some well deserved doom scrolling. Doing nothing is apparently harder than it seems. Even meditation can become a chore, something you "do", instead of a chance to relax. Despite being so wasteful, using our precious time doing nothing, it is one of the most rejuvenating things I "didn't do" the last year, and I couldn't be more grateful for it. Want to know why? links: kit - https://philosophers-code.kit.com/posts/happy-doing-nothing obsidian - https://publish.obsidian.md/philosophers-code/happy-doing-nothing %%