The Benefits of Doing Nothing
By: Edie Tuck
Tags: Relaxation, Life Lessons, Nothing, Time, Mindfulness

Learn mindfulness of mind and body

Living a mindful life is a broad statement. It encompasses many things, such as learning to relieve stress and gain some level of control over anxiety, become grounded, and more in touch with your own emotions and intuition, as well as a more in-tune connection not only with yourself but also with others around you. You’ll also be in a generally better mood, which is a benefit for everyone!

The concept was originally derived from a Buddhist tradition, but it’s something we could all benefit from.

When you never stop, never pause the hustle, there’s no time for your mind to wrap itself around anything but what you’re doing. Thoughts may come and go, but they’re fleeting, and ‘getting back to it later’ doesn’t usually happen, because ‘later’ is still full of the busy.

“In today’s rush, we all think too much, seek too much, want too much, and forget about the joy of just being.” -Eckhart Tolle

It’s really important to find that place of quiet and escape for a little while. Lately, especially since I began writing in earnest, I’ve almost lost touch with that part of me. It’s not that I don’t know how to stop, it’s more that I now feel guilty if I do. I always think that if I’m not doing something to advance myself in my writing career, then I’m wasting precious time.

I need to shift that way of thinking because the only thing I’m going to achieve from that is burnout. Between a full-time job from eight to five, and then hiding out in my home office any other spare moment I have until well past my bedtime every night, it’s bound to happen if I don’t put the breaks on.

Less is more

These days, I’ve been running on the premise that I’m not doing enough. I just need to do more and more and more, or I’ll never reach my goals. But I’ve got it backwards. Doing more doesn’t necessarily equate quality. Often, it can end up just being a bunch of mumbo-jumbo that’s been mass-produced to fill the impending void.

I’ve come to realize that less really can be more. Low-quality work at a high-production rate will not give you the results you’re looking for. Sometimes, a lower and slower production rate, which ultimately allows you to produce better content, will have a much bigger payoff, both financially and emotionally. The gratification of knowing you’re doing good work that people are actually engaging with is a reward on its own.

Move at a slower pace. Take more time to process your thoughts. Work through problems methodically and calmly. And most importantly, take time for yourself. Whether meditation is your thing, or you just want to enjoy a hot bath with no distractions, make doing nothing a priority. Schedule it in if you have to! Your mind will thank you.

Recharge your creative battery

Unplug. Literally. Are you feeling depleted of your creative juices? Dried up, stuck? I’ve been feeling that way a lot lately. But it’s been said that putting our phones and tablets away, and turning off all electronics really, will force your brain to do what it does best. Think. Imagine. Create.

We’re always scouring the internet for ideas of what to write about, and most of the time we’re coming up empty because it’s all been done a million times, right? But your life hasn’t been done a million times, it’s been done once, and by you. So you’re the only expert, and I’m sure if you think back to the beginning as far as you can remember, you’ll be able to come up with countless stories and life lessons worth sharing.

Sitting with our own thoughts allows us the stillness required to bring back the memories and experiences we’ve had. Then when you’re done doing nothing, write them all down to revisit soon! Some of them might be just for you; a private moment that will make you smile. But some of them could be your next big story.

So go ahead and unplug your phone, close your laptop and turn off the TV. Shoo the kids to play, or lock yourself in the bathroom (let’s face it, sometimes it’s the only room where privacy is still a thing), and just… be.