The Lost Art of Doing Nothing (and How to Get It Back)

When was the last time you did… absolutely nothing? Not scrolling through your phone. Not half-watching Netflix while replying to a few messages. Just - nothing.

If that question makes you squirm a little, you’re not alone. For many of us, “doing nothing” has become oddly uncomfortable. We’ve been trained to equate “busy” with “valuable” - so even our breaks come with productivity pressure (“I’ll just eat lunch and clear a few messages while I’m at it…”). We fill silences with podcasts, queue time with emails, and lunch breaks with life admin. Stillness, once a simple pleasure, now feels suspiciously like slacking.

But here’s the thing: we’re not meant to be “on” all the time. Rest isn’t laziness - it’s a skill. And like any skill, it needs practice.

Why stillness feels so strange

Our modern world rewards movement. The more we tick off, post about, or squeeze in, the more productive we feel. There’s always a notification pinging, a task calling, or a chat window blinking at you. Even our “downtime” is filled with stimulation. But the irony is that constant activity doesn’t make us more effective - it just makes us more tired.

The brain needs micro-moments of nothing to reset its attention span, process information, and make sense of what just happened in that fourth meeting of the day.

The real challenge is retraining ourselves to be okay with stillness. Not passive zoning-out, but what I like to call “active rest” - moments that let your mind settle while still giving your body or senses something gentle to do.

So, how do we reclaim the art of doing nothing - without getting side-eyed by your manager or missing a deadline?

How to practise active rest (without feeling restless)

1. Try a “one-sense” reset

When you next need a breather, focus on just one sense.

Listen to the hum of the kettle or the birds outside. Watch the light shift on your desk. Feel the texture of your jumper or the warmth of your mug. It sounds simple, and that’s the point. You’re training your brain to stay in the moment, rather than reach for stimulation.

2. Do something slow on purpose

Walk without a podcast. Stir your tea extra slowly. Fold laundry as if it’s a form of meditation (yes, really). Doing a simple task with gentle attention creates a pause in your day that’s restful without being idle.

3. Schedule blank space and protect it

Before you open the next tab or reply to another email, stop for 30 seconds. Close your eyes. Unclench your jaw. Take one long breath. You’re not wasting time - you’re creating a mental full stop that helps you actually switch tasks instead of blurring them together.

Before or after a meeting, give yourself one quiet minute. No notes, no follow-ups - just a pause. Let your brain catch up with what it’s heard. You’ll find you retain more, react less, and maybe even avoid that “what was I supposed to do again?” moment later.

4. Swap your scroll for a stare

Resist the urge to check emails while walking to the kitchen or catching the bus to work. Instead, look up. Notice the weather. Listen to the background sounds. Every hour, look out of a window or at something in the distance for 20 seconds. It’s called the 20-20 rule, but think of it as “permission to daydream.”

It’s surprisingly restorative, and it gives your brain a rare chance to daydream, which is where creativity quietly lives.

5. Redefine productivity

Doing nothing well is not the opposite of productivity. It’s part of it. Think of rest as recovery time for your mind’s muscles - essential if you want to come back stronger, calmer, and actually ready for what’s next.

How does this help?

Being still might feel like nothing is happening, but in reality, it’s doing a lot of work behind the scenes, especially for employees juggling deadlines, screens, and endless notifications. Here’s how stillness helps, broken down in practical, workplace-relevant ways:

1. Improves focus and decision-making

When you’re constantly switching between tasks, emails, Teams messages, spreadsheets, your brain loses efficiency. Even short periods of stillness give your mind a chance to reset, improving attention and helping you make clearer, faster decisions. Think of it as a mental reboot.

2. Reduces stress and burnout

Sitting still, even for a few minutes, lowers your heart rate and calms your nervous system. You produce fewer stress hormones, which means less tension in your shoulders, jaw, and back - common areas for office workers.

Even micro-pauses act like mini power-ups. Stepping away from screens, closing your eyes, or just breathing deeply replenishes mental energy. You’ll find the afternoon slump becomes less dramatic, and you feel more capable of tackling the next task.

Over time, this reduces the risk of burnout.

3. Sparks creativity

When the mind isn’t overloaded with input, it begins to wander. And that wandering isn’t wasted time - it’s where problem-solving and innovative ideas often emerge. Some of the best solutions come when you’re staring out of a window, rather than typing frantically.

4. Enhances memory and learning

Stillness allows your brain to consolidate information. After a meeting or intensive task, a short pause helps the brain process what you’ve just learned, so you retain it better and can apply it more effectively.

The quiet joy of being still

You don’t need a yoga mat, a meditation app, or a countryside retreat to reconnect with stillness. You just need a few moments of deliberate pause - tiny acts of rebellion in a world that never stops moving.

So, this week, when you catch yourself trying to fill every gap, try doing the radical thing: nothing. Let the kettle boil. Watch the clouds. Sit with the silence.

You might just find it’s exactly what you’ve been missing.