13 thoughts that disrupt my attempts to do absolutely nothing
And I think I’m ok with it.
👋 Hey there! I’m Alexis. I write about life, creativity, being a freelance writer, and everything in between. If you enjoy corny humor and cute cat pictures with a splash of advice (and maybe personal essays), you’ll probably fit in around here.
Hello (all ~462 of you),
There are many new faces here (I’m flattered and hope I can live up to your expectations!), so before diving into today’s post, I just wanted to say WELCOME to my tiny corner of the internet. I’m glad you’re here and can’t wait to get to know you better. In case you missed it, I listed some of the themes I’m considering for this newsletter here — feel free to chime in via the comments over there.
Otherwise, stay tuned because next week’s post is going to be a thread where I hope you’ll all introduce yourselves in the comments.
Ok, let’s get back to the topic of this week’s newsletter: doing nothing
I struggle a lot with doing nothing, something that’s evident in this list of 13 thoughts that disrupt my attempts to do absolutely nothing…
I should be doing something right now.
Why am I so lazy?
This is not productive.
Maybe I should water the plants.
Or fold the laundry.
I should write, but I don’t really feel like it right now.
I wonder how long I can stare out the window? (30 seconds seems like enough.)
What do other people do when they’re doing “nothing”?
Uh. They’re not doing anything when they’re doing nothing. 🫠
Maybe I should reply to a few work emails.
Nah, I’ll just make a list of all the things I feel like I should be doing when I’m trying really hard to do nothing.
I wonder if more people shared photos of where they’re writing from in Substack Notes? (It’s so fun to see where everyone is around the world.)
Do I really have to figure out how to do nothing?
Clearly, this has been a huge success…
Whether it’s personal or professional, there’s always something I feel like I could or should be doing. Like writing this post, for example. I could be sitting on the sofa, relaxing, while the sun shines in (something rare here in Amsterdam), but instead, I’m on my iPad drafting this post (but this is also relaxing for me).
I even feel a bit cringy writing about the struggles of doing nothing, like having the choice and freedom to do absolutely nothing from time to time is a luxury that I for some reason can’t figure out how to appreciate.
A friend of mine who has two kids once told me, “You’re time-rich!” because I always have the time to explore new hobbies. I guess that’s one of the perks of not having kids. In the same way that we try to avoid unhealthy productivity traps, maybe we should also lean into doing things just because we feel like it, even if we think we’re supposed to do nothing from time to time.
Anyway, I’m rambling now…
Can you relate to any of this? How do you succeed at doing nothing without feeling guilty? Or do you accept and embrace the fact that doing nothing is not something you’re capable of? Which number(s) from the list above resonate most with you?
I love this! Totally can relate. I think the hardest advice I was given once was to try to sit and do nothing for 10 minutes every day. Not even looking at the phone. Very hard as well in productive driven societies where our attention is always solicitated. Great piece!
Oh number 6 for sure!! But in general when I struggle with "doing nothing" I try to remind myself that doing nothing is it's own form of productivity and nourishment! I can't just keep going going going, because then I'll burn out. So being able to relax is crucial to doing anything else, and what's more, to enjoy actually Living.