There’s this paradox I keep bumping into – the world glorifies hustle, productivity, and getting things done, but the moment I try to not do anything (just sit in stillness), I feel like I’m losing a battle I didn’t even sign up for.
You’d think doing nothing would be easy, right? After all, it literally requires no effort. But no, definitely not, doing nothing has turned out to be the hardest thing I’ve ever tried.
And the interesting part is, it’s not because my body refuses to be still. It’s my mind. That little thought machine just won’t shut up.
When I sit quietly, I feel this nagging sense of guilt, like I should be reading, writing, checking emails, or at least reorganising my almirah drawer that’s been a black hole since 2019.
I think a lot of us wrestle with this because we’ve equated worth with output. If we’re not producing something—be it words, spreadsheets, or Instagram reels- we feel like we’re falling behind.
We live in a culture that equates busyness with value. If you’re not doing something measurable, you’re “wasting time.” But the twist is that time spent in stillness is never wasted.
There’s a Zen saying I love: “Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself.” In other words, life has a rhythm of its own. We don’t need to force everything to happen; we just have to let it unfold.
And yet, it still feels like failure when we’re not contributing, producing, or progressing. That’s the mental knot most of us get stuck in.
As a writer, I’m guilty of treating every quiet moment as a potential idea factory. I’ll sit down with my snacks, thinking I’ll take a break, but ten minutes in, I’m scribbling half-formed thoughts about literally anything that I think I should be writing about.
The irony? Some of my best ideas do come when I’m not actively chasing them. That one time I was stuck on a thought for weeks? The breakthrough came while I was aimlessly watching clouds drift by. Go figure.
Remember when the pandemic hit, the whole world was forced into a kind of collective pause. Suddenly, the endless busyness stopped; there was no rushing to work, no weekend plans, no constant running around. Like everyone else, I found myself… doing nothing.
At first, it felt strange, even uncomfortable. I tried baking bread, organising closets, and pretending to enjoy home workouts. But when all of that quieted down, I was just left with myself. And in that stillness, when I wasn’t forcing productivity, an idea slipped in.
That’s when the thought of starting this blog first appeared.
Had life not slowed me down, I’m not sure I would have listened to it. But doing nothing created the space for that idea to surface. And here we are.
Recommended Read: How My Ideas Vanish the Moment I Pick Up a Pen
Virginia Woolf once said, “Arrange whatever pieces come your way.” But to even notice those pieces, sometimes we need stillness. Doing nothing creates the space for ideas to drift in.
Here’s a real-life story: A few months ago, I challenged myself to spend one Sunday evening doing absolutely nothing. No phone, no laptop, no books – it’s just me, sitting and observing.
Within fifteen minutes, I had:
By the end of the hour, I wasn’t refreshed; I was exhausted from wrestling with my own thoughts. That was the moment I realised: doing nothing isn’t just sitting around. It’s a skill.
The Stoics knew this long ago. Seneca wrote, “It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.”
A wise friend once told me, “Rest is productive.” I didn’t think about it that time, but they weren’t wrong. Neuroscience even backs this up. Studies show that when we let our minds wander, the “default mode network” lights up – the very part of the brain linked to creativity, self-reflection, and problem-solving.
So technically, when you’re staring out the window, you’re not wasting time, you’re giving your brain a chance to connect dots it can’t while it’s juggling to-do lists.
It’s like the saying: “Don’t just do something, sit there.”
The hardest part about doing nothing is the feeling that we’re stepping out of the race. The world is sprinting, and here we are—just…sitting. But maybe that’s exactly the point.
Doing nothing gives us:
As Lao Tzu put it: “Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.”
I’m still not great at doing nothing. My brain keeps insisting I should be useful. But I’m learning to see “nothing” not as a void, but as a pause – a reset button.
The way I see it now: when I sit quietly, sipping tea, letting the world spin without me for a bit, I’m not failing. I’m recharging. I’m making room for the next chapter, the next sentence, the next story.
So if doing nothing feels impossible for you, too, you’re not alone. But maybe, doing nothing is exactly the something we all need more of.
One day, I hope to be really good at doing nothing. Who knows, maybe I’ll even win a gold medal in it-though knowing me, I’d probably ruin it by writing about the experience.
Did you know? Alongside, we also run a book series — Unfold the Stories of Unsung Heroes. Because not all heroes wear capes. 🦸♂️🦸♀️
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Thank you, Ritish, for the thought-provoking essay. By the way, clouds are inspiring, remember Kalidasa! Personally, I am far too busy to do nothing, but then I don't have a wife!
Joanna
Joanna, I love that you brought up Kalidasa ❤️And haha, maybe you’re right about the wife 😅
Great article, very well thought out, and written. I think we all have a problem doing nothing, especially driven, motivated types. It’s also difficult when you have a family depending on you and bills to pay. As I get older (I’m 73) it gets much easier, but it never goes away. Thank you!
I really appreciate your words Dennis. You're right, when you've got people depending on you, doing nothing feels impossible. Love what you said about it getting easier with age. That’s wisdom right there 👏🏼
Such an important post for a Monday...or any day! This made me smile:
"That little thought machine just won’t shut up."
I've got one of those, too, Ritish! Thanks for providing some worthy antidotes!
Glad to hear that, Vicki 😂Sometimes the best antidote is just laughing at it. Your comment made me grin.
🥰❤️🥰
It's a fine line in retirement. I like being busy, but I also love the freedom of not worrying about work. I mainly focus on putting my energy into causes that are important to me and taking care of myself physically and mentally. When something starts to feel like a job, that's when I pull back because my life is in balance and I intend to keep it that way.
I really like your balance, Pete - doing, but not letting it turn into work. That’s such a healthy way to think about retirement.
I agree, can’t just sit. Even watching tv for a couple of hours I’m bored.
Yep, sitting feels like torture sometimes.
This is very real to me at present .Circumstances have hit me like a truck. I HAD SIX TEETH EXTRACTED.
My doctor has said "DO NOTHING! Just rest and recover. It wasn't easy until someone else said . I,m always happy to see you get up, care for yourself with cheerful dressing and beautiful earrings. I know I am not doing NOTHING> Care for your person is so important Then when your body says. Do nothing. Now it is easier to just "drop out"
Hope you're recovering well, Faye. And you’re so right, taking care of yourself isn’t ‘nothing’ at all. Love that you found joy in small things like earrings and getting up for yourself.
so totally agree but like you say so worthwhile
Exactly, Diane! It feels tough at first, but when we lean into it, those quiet moments are totally worth it. Thanks for reading.
You are right, Ritish, there is an art to doing nothing. You blog made me smile, I felt as if I was reading about me. My favorite place for doing nothing and listening to the quiet is out in our woods, under one of our big oak trees. Make it a great day!
That sounds so perfect, Mitzy. I always wanted to do that, just sitting under an oak tree in the woods, just soaking up the quiet. I guess Nature does really tell us how to do nothing in the right way.
I agree, Ritish. 🙂
Wonderful post and so true on all counts. I's a challenge alright do NOTHING? I try but I mostly am back at it and that's a constant challange. Points well taken as always!!!!!! Thanks, Ritish!!!! 💕
Haha yes, Cindy. As far as I know you, blogger, mom, grandma, yoga teacher, and about a hundred other things I don’t think you even have time to do nothing 😂But I love how you still try ❤️
I feel this, Ritish. I, too, suffer from overactive brain. It’s so hard to just be still.
Yes Michelle, it's just so hard and our brain just doesn't have an off switch either 😅
Ha ha. I’ve often said I wish I could remove my brain at night and set it on the night table beside my glasses so I could get better sleep. 😂
What a great post that I'm sure most of us relate to, Ritish.
This line made me smile: "It’s my mind. That little thought machine just won’t shut up."
So true! Also, when I really need to sleep, it won't shut up! :) Thanks for the reminder to slow down and pause now and then. 🤗
I think all of our minds get extra chatty the moment we need it quiet 😅
Slowing down is easier when we remind each other it’s okay to pause.
Thanks for reading, Lauren.
So true, Ritish. It is really tough to do nothing. Even during my meditations, I often find myself thinking of things I really need to do.
But on the other hand, I had chicken pox as a young adult which left me at home for days soaking in oatmeal baths and resting in bed. During that time, I decided I would leave a job that I hated to go to another firm! So I agree, doing nothing can get you seeing what’s most important, or spark creativity in other ways. ☀️
Totally, Lisa. That's the magic of just pausing times. I've done this several time, doing nothing can actually spark the biggest decision or ideas 😄 Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Lisa.
Indeed, beautiful ideas pop up in stillness or in a tranquil place sometimes. Doing nothing is recharging or restoring the stress cells.
You're so right, Hazel. Stillness is like plugging ourselves back into a charger.
Why is it that when we are sitting doing nothing, we feel guilty. Idleness is not necessarily the Devil's work. Cheers
Ha, yes! We treat sitting still like a crime. Maybe we should flip it. Cheers 🙌
So true – doing nothing can be the biggest challenge in a world that constantly pushes us to keep moving.
Yes it does. Stopping feels like swimming against the current, but maybe that's why it's so powerful when we actually do it.