We’re so conditioned to view rest as unproductive that doing nothing can feel almost rebellious. In fact, we often pride ourselves in how little we sleep, how little we eat, how little we take care of ourselves. We confuse busyness with power and productivity.
But what if I told you that doing nothing is actually one of the most productive things you can do?
So what does “doing nothing” really mean?
Surely it’s not just lying around wasting your day, or even just vegging out in front of the TV. (Although those things can be beneficial too.) No, when I say doing nothing, I simply mean taking the time to pause and step back from the hustle and bustle of your day-to-day life.
When you’re doing nothing, you’re not solving problems or completing tasks. You’re not even actively thinking about problems or tasks—you’re just being.
It’s interesting to consider that when we do nothing, our brain is not actually idle. In fact, it’s highly active.
In his book Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less—Even Though You’re Not Working,restaurateur and best-selling author Dan Gilbert discusses the science of rest and why we all need it.
When you’re resting, your brain is not disconnected from the world. It’s highly engaged, just in a different way than when you’re working. When you’re resting, your default mode network (DMN) is active.
Gilbert explains that our DMN is the part of our brain that’s most active when we’re not engaged in a specific task, like when we’re mindlessly lying on the couch, or staring out the window. It’s when we’re not thinking about what we need to buy at the store, or when we’re not worrying about our presentation at work.
When our DMN is active, Gilbert says, we’re processing memories, reflecting on ourselves and our lives, and envisioning our future. All of these things are vital functions that our brain needs to perform. And, in fact, it’s when we’re resting that we do them.
In other words, when we’re resting, our brain is working hard. It’s just working in a different way than when we’re working.
So when you take the time to rest, you’re not really resting at all. You’re recharging.
And as we know, a recharged brain is a focused, creative, and mentally healthy brain.
When you’re resting, Gilbert says, you’re giving your mind the space it needs to work through problems and come up with solutions. He uses the shower example—many of us have solved problems in the shower, right?
When you’re resting, Gilbert says, you’re allowing your mind to wander, to play with ideas, and to make connections. And, he says, “those are the very things that are most often responsible for those ‘eureka’ moments” (p. 62).
So how can we rest more?
We’ve got to break our addiction to busyness.
I know for me, even when I’m not working, I’m always “doing” something. I’m always thinking about something. I’m always checking things off my list. I’m always striving to do more.
We confuse being busy with being productive. We confuse being productive with being successful. And we confuse being successful with being valuable.
We’re so addicted to being “on” that we’re afraid to “off.” We think being nothing is being less. But it’s not.
When we take time to do nothing, we’re actually being the most we can be. We’re showing the world the best of ourselves. We’re respecting ourselves enough to take a moment to breathe.
How can you do less and get more done?
Schedule it. Yes, you can schedule rest. Block it off. Put it in your calendar. Make it non-negotiable.
Unplug. Resist the urge to fill every moment with something. You don’t have to check your phone every five minutes. You don’t have to fill your commute with something. You don’t have to fill your walks with something.
Go outside. Sit in nature. Sit quietly. Sit without your phone. Sit without your computer. Sit without your tablet. Sit without anything. Just sit.
Be kind to yourself. Shhh…quiet that voice that’s always demanding more of you.

I've been thinking a lot about doing nothing lately. It's a tricky art that we often haven't cultivated. In fact, we're often praised for the opposite.
So I encourage you to go sit. Even if only for a minute. Breathe. Stare at the sky. Your mind will thank you.