Think of all the nothing you could be doing right now. You would think that with all the modern conveniences and instant gratification we enjoy today, we’d have a lot more spare time on our hands. And yet we don’t. Just as you inevitably find ways to fill a bigger home, we do exactly the same thing with our time. Indeed, it’s partly because of all this instant gratification at our fingertips that we can’t stand to be bored. I don’t know about you, but I feel incredibly uncomfortable when I’m doing nothing.

And it really shouldn’t be that way.

No Time to Be Bored

As many of you know — and I hate to keep bringing it up, but many of you might not know too — for the past 14 or so years of my professional life, I’ve been working from home as a writer and editor with a mostly flexible schedule. As a freelancer, I always felt like if I could be working, then I should be working. I was never off the clock, because there was always something to do.

For the longest time, this is why I said that I never complain about being bored. Even if I was done with client work, there was this blog. Or a book I could be writing. Having too much work to do was a “good problem to have.” At least that’s what I told myself. And even if I decided that “work” could wait, there was always a hobby or an interest to explore. More to read, watch, learn, do.

After about a decade and a half of this, as you might imagine, I’m feeling pretty drained. Exhausted. When you value productivity above all else, it puts your body in a constant state of alert. The fight-or-flight response. If you’re always doing, that doesn’t leave very much time for thinking… let alone resting, relaxing and recharging.

Nothing Ain’t for Nothing

And so, particularly this year (though the thought had crossed my mind before), I’ve been making more of an effort to make room for nothing. I don’t have to be productive and “doing something useful” at all hours of the day, every day. Indeed, one of my core goals for 2020 is to cut myself some slack.

One of the silver linings of this pandemic is that it has granted the gift of time. I’ve had more time to reflect and step back, because I feel less of an obligation to go out there and do something. It also helps that this year has, broadly speaking, been a good one to me professionally. When I can rely on a steadier paycheck, I don’t have to stress about chasing clients or attracting more work. Freelancing has its perks, just as it has its challenges. The same is true with a more traditional employer-employee situation.

I’m taking the next few days off from work. While I don’t have the usual family dinners to attend this Christmas, I do have my immediate family. Including my two kids. I’m making the conscious decision to make room for nothing… and that could really be something. I recommend it. It could be everything you need right now.

Lost in Thought

Let me leave you with a couple of old vlogs I did on similar topics. Let’s slow down, get lost, and do nothing for a change.