Why You Need to Do Nothing

When was the last time you truly did nothing? No phone, no to-do list, no distractions. In a world that rewards constant, doing stillness can feel foreign even uncomfortable. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed, foggy, or stretched thin, the space you’re avoiding might be exactly what’s necessary. In this episode, we’ll explore why in doing nothing isn’t indulgent, it’s essential, and some practical ways that you can start doing nothing in order to benefit your peace of mind. Welcome to Calmly Coping. I’m Tati Garcia, a licensed therapist and coach here to help high achievers stop overthinking and finally feel calm and confident from within. If that’s what you need, then hit subscribe. Let’s dive in. I sat on the dark green couch in my living room, just staring out the window. Taking in the beauty of nature, the trees swaying with the wind. Birds flitting from branch to branch, a squirrel skittering along the top of a fence. While I just allowed my mind to wander and process all of the events I’d experienced from the proceeding days, if I don’t allow myself time to do nothing, which includes giving my brain time to process, assess, and reflect, I feel it overwhelm. I. Brain fog, scatterbrained anxiety, and it’s not just mental. It shows up as muscle tightness and tension headaches, and it could be even more depending upon how overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious I’m feeling. Above all, it’s an underlying feeling of stress, pressure, and urgency. Paired with an overwhelming need for space, and sometimes this looks like wanting to do something but not really wanting to do something. Everything feels wrong, or I’m not interested in anything, doing nothing otherwise, seen as wasting time, being lazy, being unproductive. There’s so many cultural judgements that we have internalized around doing nothing, and by the end of this podcast episode, I’m certain I will have persuaded you to view doing nothing as not just. Not harmful, but as incredibly necessary for a calm, creative, and fulfilling life. Here’s the thing, we constantly have something with us leaving the TV on to fall asleep at night, listening to a podcast on the way to work, scrolling through Instagram while watching tv, while periodically checking work emails, while doing a million other things at the same time. If you’ve been there, you’re not alone. The problem is hyper productivity. Constant overstimulation and information overload. The thing is that for over 99% of human history, which is roughly 300,000 years, our brains evolved in environments that were quiet, slow paced, and free from constant digital stimulation because of course it didn’t exist. In fact, our brains are wired to be sensitive to new information and stimuli because for most of our evolution. Detecting changes in the environment meant survival. Noticing what the rustling in the wood was, could be the difference between surviving and dying. And neuroscientists have identified a network in the brain called the default mode network that becomes most active when we’re not focused on tasks or external input. So when you’re just staring out the window, letting your mind wander, your brain is actually doing deeply important internal work, otherwise known as mind wandering. The default mode network helps us process emotions, reflect on past experiences, imagine the future, and understand ourselves and others. It’s also the space that can be helpful and necessary to unconsciously work through problems or other things that are on our minds. So imagine if I’m preparing for this podcast episode. I just listened to podcasts. On the importance of doing nothing, and then just hit record without brainstorming, thinking, putting something down, then reflecting on it and refining, which was my process for planning this episode. Think of everything that I would have missed, all of my personal creativity and ideas that might have never actually come to the surface. This is what happens when you don’t allow yourself the time and space to do. Nothing. You blunt your ability to come up with ideas, to think creatively and to process all of the information that you’re taking in. In one study, conducted participants who completed a boring task generated significantly more creative ideas afterwards than those who were given a more engaging activity to do, doing nothing actually opened the door to innovation. And in another example. Albert Einstein was known for taking long silent walks, often alone, where he allowed his mind to wander freely. He believed that intuitive insights often came not from effort, but from stillness, allowing our mind to just do what it does. He once said, there comes a leap in consciousness. Call it intuition or what you will, the solution comes to you and you don’t know how or why. In other words, sometimes your best thinking doesn’t come from thinking harder, but it comes from making space. So let’s talk about what you can do in order to do nothing. And what do I actually mean by that? One way is to create more space in your calendar. I. This can look like unplanned moments that don’t just default to scrolling through TikTok or binge watching Netflix. Just allowing yourself to be without external inputs, looking out the window on your morning bus commute, driving in silence, or anything like this. There’s a reason why many of your ideas and thinking might happen in the shower. Because this is one of the few places nowadays that we have space without inputs and distractions for most of us, and this space is invaluable. Maybe you can spend time in nature. Nature is naturally pun intended, healing, and helps to regulate our nervous system. Studies show that spending just 20 minutes in nature can significantly reduce cortisol levels, which. Cortisol is our primary stress hormone. 20 minutes is really not a long amount of time, and even if this looks like going to a local park, sitting in your backyard or on your balcony or whatever other local forms of nature you have actually, studies have even found that just having photos of nature in your home or indoor plants can give you a similar effect. The artist, Georgia O’Keefe spent much of her later life in the quiet landscapes of New Mexico where the stillness of the desert. Became her sanctuary in that solitude and alone time, she found creative freedom and clarity, proving that sometimes it’s in the quietest places that our boldest ideas and creativity can emerge. So you might be thinking, all right, how am I supposed to spend time doing nothing? My mind won’t stop thinking, and I don’t like the thoughts that come up, or I can’t stop overthinking things. Our minds think, and that’s what they do. So it’s normal to have negative thoughts and lots of thoughts coming up. When we aren’t aware of our thoughts, that’s when they start to control us doing nothing. And just being with your thoughts and observing them without judgment, which is essentially a mindfulness practice, allows you to become more aware of what your mind does, and this can provide the space and the opportunity. For you to relate to those thoughts differently and stop them from being things that you need to avoid and distract yourself from to a way to understand yourself better. And keep in mind that sometimes thoughts are just that thoughts. They don’t have to say anything about you or your character, especially if you experience intrusive thoughts or any kind of anxious thoughts. You might also be thinking it’s gonna be too boring to. Do nothing. And if doing nothing feels boring, then that’s kind of the point. Our minds are so used to being busy that stillness can. Of course feel uncomfortable, but that discomfort is exactly where insight, clarity, and calm start to emerge. Or maybe you’re thinking, I don’t have time for this. I have too many things to do. According to the World Health Organization working 55. More hours per week is linked to a 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of heart disease compared to a standard 35 to 40 hour work week. In other words, chronic overwork or overdoing isn’t just exhausting. It’s actually a serious health risk, or maybe you think it’s pointless or a waste of time to do nothing. Constant busyness and overstimulation. Keep your nervous system in a state of hyper arousal. And over time, this can lead to anxiety, tension, and emotional burnout, the opposite of resilience. So it’s actually not a waste of time. It’s caring for your mental health, which is something that is so incredibly important nowadays. And maybe you’re also thinking to yourself, well, it’s a privilege to do nothing that I can’t afford, literally. And it’s true. Not everyone has the luxuries of hours of downtime, unfortunately, and those are related to many systemic issues that I really can’t even fully do the justice of addressing in this episode. But here’s the thing, I. Doing nothing doesn’t have to mean taking a long break or going on a retreat. It can be as simple as drinking your coffee without scrolling, staring out the window for a minute or driving in silence. These can be tiny moments and they’re free and powerful. I. It’s not always about having extra time, but it’s about reclaiming a little space in your day to breathe and reset and using your time more intentionally. Now, I want you to imagine a typical day for yourself. Maybe you’re rushing from task to task, juggling messages, meetings, mental checklists, never ending. Your shoulders are tense and up to your shoulder, your mind is noisy and you finish the day feeling. Wired but dreamed. If this sounds familiar, then you’re not alone. Now imagine something a little different. You pause, you step outside, or just sit quietly for a few minutes. No phone, no agenda. You breathe. Maybe you could practice taking a deep breath right now in through your nose and all the way into your belly. And out through your mouth, you notice your thoughts beginning to slow. Your shoulders drop down. Your mind softens in that stillness. Maybe ideas start to emerge or maybe not. Maybe you remember something meaningful or maybe you realize what you actually need. I. This is what doing nothing can give you clarity, calm, and creativity, but it doesn’t stop there. When you create space in your mind, you show up differently for your work, your relationships, your life, you become more present, more grounded, and more able to truly listen to others. Stand to yourself, and this is invaluable. So here’s your invitation. Today I invite you to find just one moment to do nothing. No phone, no input, no expectation. Just sit or look out the window, or breathe in silence. It might feel strange and uncomfortable at first. You might notice urges and expectations. But just notice what happens. Notice what surfaces when you stop filling every gap with noise or doing this small moment could be the start of something bigger and sometimes the most powerful change becomes not with doing more. With doing nothing. So what’s one way you can make space to do nothing today? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to leave a comment if you are watching on YouTube or listening on Spotify. If this episode resonates with you, then I invite you to take my free course, how to Calm Your Mind so you can finally relax by going to calmlycoping.com/relax. Or you can also click on the link. In the description or the show notes. While you wait for the next episode, I have other episodes about calming your mind, improving work-life balance, and feeling more confident from within. So be sure to check out these episodes here and thank you so much for tuning in today. Until next time, be calm.