The Hidden Productivity of Doing Nothing
I have to try again. I have to work harder. I have to get more things done. I’m going too slow.
I used to wonder why every time I had a project to work on or goal to achieve I would, despite my best efforts, burn out. I wondered why I couldn’t finish anything. Why I couldn’t be consistently productive. Recently, I discovered a pattern that drove that cycle.
Feeling bored or lazy, I would set my mind on a goal and work hard on it. I would gain some momentum and my work would start to pay off. The changes and progress would motivate me to work harder.
At some point, I would notice that my output would diminish. I wasn’t as productive. I wasn’t getting the results I wanted. Obviously, I needed to work harder. So, I worked harder. That would help for a time, but then the same thing would happen. I wouldn’t be moving forward how I wanted to. I need to do more. So, I did more.
Inevitably, I would burn out. It happened again and again. The story in my head was that I didn’t work hard enough. I didn’t have the right strategy. That I was being lazy.
There’s a flaw in in this mindset. I couldn’t see it before, but now that I have, I can’t unsee it.
At the risk of sounding like clickbait, with one simple trick, I learned to prevent burn-out and boosted my productivity.
I gave myself permission to rest.
In a world where financial stability or independence is the goal, productivity is king. Hustle and work ethic are admired and aspired to. Exhaustion is a badge of honor. The one who worked most and slept the least wins.
I’ve found that since recovery from burnout can take weeks, months, or even years, setting time to do “nothing” can be the most productive thing that can be done.
A few minutes per hour, an hour a day, and a day per week can go a long way and the productivity boost easily makes up for the “lost” time.
Incorporating deliberate rest, recuperation, and relaxation into my schedule has been difficult, but the effort has been more than worth it.
I used to see productivity as linear progress, as how many things I crossed off my to do list, or how many things I had on my calendar. Any idle time felt like a tragic loss of momentum or even a few steps backwards.
I see things differently now. A few steps “backwards” are still steps. Taking a few steps to the side or stopping to smell the roses are also parts of the greater journey. Part of the non-linear process of learning and growth.
Learning to rest effectively has been much harder than I expected. I was really bad at it when I started. I had no idea what I should be doing. Should I watch TV? Play video games? Mindlessly scroll through social media? Sleep all day?
Since I didn’t know anyone who was good at resting effectively, I didn’t know what was going to work, so I just started trying things. I didn’t give myself any parameters or rules. Sometimes I would veg out in front of the TV while eating and/or playing on my phone. Sometimes I would just sleep.
After a lot of experimentation, I learned that while those things aren’t necessarily bad when not overdone, they weren’t the most effective way for me to rest.
In addition to adequate amounts of quality sleep, I find I need a combination of two types of things. Stillness and creativity. I define stillness as an absence of stimulation. A daily practice of yoga, meditation, a walk in the park or occasionally taking a few minutes to shut my eyes and breathe usually fills that need. Creativity, for me, means playing an instrument, composing some music or doing some writing. It has taken me some time to figure out what works best for me, but I’ve found the most important element has been intent. Even mindlessly watching some tv for a couple hours, if done intentionally, can make a big difference.
The more I rest when I need to, the more I can feel, understand, and listen to the signs and signals from my body and mind that tell me that I need to slow down or stop to rest. Maintaining my energy in this way prevents what used to be an inevitable burn-out and in the long run, is much more efficient and productive.
If you find yourself overwhelmed or unproductive, I encourage you to try to occasionally give yourself permission to do nothing. To rest and relax. To explore activities (and inactivities) that have nothing to do with your goal, but rejuvenate and energize you.
If you’re like me, this goes against everything you know about productivity, but this shift in mindset has changed my life and I’m willing to bet it can do the same for you.