The difficulty of doing nothing

Doing nothing sounds simple.

There is nothing to organise, nowhere to go and nothing that needs our attention. Yet, when a moment like that arrives, we can sometimes find ourselves looking for something to do.

We might pick up our phone, tidy something that doesn't really need tidying, make another cup of tea or start thinking about what we should do next. Even when there is nothing particularly pressing, the feeling that we ought to be doing something can be surprisingly strong.

I’m curious about that feeling.

When nothing feels like something

We are used to filling our days. There are things to accomplish, people to respond to, places to be and plans to make. Being occupied can feel reassuring. It gives our attention somewhere to go and can give a day a sense of purpose. So when there is nothing to do, we may notice the absence of that structure. Perhaps we feel restless. Perhaps our thoughts become more noticeable. Perhaps we simply don't know what to do with ourselves.

Nothing has actually gone wrong. There is just less to hold our attention.

The urge to fill the space

Technology makes filling that space easy. A phone can give us something to read, watch, listen to or respond to within seconds. We don't need to decide what to do for very long because something is always available. Yet the urge to fill an empty moment doesn't begin with technology. We have always found ways to occupy ourselves. What technology has changed is how little time we need to spend with the feeling of having nothing to do.

The moment can be filled before we have even noticed that it was empty.

What might we notice?

When we allow ourselves to do nothing, our attention has a chance to drift. We might notice our surroundings, hear sounds we hadn't heard before, remember something, follow a thought or simply become aware of how we are feeling. It may not be particularly interesting. It may not lead to an insight. We may even become more aware of how much we would rather be doing something else.

Perhaps that is part of the value.

Doing nothing gives us an opportunity to notice what our attention does when we aren't directing it towards something.

Letting the moment be

I don't think we need to become better at doing nothing.

That could turn an empty moment into another task to get right. Perhaps we can simply become a little more comfortable noticing the moments when there is nothing that needs to be done. We might reach for something, notice the urge and decide whether we actually want to fill the space. We might still pick up the phone. We might make the tea. We might get on with the next thing. Or we might sit for a while and let our attention naturally drift.

Our attention doesn't always need somewhere to go. Sometimes the kindest thing we can do is give ourselves a little space to simply be where we are.

I wonder what you might notice the next time there is nothing you need to do.