The Power of Doing Nothing

On Friday, I had the house to myself for the ENTIRE night. I know. It was as glorious as it sounds. The kids and my husband were at my parents’, and after a trip to Costco (Friday night, turn up for what?), I came home to pure silence.

At first, I had all of these big plans for things I wanted to accomplish. I could get some writing done, work on my website, clean something, organize something or maybe tackle one of the approximately 700 things that always seem to be floating around in my brain. But at one point, I sat down and didn’t get back up except to make dinner.

I started watching 1923, the spin-off of Yellowstone, and five episodes later, yes, FIVE episodes, I realized it was past my bedtime. For a split second, I felt guilty. Did I just waste my entire night off? I had hours completely to myself and I had done absolutely nothing with them. I even opened my computer to write a chapter of my book, stared at the screen for about five minutes and then closed it again.

That was when I realized I desperately needed this break. I needed to not better myself. I needed to not chase a goal. I needed to not dream about what was next or think about what I could accomplish with a few uninterrupted hours. I just needed to rest. So I did. I became a complete couch potato, rotted on that couch for hours and it was absolutely lovely.

The next morning, I woke up after a fantastic sleep feeling completely rejuvenated. I attacked my to-do list with a vengeance. I didn’t mind the laundry, cleaning, errands or other chores waiting for me because my body and my brain had actually had a chance to rest. The night I thought I had “wasted” ended up being exactly what I needed to feel ready to take on the next day.

We’ve spent so long being told to hustle. Wake up earlier, work harder, build the side hustle, chase the dream, make the money, exercise, drink the water, read the book, clean the house, be present with your kids and somehow find time to work on yourself while you’re at it. Even our downtime has become something we feel like we need to optimize. If we have a free evening, there’s this pressure to use it wisely, as though sitting on the couch and watching five episodes of television somehow doesn’t qualify.

Listen, I’m all for going after your goals. I have big dreams, and I’m certainly not about to stop chasing them. But I think there’s a difference between being ambitious and believing we need to be productive every waking moment. Rest doesn’t mean you’re lazy, and taking a night off doesn’t mean you aren’t motivated. Sometimes doing absolutely nothing is exactly what allows you to get up the next morning and do all the things you want and need to do.

Maybe we don’t need to abandon hustle culture entirely. Maybe we just need to find a better balance. Go after the big goals, dream ridiculous dreams, write the book, build the business, take the trip and make the memories. But when your body and your brain are telling you they need a break, listen to them. Your dreams will still be there tomorrow, and sometimes the most productive thing you can do tonight is absolutely nothing.

-Talia

Follow Talia on Instagram @talia.hreljac25