Is “doing nothing” a good use of your time?

Humor me for a moment and imagine along with me: you’ve just finished your research paper due tomorrow. After hours of tireless work, fingers slaving away at your keyboard at your desk, and multiple mind-numbing rounds of proofreading to check for a typo your teacher is sure to catch, you finally lean back in your chair at your desk at home, taking a sigh of relief. You deserve a break. After hours of work, you can afford a quick scroll through social media before you hit “submit.” Or maybe a little time spent on your hobby before you start your next assignment. You pick up your phone when - BANG - your door flies open and you hear the distinct voice of your mother “why are you on your phone?”

I’m not too sure of your experiences, but I can’t even begin to think of counting how many times this scenario, or something very similar, has happened to me. I swear, my mom has a 6th sense where she knows when I’m not being productive. 

Even though the general population of parents doesn’t seem to think so, I’d argue that times where you “do nothing” or “do nothing days” are just as, if not more important than working. To clarify, my interpretation of doing nothing would be when you’re not doing something inherently “productive” such as homework, work, college essays (barf), or anything of the sort. Now don’t go off telling your parents that Dina said you should never do any work - I’ve got enough on my plate fending off my own parents, thank you. I think breaks are necessary, in moderation. Just like being productive is necessary, in moderation. 

I remember sometime last year when I was talking to my doctor. She mentioned that the average full attention span of someone my age would last about 20 minutes. Don’t fact-check me on this - I have a notoriously spotty memory. But after that appointment, I started to take a short 5-minute break after every 20 minutes of intense studying or focus, considering the advice my doctor gave me. Believe it or not, I noticed I could stay more productive for extended periods of time. I admit it could just be a placebo, but it could also be the real benefit of giving my brain a couple of minutes to breathe. 

In general, I really do think it’s important to take time off of things, even if it’s something you enjoy doing. Just like how athletes take time off of their sport after their season for their body to heal, the mind needs to heal in the same way. When your brain is activated, it’s under strain. And if your brain is under strain for extended periods, no matter what the cause, it can lead to fatigue and decreased efficiency & productivity. A lot of the time, when I decide I can afford to take a day off and spend some time outside taking a walk or sitting in a cafe to enjoy the atmosphere, I come back home feeling just as productive and a lot more refreshed than on days I would spend cooped up working at home.

So it’s ok to put down that pencil once in a while to sit outside, doing nothing. Just as long as you promise me you’ll get back to work… at some point.