Reclaiming the lost art of nothing

We roll our eyes when older folks say we spend too much time on our phones because we know we are also doing meaningful and valuable things, just our own way. And faster.

We’ve upgraded the medium of work and entertainment. While their access was time-bound, ours is always-on. When we’re not working round the clock, we’re enjoying endless comedy, football, or catching hot takes.

But guess what we’ve not replaced from their life? Sitting on the verandah, and doing nothing. They had hours after work and cinema time to just be. But our work, play, and everything in between follow us everywhere.

It appears that we’ve lost the art of doing nothing. I don’t mean thinking through a problem or wallowing in worry, although those would come and go when you do nothing. I mean just being present in a moment of no doing—not checking if there is a new notification, just counting the tiles, or noticing your breath, the sound in the room, the smell of your lunch, or the bird flying nowhere.

Toilet breaks used to offer this. Now we scroll. Mealtimes? Now we stream. In this device-heavy life, doing nothing is hard. It’s hard for me and you. But we must try to reclaim some of it. Today you can try to set a 5-minute timer to do nothing, and you will realize how long time is.

It is important that we try. Because from nothing flows what we truly need: gratitude, patience, empathy. And from those come wisdom, creativity, insight—and maybe, greatness.