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

I hate the answer “It depends.” On my list of least favorite answers, it falls just below “maybe, maybe not” and a smidge above “I don’t know.” But certain vague questions necessitate equally vague answers, and the question “is doing nothing a good use of time” receives a solid "perhaps." 

This question hinges on two definitions. First, what is “doing nothing”? Second, what is a “good” use of time? Of course, truly doing nothing is not often a good use of time. Really, it’s impossible to do absolutely nothing unless you are dead. But, under certain circumstances, and with certain definitions of the aforementioned terms, there are arguments that doing “nothing” can be beneficial.

For doing nothing to be a good use of time, it cannot get in the way of important tasks. Taking breaks to increase productivity is useful, but complete procrastination is the opposite of a good use of time. There are many activities that could be considered doing nothing, but I think that as long as an activity makes you happy and doesn’t negatively impact your life (e.g. work/school, relationships, health), it is a good use of time. Watching TV, napping in a hammock, or just daydreaming can all be considered “doing nothing,” but they can still be good uses of time.

There are a lot of times I can think of where doing nothing would have been better than doing something. I could have avoided making mistakes, getting hurt, or saying stupid things. But I guess, in these situations, doing nothing would have been neutral rather than good.

Subbie year, we had to write a “This I Believe” essay. From what I remember, the point was to express some element of our worldviews. I recently revisited that essay (I like to reread old writing because it brings back forgotten memories and it’s fun to see how I have changed). The writing was okay, but what is important to this essay is the argument that I made.

My thesis was that “some days are best spent in pajamas.” In the essay, I made an argument for doing nothing. I wrote it after reading some interesting research on the brain. I didn’t cite my sources, but in the essay, I claim that doing nothing can “boost memory, improve decision making and concentration, reduce anger and frustration, and boost confidence.” I also recall watching a video around that time called “Why Boredom is Good For You.” It explained that boredom, essentially doing nothing, puts you in an unfocused, drifting mental state that leads to increased creativity and allows for self-reflection.

All this to say, there is some evidence in support of doing nothing, so long as doing nothing gives you time to think and/or relax. Since subby year, I have occasionally tried to apply these principles to my own life, but I’ve been pretty unsuccessful. I have a hard time doing any activity without my phone. Getting ready for school, exercising, and eating are all prime opportunities for me to watch YouTube videos, listen to podcasts, or browse Reddit. But, possibly just due to placebo or a sense of self righteousness, the few times I have managed to pull myself away from my phone, I feel more relaxed and I am able to complete my activities more efficiently. 

There is one more annoying answer that I'd like to add to my list from before. And that is “In moderation.” As much as I dislike that answer, it applies here. Doing nothing, just like doing almost any kind of something, is good in moderation. I think it was good that I spent an hour watching TV with my family tonight. I don’t think it was good that I then watched an hour of YouTube and didn’t start this essay until midnight (I know I'm posting on Tuesday but I promise I wrote this on Saturday night).