11 Nov The scientific case for doing nothing
For many years now I’ve been encouraging people to … do nothing.
Well, not to actually do nothing ALL the time.
But to prioritise rest and recovery just as much as action and “doing”.
Work is important; but so too is non-work. We can’t be “on” all the time and play and fun are massively underrated.
If you’ve ever thought you’d like to do less more often, but need a strong argument to convince yourself or others, then check out this great article by Celeste Headlee from the Next Big Idea Club …
Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist, professional speaker, and bestselling author whose new book is Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving. Her work and insights have been featured on TODAY, Psychology Today, Inc., NPR, Time, Essence, Elle, BuzzFeed, Salon, and many more. She’s had a remarkable 20-year career in public radio, and her TEDx Talk on ways to have a better conversation has been viewed over 30 million times.
Below, Celeste offers 5 key insights from Do Nothing in this exclusive Next Big Idea Club Book Bite.
1. Hustle culture started hundreds of years ago.
We’re living in a hustle culture that’s become toxic—we feel like we should be more efficient and more productive, like we should always be building our brand and implementing life hacks. It’s tempting to think that this is caused by technology and social media, but this trend actually began in the Industrial Revolution. Generation after generation have leaned into the same sorts of habits and values that have led us to this point, leaving us exhausted and unhealthy.
2. Work is not essential to life.
Human beings have inherent needs. One of them is social contact, which is required for a human being to remain healthy in body and mind. Other needs include language, rules, play, music, and more. But when you drill down to the things that are common to all members of our species, you don’t find work. In fact, assuming that your survival needs are taken care of and you feel that you have a purpose, you can live a perfectly healthy and fulfilled life without working…
… keep reading the full & original article HERE