Nothing to do – The Economic Times

You are up to your gills in work. You have absolutely no time to spare. Well, this is when you yearn to do nothing, at least for a while. When you suddenly find yourself with some free time, the sweetness is superlative. As Jerome K Jerome says, it is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless you have plenty of work to do. There is no fun in doing nothing, when you have nothing to do. ‘Wasting time is merely an occupation, and a most exhausting one. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet, must be stolen.’ True, which is why it is said that an idle mind is a devil’s workshop – that is, prolonged idleness can turn negative.

What if doing nothing is in itself your avowed occupation, as in zoning out, detached from the material world, aspiring for that state of bliss where you become one with everything? One could argue that it is not strictly doing nothing, for you have a goal and you are working towards it. But, still, the process does involve doing nothing, in a manner of speaking. This is why most of us find it difficult to stay still and meditate, or simply ‘be’ without engaging in some kind of action. Hence, ‘doing nothing’ is also something that is cultivated with diligent effort and focus. Which means, to do nothing is also hard work. When you really do nothing, your brain/mind gets its much-needed break, relieved from stress and strain.