Regaining the art of doing nothing
We live in a time of unlimited information. Through smart technology we really do have the world at our fingertips. There are obvious benefits to this: we can maintain relationships with close friends that have moved away; we can find answers to questions at the drop of a hat; we can learn about changes and new developments across the world we never would have known about if we lived 30 years ago.
Instant access to unlimited information does however come at a very high price: the price of your limited attention. As humans we can only pay attention to so much, and the information and social media giants know that all too well. So, they use all their skills, tricks and algorithms to get you to pay constant attention to what they have to offer. The result? You become overwhelmed by bitesize pieces of information that offer very little value and distract you from the things you really should be paying close attention too. Think about it – Kim Kardashian really does have very little to offer, but millions of people spend billions of hours paying attention to what she has to say every year.
Constant and continuous exposure to what others believe you should care about, buy, look and life like has negative consequences for most of us. Since nobody can live up to the artificial and curated levels we are held to, comparison causes levels of mental distress, discontent and unhappiness not known before.
So, what can you do about this? One option would be to take back your attention and relearn how to do nothing.
Learning how to do nothing does not really mean you have to do “nothing” – it relates more to doing more things that are not driven by the attention economy (all the entities, businesses and organisations that are competing for for attention).
Some examples would include:
- Going for a walk in your neighborhood and paying close attention to the trees, plants, and birds you come across. If you live somewhere without trees, pay attention to the weeds growing through the cracks in the pavement. Really immerse yourself in your environment as much as you can.
- Having a meaningful, in-person conversation with a friend, where you can look each other in the eyes, laugh and talk about things that genuinely matter to you (no Keeping Up With The Kardashians chat).
- Riding your bike, going for a swim or taking a jog without your smart watch, so Discovery or Strava does not know what you are up to.
- Finding your old frisbee or a tennis ball and playing with your kids or dog in the garden, the park or on the beach.
- Playing tennis, even if you suck at it!
- Reading that book (made of paper) that has been on your shelf for months or years.
- Having a meal with the TV switched off, while you pay close attention to what your food tastes like.
The Takeaway
As humans we are at the risk of losing the ability to pay attention to the things that really matter to us for more than a fleeting moment at a time. Scattered thoughts lead to scattered behaviours and identities. In his famous book Flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi notes that the quality of our lives is directly related to the content of our conscious minds. If we are continuously paying attention to things that are momentarily amusing, but intrinsically without value, over time we are going to start experiencing our lives as being rather meaningless (and that is a slippery slope towards much bigger problems). Start paying attention to your attention. REALLY be where you are. Experience your surroundings deeply. Use all of your senses and remember how to do nothing.
One last thing…
Taking these tough times into consideration and with the knowledge that people are under severe pressure, PurposeWorks has developed a series of workshops aimed at building resilience, enhancing emotional intelligence, managing and dealing with burnout and focusing on the importance of selfcare. Our aim is to provide practical, actionable advice, informed by the science of Positive Psychology in an accessible and affordable format.
These workshops are aimed at individuals, teams and organisations. Please contact us at hello@purposeworks.co.za for more information on scheduling and pricing options.
At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
