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Over the summer, and during the school year as well, parents seem convinced that their kids need something to do. Or that they should always be doing something- whether that something is an after-school sport or summer camp. However, what about letting them do nothing? What’s so bad about letting our kids get bored? It can be an incredible feeling when you do nothing– no pressure, and no commitment.

How often do you let your kids get bored? Let's talk for a moment about the incredible feeling of doing nothing.

When was the last time you sat and did nothing?

How long did it last? No, we’re not talking about sitting in front of the TV folding socks and t-shirts. We’re not talking about chatting on the phone with your mom. Or the day you sat down to work and ended up reading random blog posts, watched cat videos on YouTube, and Pinterest recipes for twenty minutes. We’re talking nothing. Doing nothing at all: simply sitting still and doing nothing. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

Doing nothing has its value.

Why You Need to Do Nothing

Winnie the Pooh author AA Milne said, “Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” Many people will argue that we don’t do that enough. Stopping to listen has its benefits.

People often get their best ideas while doing nothing. Walt Disney spent countless Saturdays in Griffith Park watching his daughters play on the carousel, waiting for hours until they were ready to go. It made him wish there was a park where kids and parents could enjoy things together. Was Mr. Disney doing nothing? Um, only coming up with the idea for the greatest theme park in the world.

Writers, songwriters, actors, inventors and philosophers have all been known to get their best ideas while doing nothing.

Whether it’s a nap, a shower, driving, yard work, or cleaning, creativity is often at its peak when we allow our minds to not focus on the problem we’re trying to solve, but instead let it rest. Problems get solved, final acts get written and songs get composed.

Stephanie Meyer says the concept for her Twilight series came to her in a dream.

J.K. Rowling says the world of Harry Potter came to her fully formed while she was riding a train.

The song “Pretty Woman” was written when Roy Orbison was just playing anything that came to mind. His wife said she was going to go to the store, his partner, Bill Dees, made a comment and Orbison sang “Pretty woman… walking down the street.” The song was finished that day, recorded a week later and a week after that the song was out.

Monks spend hours sitting in meditation.

Are they doing nothing? They’re lowering their blood pressure, clearing their minds, improving their circulation and perhaps learning something about themselves. There’s an old Zen saying recommending meditation for 20 minutes every day unless you’re too busy – then you should meditate an hour.

Now, while getting your kids to meditate for an hour might not work out well; encourage them to take a break and relax.

Getting your kids to do nothing also gets them away from their toys, their electronics, and from television.

Send them outside and let them play.  Sure, they’re doing something by playing. But play is productive. It encourages imagination, and gets your kids moving.

Back in the day, people would sit on their front porch. They’d basically sit and do nothing. Watch a butterfly or birds in the yard, sip lemonade, or swing on the porch swing. The lazy summer days are nearly gone now – today’s porch sitter would be texting, Snapchatting, Instagramming, reading Twitter updates, or news headlines. There’s no time for sitting.

Maybe there should be.

Next time you’re headed out on a neighborhood power-walk or heading out to sit on the deck, consider leaving your phone and tablet behind. Just sit there, sip your coffee and look around. Sometimes a little rest, a little daydreaming, a little cloud watching or stargazing is good for the soul.

Do you remember playing games while watching the clouds? Do that again with your kids.

In the words of Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.”

Doing nothing can be incredibly freeing. And honestly, it helps you to appreciate what you have in life.

So when was the last time you did nothing? Think about it. And if it’s been too long, then maybe it’s time to do nothing.

How often do you let your kids get bored and do nothing? There is an incredible feeling that comes along with doing absolutely nothing. Try it some time.

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Kori

Digital Product Creator at Kori at Home
Kori is a late diagnosed autistic/ADHD mom. She is currently located in Albany, NY where she is raising a neurodiverse family. Her older daughter is non-speaking autistic (and also has ADHD and Anxiety) and her youngest daughter is HSP/Gifted. A blogger, podcaster, writer, product creator, and coach; Kori shares autism family life- the highs, lows, messy, and real. Kori brings her own life experiences as an autistic woman combined with her adventures in momming to bring you the day-to-day of her life at home. Kori is on a mission to empower moms of autistic children to make informed parenting decisions with confidence and conviction.

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Corinne
6 years ago

Yes to this! Every day after dinner is cleaned up, I go to my room and just sit in silence for 10 minutes. It’s amazing how this brief period of “nothing” is enough to restore my energy for the rest of the evening.