Google “being lazy,” and almost all of the results are about how to stop being lazy.  Not until you add the words “benefits of” do articles like this Time article titled Why Being Lazy is Actually Good for You show up.  

We live in a culture obsessed with productivity, where we wear our business like a badge of honor, where staying late in the office nightly is praised, and in some settings, expected. Vacation days go unused, and families report record levels of disconnect.  

When we do stop to breathe, it is often to scroll social media or binge TV. We fall asleep without stopping the input of stimuli into our brain, so there is very little chance for the things we’ve seen and learned throughout our day to be processed and understood.

Real rest, where we allow our brain to drift and do nothing, is what creates the opportunity for creativity and meaning-making of our experiences. 

Doing nothing is rare; sitting without a task or objective, taking a walk without a podcast, driving without the radio or an audiobook playing.  We often struggle to give ourselves permission to put down the to-do list temporarily and rest without there being a reason or justification.

What we then rob ourselves of is creative solutions to nagging problems and more grand plans and goals for ourselves.  Ironically, doing nothing is what allows your brain to tap into its true potential and solve problems more quickly, process more efficiently, and create a more satisfying and full picture of your life.  

If you must have justification to rest, use that – by caring for yourself and resting, you are actually becoming more productive!

Written by: Molly Halbrooks