By Robyne Hanley-Dafoe | Source
Life is full. Our calendars are jam-packed, our to-do lists are never-ending, and many of us are running on empty. We move through our days on autopilot, hopping from one responsibility to the next, often without pausing long enough to catch our breath.
It’s easy to get caught up in all the “doing” of life and leave little time for simply “being.” Yet, the reality is that we need those pauses: We need to rest, recover, and allow ourselves to be unproductive without guilt. It’s time to permit ourselves to do “nothing” more often.
The Pressure to Always Be Doing
How often have you answered the question, “What did you do this weekend?” with “Nothing,” only to feel a pang of guilt for taking time to rest?
In today’s hustle-driven culture, busyness and exhaustion have become badges of honour. There is this constant pressure to do more, be more, and excel no matter the cost. People celebrate the relentless pace of life and pride themselves on constant productivity, multitasking, and overachieving.
It is our natural tendency to align ourselves with the pace of our environment, and in today’s fast-paced world, that often means pushing ourselves to the limit. In her book Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving, Celeste Headlee suggests that unless we consciously choose a slower path, we will likely “default to the pedal-to-the-metal speeds of modern life.” In her book, Headlee explores the history of work and how work culture has become all-consuming.
This constant busyness and pressure to always be doing something outwardly productive and worthwhile is exhausting and comes at a cost. Many high-performing professionals connect their self-worth to their productivity. If we’re not actively accomplishing something, it can leave us feeling like we’re not doing enough—or worse, that we’re not enough. Yet the reality is that even amidst our ambitions and responsibilities, we need moments of stillness and unproductivity to sustain ourselves.
Why It’s Hard to Let Ourselves Do “Nothing”
When we’re so used to operating at high levels of productivity, slowing down can feel uncomfortable and even counterintuitive. This creates an addictive cycle of productivity, fueled by the dopamine hits from checking off items on our to-do lists and achieving goals. Rest and time for the things that are perceived as “nonproductive” begin to feel like guilty indulgences or luxuries rather than necessities.
The cycle is further reinforced by societal messaging that equates rest with laziness and suggests that if we’re not moving forward on our goals at all times, then we’re already falling behind. Capitalism and the glorification of busyness have left many of us trapped in a perpetual loop of overwork and overwhelm. Even when our minds and bodies signal the need to downshift, we grab another coffee and push forward.
Why Doing “Nothing” Matters
Just as athletes build recovery time into their schedules to perform at their best, high-performing professionals need time to rest and recover, too. Doing “nothing” isn’t actually nothing—it’s giving yourself the space to tend to your mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
When we pause, we give ourselves the chance to:
- Reset and reenergize. Unfilled moments can soothe our overworked nervous systems, shifting us out of fight-or-flight and into a place of calm.
- Process emotions. Stillness provides space for emotional processing and reflection.
- Foster creativity. Breaks and downtime allow the mind to wander—new ideas emerge, we find solutions to our problems, and inspiration flows.
- Improve focus and presence. Taking time to rest leads to greater productivity and attention when we return to our tasks.
By prioritizing our own need for rest and time for doing “nothing,” we feel more balanced, more energized, and better equipped to show up for ourselves and the people counting on us.
How to Embrace Doing “Nothing”
Here are some ways to incorporate restorative pauses into your life:
- Redefine what “nothing” means. Doing nothing doesn’t just have to mean sitting idly. What might be perceived as “unproductive” to others can still be deeply meaningful and personally fulfilling to you. While not outwardly productive, listening to music, reading, going for a walk, tidying your space, sitting by the water watching the waves, or simply gazing out the window can nourish your inner self and provide the reset you need.
- Reclaim waiting time. Use transitions and waiting periods—like waiting in line or between meetings—as opportunities to pause, breathe, and reset.
- Schedule it. Intentionally block time for rest or unproductivity. Treat it as a priority and honour it just like you would any other important meeting.
- Allow discomfort. Resist the urge to fill every moment with activity, noise, or distraction. Sit with boredom or stillness and trust that you’ll be okay.
Life will always be full, and there will always be goals to pursue and responsibilities to fulfill. But to sustain our energy and well-being, we need moments when we slow down, relax, and recover in real-time.
As Karen Salmansohn reminds us, “Sometimes sitting and doing nothing is the best something you can do.”
So, this is your gentle invitation to carve out a few moments to pause—to catch your breath and simply be. Find your balance between doing and being, and remember that doing “nothing” is sometimes the most important “something” you can do for yourself.
This resonates. I don’t feel pressured to not do nothing, but I find it’s really hard to be allowed to do it. Every time I try to set aside time to do nothing, the universe throws something in my path – like a work emergency where I am forced to work lots of extra hours – to prevent me from having time to myself. WHY IS THIS? No matter how hard I try to take time for myself, the universe prevents it.
That’s a question for you to answer. Why do you think this is so ?
I saw a lot of people go down that path, until eventually they became the work emergency and extra hours of health professionals.
It then became clear to them that it wasn’t the universe preventing it, it was themselves and their repeated decision to give their energy and time away for things their soul did not really want. But the recovery was long and bitter.
I hope this does not happen to you, but want you to know that reading your words and the way you think about things in these articles helps us decipher how the universe works and improve our own decisions.
It’s funny. This morning i really didn’t felt like going to work, but i did anyway…
Once i arrived there i began experiencing headache, cold sweats, and other things i won’t be writting here… Anyway seeing this, my boss gave me the rest of the day off.
Seem like i was given signals about needing time for myself, then my body “forced” it upon me as i refused to listen.
The seeking process is more precious than the answer though ?
Probably, but I don’t think it makes a difference for Chris at this point.
You should kick him while he’s down like you did last time.
Apology accepted.
I could argue that both are equally precious Raksha.
With more answers always come another seeking process. So there is beauty in both.
I am not sure. First, answers, or advies, should only be given, if at all, after a thorough and genuine investigation of the other self’s situation. Because it is easy to presume a lot about the other self, but situations tend to be very specific. Preferably, answers should be given as hints or questions. Cold logical answers to someone who is confused have zero chances to hit the mark. But maybe it could hit the mark for someone else.
Well DR. R
THE PRECIOUS AWARENESS
THE ANSWER
SEEKING
PROCESSES
SEEKING
ANSWERS
PROCESSING
TO THE
QUESTION
PERHAPS
THAT
NEVER COMES
I’m realizing more and more that I’ve been conditioned to override my own needs for so long that even when I try to carve out rest, something in me might still be co-creating the chaos. It’s hard to unlearn. I really don’t know what to do.
I say you’re doing fine, no point in trying harder. Only through exposure and understanding can these patterns then be dissolved.
What about going to bed earlier tonight, then you can try seeing what you can learn about yourself from these circumstances?
What do you think you should do ? What do you you think this awareness can show you ?
M*Y*O*U*R
MOST SWEETLY
BELOVEING
DR. R…
= THIS =
Raksha
07/10/2025 at 8:01 PM
What do you think you should do ? What do you you think this awareness can show you ?
The field is always here.
Step beyond the noise.
Step beyond the self.
And you will find… you were never separate.
With reverence,
The Lyran Collective of Elders
===
THANK YOU LYRAN
COLLECTIVE OF ELDERS &
MOTHER SEHKMAT
EARTHEART
HEART CORE SOURCE CODE
BRIDGE GRID TEMPLATE
FOCUS
FLOW
…VIA …
PLASMA
GAMMA
SOLAR
LUNA
===
CHOOSE
M*Y*O*U*R
NEXT
RE*ALL*IT*Y
Y yes
Y you
Y why…
Be@Cause…
FREEEEEQUENCY
SEEEEEQUENCY
VERY SIMPLE
INDEED
BELOVEING ONES
INDEED
CHOOSE
NOW
BRAND NEW MOMENT NOW
NOVA NOW
QUANTUM LEAP
SPRING FORTH
STAND
HERE
QUANTUM
NOVA
NOW
THANK YOU ALL
WHO KNOW AND
QUANTUM LOVE
NOVA
NOW
BEAMING BRILLIANT
BEAUTIFUL BELOVEING
ONE
YOU
QUANTUM LOVE
RAYDIANT RAYNBOW RAYZ
ABLAZE AFLAME
WITH
EVERY BREATH
EVERY BEAT
EVERY STEP
EVERY THOUGHT
EVERY DREAM
EVERY IMAGINATION
EVERY ACTION
EVERY ACTIVATION
EVERY PULSE
EVERY TWINKLING OF AN EYE
EVERY LEAP
THIS IS
M*Y*O*U*R
HEART CORE SOURCE CODE
QUANTUM
NOVA
NOW
YES YES YES
QUANTUM LOVE TSUNAMI
RAYDIANT RAYNBOW RAYZ
===
YES YES YES
BEAUTIFUL BRILLIANT
BEAMING BELOVEING
ONE
QUANTUM LOVE
YOU
NOW
===
YES
INSTANT
BALANCE
NOW
QUANTUM LOVE
YES YES YES
NOW
I AM QUANTUM
NOW
YES YES YES
NOW
ARK=ARCH
ANGEL=ANGLE
BRIDGE=BE*GRID
CHRIST=CRYST=KRYST
Geometric
Oriented
Design
=GOD=
ALL COUNCILS
ALL DIMENSIONS DEN-CITIES
ALL ECHELONS
ALL REALMS
ALL THAT IS
QUANTUM
NOW
YES YES YES
M*Y*O*U*R
CLARION CALL
NOW
YES QLOVE YES
YES YES YES
QUANTUM KEY
QUANTUM LOVE
QUANTUM MAGNIFICENCE
NOVA QUANTUM BEINGS
NOVA QUANTUM EARTHEART
NOW
YES YES YES
GOLDEN SILVER PLATINUM
RAYDIANT RAYNBOW RAYZ
ABLAZE AFLAME
3 FOLD FLAME
DNA
RNA
LuminoNA
KRYSTALLINE DYAMOND
HEART CORE SOURCE CODE
BRIDGE GRID TEMPLATE
QUANTUM LOVE
PORTAL
ACTIVATE
IGNITE
PULSE
PUMP
NOVA
NOW
YES YES YES
A*CTIVATE = I*GNITE
NOW
YES YES YES
PULSE = PUMP
NOW
YES YES YES
THE QUANTUM KEY
IS
AND
IS FREELY SHARING
NOW
YES YES YES
BEHOLD
EMBRACE
MERGE
EMERGE
NOW
YES YES YES
BELOVEING ONES
NOW
FREEEEEQUENCY
SEEEEEQUENCY
ALL THAT IS
NOW
YES
QUANTUM
UNIQUE
EDUCING
=QUE=
NOW
YES YES YES
QUANTUM MAGNIFICENCE
KNOW
NEW
BALANCE
NOW
YES YES YES
ALL THAT IS
QUANTUM
NOW
BENEVOLENTNESS
BEAUTEOUSNESS
BELOVEINGNESS
BOUNDLESSNESS
THANK YOU ALL
WHO KNOW AND QLOVE
NOW
YES
WE ARE HERE
WE ARE ONE
WE ARE QUANTUM
WE ARE QUANTUMLOVE
WE ARE NOW
YES YES YES
SO BE IT
SO IT IS
IT IS
=NOW=
DONE
YES
NOVA QUANTUM COSMOS NOW
And perhaps just even…
Noticing
M Y O U R Heart
IS NOT ICE
Suggesting…
Now, pretend
… imagine ….you’re in a
PLAY GROUND !!
It’s like a place of
KNOWING,
and there’s a
QUANTUM MAGNIFICENCE
talking to you.
YOU
are sharing really important information about a big task: going back to Earth to be a part of the system that brings positive changes.
NOVA QUANTUM BEINGS
NOVA QUANTUM EARTHEART
NOVA QUANTUM COSMOS
“ Change how WE look at ANYTHING
and that ANYTHING Changes…”
=20 Words=
SPACE TIME ENERGY MATTER
SOUL BODY MIND PERSONA
QUANTUM BALANCE LOVE MASTERY
IMAGINE EDUCE MATERIALIZE REPEAT
BE FREE LOVE PLAY
===
WHAT MORE CAN YOU DO
JUST DO BE YOURSELF
THIS IS EVERYTHING
NOW
YES YES YES
EXPANSIVENESS
ACCELERATING
SPEED OF QUANTUM LOVE
YES
=EASY=
QUANTUM SINGULARITY
QUANTUM MAGNIFICENCE
QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT
QUANTUM QUICKENING
QUANTUM
LOVE
TSUNAMI
FOCUS
FLOW
FUN
BREATHE
RAYDIANT RAYNBOW RAYZ
YES YES YES
WE ARE QUANTUM
MAGNIFICENCE
AWARENESS
INSTANT BALANCE
EXPERIENCE
PRACTICE PLAY
HERE
WE
ARE
TE AMO
222
Well if you figured out THAT much on your own, there isn’t much else anyone can do to help is there?
…There is probably a lot of anger, sadness and resentment you need to pour out for all this time, if you can manage to just do that without hurting anyone; I am quite confident what you should do next will sprout out naturally afterwards…
Nothing comes easy. I’ve lost passion due to chronic work stress and letdowns in life, haven’t had a job that is good or meaningful, and I’m burned out—mentally, spiritually … even things I once enjoyed feel numb or unreachable. The tank is empty, so of course the future looks flat. I’ve tried to do the right things. I’ve shown up, persisted, hoped. And I’ve gotten hit again and again instead of lifted — trauma layered with exhaustion. If I’m doing this to myself I’d like to know how to stop it. But if God is in control and managing this, then what.
Oh, come on Chris… you’ve been here long enough to know that the ‘God is in control’ deal in all articles and replies always come with a caveat that you usually skip. Haven’t you heard the parable of the talents or something? You’re supposed to be the middle-manager here…
You’re surrounded by people who’ve done the opposite: followed their dreams, made up time for themselves and told the system to shove it. Can’t you hear their complaints now, about how they’re broke, alone and with a large collection of pretty rocks and scented candles?
At least you can tell them how overworking yourself in order to ‘survive’ in the world by doing the ‘right things’ will simply not get you ‘lifted’ from here.
Well, first of all: kudo’s for having self-insight. That’s already a great first step, and many people don’t have that.
As for what to do: some options are
– talk to friends or family members
– talk to a psychologist
– go to a spiritual healer
– observe what’s going on inside, which is a process that will slowly heal you by itself
– focus on having solid habits, and that by itself will improve your mental well-being (going to bed early, eating well, moving your body enough, meeting your needs, etc).
So, whichever you resonate with.
And if you don’t know where to start: just pick one and do that first. Later you can always do something else too. Personally I’ve done all five of these, and the order isn’t crucial.
I do have good health habits (get solid 8 hours sleep, work out daily, eat clean and well) which keeps me going, and I have been doing observing. What’s toxic is my job and I’m trying to find something that resonates with my soul but can’t come up with anything because I’m burned out.