Doing nothing is often underrated in today’s busy society. But learning to just be and not ‘do’ for part of your day or week, is one of the best self-care gifts you can give to yourself.
The Little Book of Sloth Philosophy is a beautifully written book by Jennifer McCartney. Be happy, live better, sleep soundly, eat mindfully. It’s all too exhausting for the sloth, who is mindfulness in action: contemplative, deliberate, relaxed and focused. Sloths don’t log steps on fitness trackers and find sleep more restorative than a 6am run! It really is OK to be a sloth!
The Lost Art of Doing Nothing is a book about how the Dutch practice the art of niksen – the absence of a goal that does not serve any purpose at all! Don’t you think it’s time for a break? Plagued in a world of nonstop pings and notifications, we have lost the knack of zoning out, kicking back and slacking off. Even when pandemic-induced lockdowns forced people to clear their calendars, many filled their days with Netflix and doomscrolling. The Dutch have it figured out. Niksen is their best-kept lifestyle secret – the art of doing, well, nothing. It’s the opposite of productivity, and it’s incredibly good for your mind, body, creativity and wallet. If you’re waiting for an invitation to go lie down, this book is it.
Do Nothing to Change Your Life asks ‘when did you last allow yourself to waste time, enjoy the pleasure of a lie-in or lose yourself in your favourite music? Many people live at break-neck speed – cramming work, family, friends and endless tasks into every relentless day. There is barely enough time to sleep, let alone to stop and take stock. In this life-affirming book, Stephen Cottrell shows what you miss, when you listen to that inner voice that keeps driving on. With humour and wisdom, he encourages you to hang out with your inner slob, and rediscover not just the pleasures, but the real benefits and unexpected gifts to be found, in simply messing about. more instead of less, living harder not smarter, and becoming more lonely and anxious.
