Is "doing nothing" a good use of your time?

The action of "doing nothing" is complicated. You'd have to get super philosophical to find the true meaning of doing nothing. I think for most people, it's just an expression for when they can't put a label on what they're doing at the moment. 


For me, "doing nothing" has many meanings. For example, when I'm lying on my bed looking at my phone, someone calls or texts me asking, "Yo, what are you doing right now?" I tell them, "Nothing, what about you?" In reality, I am doing something; I'm scrolling YouTube shorts. When I tell someone I'm "doing nothing," it's usually because I'm not doing anything important. Typically, "unimportant" things include scrolling my favorite YouTube shorts, watching TV, listening to music, or playing video games, to name a few. Basically, anything not school-related means I'm "doing nothing." 


Is it a good use of my time? It depends. 


"Doing nothing" sometimes turns into procrastination. Like everything else in life, there is a time and place for "doing nothing." There also has to be a balance between productivity and controlled laziness, which is how I like to describe "doing nothing." It's not uncommon for me to find myself "doing nothing" when I have an assignment due. It's an unhealthy habit, but it happens. That's the negative side of "doing nothing." it can sometimes help me collect myself but also affect my productivity.


However, as popular American poet and philosopher Bruno Mars once said, some days, you "don't feel like doing anything." Sometimes, you just want to lay in your bed. And that's OK. Doing nothing isn't necessarily a bad thing. While "doing nothing" has different meanings for everyone, sometimes your mind and body don't need to do anything. For example, let's say you just finished a super busy week where you had two tests, a major essay, and a presentation. And let's say that in between studying, writing, editing, and practicing your presentation, you got, on average, four hours of sleep that week. Your body might need some "doing nothing" time at that point. There's nothing wrong with taking a break sometimes. Your body and brain will thank you. 


Although some might see "doing nothing" as "unproductive" or "a waste of time," the way I see it, "doing nothing" after you've done a lot is incredibly beneficial for your mental and physical health. But, like I said, "doing nothing" differs for everyone; it's about what works best for you. 












Comments

  1. Grace ToOctober 19, 2023 at 3:16 PM

    I think this is a great start to your essay. You clearly answer the prompt in the beginning and explore it from multiple perspectives. Your hook could be a little more interesting - you could try using the anecdote in your second paragraph to try to narrate some sort of story to capture the reader's attention. I think you could expand on the second half of your essay and be more specific about when doing nothing is okay and what it means for you. You could also add specific anecdotes to explain your explanations.

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  2. Matthew UlozasOctober 20, 2023 at 9:46 AM

    I like the ideas already there. Your essay mainly focuses on the relaxing and recharging effects of doing nothing which I like, but you could also expand more on the procrastination negative side. In your final paragraph you mention that doing nothing can benefit physical health, and I like the comparison of resting after physical exercise to resting after mental exercise .

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  3. Nyla Kyles October 25, 2023 at 9:10 AM

    I like your tone throughout the essay, its very conversational. I don't think you have that much narration/storytelling throughout this essay but I think in this context it works because it feels like you're bouncing ideas back and forth with the reader. You also do a good job relating your personal experiences with your reader in a universal way. I don't think theres anything you really need to add, as I said before you don't narrate much but I think whether you want to add more personal details is up to you. Good Job.

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