But these days the typical job isn’t so secure anymore. Society got used to the idea that if you got a job and worked hard, they’d take care of you.

People used to consider economic risk as something that only businesses needed to worry about. It seemed like all was well until recent events have confused us all as to the real difference between work and leisure. In the 20th century, their effort paid off and the 8-hour workday became the norm. In the words of a popular trade union song they desired “eight hours of work, eight hours of rest, and eight hours of what we will.”Įssentially, they needed time outside of work to do nothing.

In the late 1800s, workers in America wanted 8-hour workdays. If you want to save this summary for later, download the free PDF and read it whenever you want.ĭownload PDF Lesson 1: It’s constantly getting harder to see the difference between work and leisure, which is making us feel like doing nothing is a waste of time. Ready to discover the power of doing nothing? Let’s get to it so we can try it out ourselves!

Think more carefully about what other people’s motives are for their actions and you’ll have an easier time dealing with minor inconveniences.

There is a lot of beauty in the world to notice if you start the habit of pausing.

We think doing nothing is a waste of our time because of the ever-diminishing line between work and leisure.

These are just 3 of the many lessons in this book that have helped me relax more: Most importantly though, you’ll get some valuable tips for beating busyness so you can have more peace. It’s got everything you need to know about why always being connected is bad for you and where the habit came from. That’s why I really loved reading Jenny Odell’s How to do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy. I also enjoy a break from travel, shopping, and all forms of work. It feels amazing to talk less and avoid the internet and devices as much as possible. Most of all though, I pause everything going on in my life to focus only on what’s most important. I take it as a time to sharpen the saw by reflecting on the previous week and preparing for the week ahead. Listen to the audio of this summary with a free reading.fm account*:

Jenny odell's how to do nothing