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When You Don’t Feel Like Doing Anything

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Achieve Highlighted in DictionaryEverywhere you look, you’re told to achieve.

And sure, you can get things done, but at what cost?

If you’re anything like me, you want to do work you love, but you also want to remain somewhat sane.

Life isn’t all about work. It’s not all about achieving. There are times when you feel like taking action.

And there are times when you don’t feel like doing anything.

When You Don’t Feel Like Doing Anything — The Video

Before you read the rest of the post, watch this short video where I share how I deal with these periods.

I share my experience, and what I’ve found to work.

And if you want to get notified of new videos, make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Not all videos are posted here on the blog.

The Purpose of Doing Nothing

There’s an ebb and flow to life.

There’s a time for action, and a time for rest.

You can force progress, but look around you. The people pushing are the most exhausted.

Sure, they’ll tell you they feel great, but are they really? Their actions reveal their true inner state. Their scrambling to get somewhere is a sign of unhappiness.

Doing nothing is natural. But doing nothing doesn’t mean doing nothing.

Let me clarify…

The Power of Giving Up

This isn’t about lying in bed all day.

When I talk about doing nothing, what I truly mean is an inner state. A state of not pushing, not trying, and not forcing. It’s a state of allowing things to be as they are.

And what is that state if not the state of being in the present moment, living life right here, right now.

This is about giving up what was never in your control.

Surrendering what you think you want, and discovering what you were meant to do.

I never believed surrender was the way. I didn’t accept it out right. Instead, I experimented.

Achieving things was my life for 20+ years. It wasn’t working. So I tried something else.

But There Are Doubts

“What if nothing happens?”

“What if life passes me by?”

“What if my dreams slip by like invisible ghosts?”

Eventually it became obvious to me that if I am meant to do something, it will happen.

I still have to listen to my inner GPS to spot the right opportunities for me. I don’t have to worry about missing out.

I didn’t go from 0% to 100% trusting life to come to me. Instead, I conducted experiments, and I observed the results.

It sounds scientific, but it wasn’t. It was like searching for a light switch in the dark, bumping into furniture and strange creatures.

A Concrete Example

Once or twice each year, I go into a space where I don’t feel like doing much.

In the past, I resisted this. I pushed myself to work, to get stuff done. The result was exhaustion, misery, and depression.

Today, I’m more in tune with where my body and life wants to take me.

So why am I writing this post if I don’t feel like doing anything? You know, I don’t know, but here I am.

I work during these periods, but I work less.

I give myself more time to play, read books, watch movies, take walks, and rest.

What I mean when I say ‘do nothing’ is to do less work, and play more. And sometimes work is play, and vice versa.

I used to worry that my motivation would never return, but it always does. When it does, the energy can be tremendous. I might write 6 books within a year, create a membership community, or start a podcast.

It all comes when I relax.

The Mistake of Pushing

As I look back, it’s obvious to me that pushing never got me anywhere.

I worked 12-hour days without achieving more.

I agonized. I worried. Yet none of that mattered. It was all going on in my head. I was on the hamster wheel of fear.

When I push, I face resistance. When I relax, and notice where the flow of life is taking me.

So Remember to Rest

Everywhere I look I’m told to achieve, to do, to leave a legacy.

Many drown under this pressure, and they forget to listen to their inner GPS.

Nothing matters in my life if I don’t make the right decisions.

Everything I do begins and ends with listening to my heart, to my inner guidance system.

When I’m aligned with who I am, life flows. Doesn’t mean life is easy, because it seldom is, but life does flow.

Stay relaxed,
Henri

P.S. To dive deeper into doing what you love, and to see through your mental blocks, check out my book: Do What You Love: Essays on Uncovering Your Path in Life.

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Comments

  1. Thanks for this article Henri,

    I’m just coming out the end of one of these periods and so I was relieved to read your post. This is the second time I’ve experienced it and this time I’ve just tried to work less and let go of the guilt. You’re so right, it’s not normal or right for us to work all the time, and we’re so much more productive and creative when we give our souls time to breathe!

    Thanks again.

    Emma xx

    • Right you are. I find most people (myself included) get in trouble because we think we should be doing/feeling/thinking something other than what we are. When we stop trying to force ourselves into what we think we have to be, we are free to be ourselves, and to be in the present moment.

      Thanks for dropping by, Emma!

  2. Hey Henri,

    Having read many of your posts, both here on your blog and also on FB, I had a pretty good idea of what you’d say in this article after I read the headline. And it’s so true that, assuming that often times, we wake up and find ourselves wanting to do our work, on the times where we find an inner sense of resistance to the work, we must absolutely leave it. Maybe it’s a sign of burn out. But whatever is the cause of it is not really important. That feeling of not wanting to work on a project that we usually want to work on, is a huge indication that it’s break time.

    • You’re right on, Jack.

      And yes, I tend to say the same thing over and over again from different angles, because if someone can get a few core things right, they don’t need anything else.

      Thanks for the comment, and thanks for reading. I appreciate it!

  3. Thanks for sharing.

    “Doesn’t mean life is easy, because it seldom is, but life does flow.”

    For me that’s a limiting belief. Life is easy and fun – always.

    All the best

    • Hey!

      It can be a limiting belief, but it can also be simply accepting what is, because life isn’t always easy, nor is it fun. This is according to my experience, so I may of course be wrong.

      And in the end, use what works for you, and feel free to ignore me 😉

  4. Hello Henri,

    Very long story short – You have the best blog in the world! It’s the only one that I read. It’s so inspirational, wise and useful. Each post is incredibly honest and motivational.

    But this is absolutely incredible! It just took my breath away. I got the newsletter exactly when I was doing nothing but allowing things to be as they are. I was just watching movies, idling, feeling totally unproductive… And contemplating the feeling of losing belief in myself and thinking that I might be pretty worthless…

    This state has been going on for nearly two weeks already and I was feeling really awkward about it. This post made me realize that I’m not alone after all and that there are brilliant people like you who feel the same every once in a while. It helps tremendously to know that someone, somewhere, has frozen times too and experiences the same inner torment sometimes.

    Thank you sooo much for sharing this! You have no idea how much I appreciate this post! It’s an amazingly perfect timing! It definitely made my day!

    • Thanks Adela. You rock!

      As I write this comment, I’ve been in this state (if you want to call it that) for almost two months. I’m having fun doing ‘unproductive’ things, and I do the work I can.

      I wouldn’t worry at all. Do what you have to do, but allow yourself to relax, because your motivation will return. And remember, thinking that you’re worthless doesn’t make it so. It merely means that there’s thinking going on that you can’t trust ;).

      • Thank you very much for the quick reply, Henri!

        I guess I have to figure out a way to allow myself to relax properly. That doesn’t really come easy as I often feel guilty for being unproductive. And that’s when doing nothing gets stressful as I’m neither relaxing, nor doing something useful.

        But right now, knowing that someone else is dealing with this as well helps a lot to accept it and to feel less odd about the whole thing.

        I think you’re more productive than you think. This wonderful and well-written post proves it. 🙂

  5. I’ve basically stopped work on my second novel because I’m in the space you described in your post. Part of the reason for this is that I started a new blog recently and I think I’ve taken too much on.

    I find it very difficult to let go as you described especially since my income depends on my writing. I’ll try to take your advice though and chill for a bit.

    Nice to know that everyone goes through these periods.

    • It’s tough to find that balance between doing and resting, especially if your income depends on it.

      But the good news is that you don’t have to go all out. You can experiment without taking large risks.

      And yes, I find these periods quite common. It’s just not apparent because most people force themselves to, well, not relax 😉

  6. Hey Henri,
    it’s been a while that I checked out your blog and reading this post makes me regret it 😉

    I’m feeling similar, on some days I just don’t feel like creating content for the blog, recording a video or doing other work. On most days however I’m very productive and can get a lot of things done.

    Since I’m paying more attention to my long-term goals, I feel more motivated to work. The mistake I made in the past was not to closely align my daily tasks with the long-term goals. Once I made that shift, motivation kicked back in!

    Cheers,
    Jan

  7. I use to be like you too. I use to beat myself up for being that way and in turn it just made it worse and I didn’t get much done. When I embraced the part of me that likes to relax and enjoy life, everything started to fall in place. I become more productive when I am not trying to force something.

    I always wonder what is going on inside of the people who are running around all of the time always trying to do more and more and more. It is as if they can’t just be with themselves.

    • so true…
      I am at a point where I dont want to follow whatever everyone is doing. It is robotic and getting on my nerves to see everyone is chasing after wealth..mostly.
      So I am taking rest and allowing God to do the inner work in me.
      (after toiling for 21 years in long hour jobs and getting a total breakdown – a wake up call to realise life is more than just work work work)

  8. Hi Henri
    It is serendipity that your thoughts on this came right at a time when others are starting to voice what they percieve as me being lazy.
    Today my daughter made an off the cuff statement ” oh we all know you don’t want to work”!
    I am trying to find my inner GPS and work in for myself at home with my own hours as my own boss. But it seems like all my family see that it is just an excuse not to work. The pressure is mounting although still subtle for me to return to the workforce (nursing).
    I found your blog the first day after I quit the job I was dragging myself to do.
    You are inspiring!
    Cheers
    Andrea

    • Hey Andrea!

      I still get people asking me when I’ll get a real job. And I’ve been doing this for a decade 😉

  9. The moment I took the pressure off myself (and had a 121 coaching call with you) my words started flowing.
    I think we put so much pressure on ourselves to achieve that ‘taking action’ feels like hard work.
    as a result of our call I have written 2,000 words of my book without putting any pressure on myself. I really am enjoying writing without strict deadline and my work is more authentic as a result. Thank you Henri

  10. Hello Henri,

    The ability to stop and rest has been something that I have struggled with, especially the older I get. I find the universe and the world around me so interesting that I feel like I always need to be learning something.

    But I’m quite happy when I am alone, studying and meditating. The majority of things I am constantly working on are to get me to where I want in order to reach my dream.

    Do you think that I will overwork myself and need to recharge my battery?

    Thanks,
    Cody

    • Only you can answer that question, Cody. Experiment, see what happens, and course-correct 🙂

  11. Hey I found your blog through google.
    I love this article, I was pushing myself when I needed to relax. Working 12 hours a day even when I didn’t want to was soo hard. I haven’t watched a movie or played games in a long time… Thanks again for writing this article, I think it saved me from falling into depression.

  12. Just found this post and am now looking forward to the rest of your posts. You come across as someone really at peace and so I will definitely heed your advice. Love the notion you subscribe to of truly listening to your body and not the chaos and expectations of the mind. Thanks Henri, value has been spread, appreciate you making this video.

  13. Thanks for this piece! I am going through a very rough period and needed to hear that not everyone is amazing all the time! I tried a second career path (after getting a very expensive phd) and it is has not turned into one of those “happily ever after” stories– or at least not yet and that can be very un-motivating (lots of tv!). I have actually been trying to write some small blog type pieces to get me out of it (I am a strong writer), but even getting those published is hard! Again– thanks for making me feel less alone!!!

  14. Hi Henri,

    This post and video, as many of yours do, make me feel as if someone has laid a hand over my forehead and reminded me softly, “Just relax. You don’t have to control everything. It’s going to be ok.”

    Today my 6-year-old wanted to ditch school and play baseball with me at the park. Had he not had a test, we would have. Definitely tomorrow!! Thanks for the reminder that rest is as important as work! 🙂

    Carrie

  15. Thank you for this great article Henry!! Your blog always helps me on my way to finding out what I can do and actually want to do 🙂
    I’ve been trying to get more Reiki clients and establish myself as a coach/healer.
    Contacting people was so exhausting for me over the last weeks and I feel had as I havent had paying clients in a while. This nagging feeling that I could do better and i have to find a new strategy/ improve my work/put myself out there is taking my energy.
    Thank you for reminding me that pushing against inner resistance does not work.
    I hope new energy and inspiration will come.

    • New energy always comes, just as winter always precedes spring. What I find most helpful is to sit with the inner resistance. In other words, sit down, close my eyes, and feel everything fully. Life is a dance. Enjoy it!

  16. How can I overcome anxiety, depression, fatigue, crying all the time? This sadness within me, even know I know God loves me. Please help. It was great to read your message.
    Thank you, Nidia

  17. I could listen to you talk about a blank wall and feel relaxed…your voice is so soothing. I have learned to try to relax more because pushing myself just makes me crash harder into anxiety. Thanks for all your great posts and videos.

  18. I appreciate your viewpoint on this. I’ve been feeling guilty and lazy for not doing anything today, it’s a familiar feeling. Thank you for sharing.

  19. I’m so glad I blundered onto your post. Your comments matched my concerns exactly. I didn’t believe I was depressed; I was just feeling like I should be working. I got to the point where I decided I’d just have to force myself. Exactly what you were talking about. I especially liked what you said about experimenting. That sort of thing is right up my alley. I’m always experimenting, where it relates to work, but it never occurred to me to apply the technique to my feelings! A whole new arena! Thanks!

  20. You’re adorable…thank you! This helped me a lot when I wasn’t sure of myself & feeling guilty for resting. It was something I knew but needed to hear again.

    Many blessings for the work you do ~

  21. Im in that space right now. Im starting to embrace the fact that i can be happy not doing much and just take a break from always wanting to achieve something. Today i wrote an article on how we move around wearing a mask and how extremly tiresome it can be. So i choose to put my feet up relax and take that mask off..

  22. İt is so true.thank you for reminding me to rest to take a break.because i am a workoholic.and really the more you push to get things done the less you get things done.i somtimes work more than 12 hours with no break.just a quick break just to have a bite to eat.i really need advice how to balance myself and get my workload finish in 8 hours with a lunch break.thankyou in advance.

    • It is something you learn with time, if that is what you are interested in learning. Another thing to consider is if you’re simply trying to do too much, and trying to fit it all into 8 hours.

  23. Thank you. I was getting irritated of this feeling of doing nothing because I didn’t want to. Now, I know I need to pause, not push myself so hard & have some rest.