The Forgotten Art of Doing Nothing (And Why We Miss It)

There was a time when doing nothing was seen as a luxury, and we embraced being bored wholeheartedly. Doing nothing was your portal to other worlds created by your imagination and felt by your heart.

In today’s world, we rush everything and feel the need to be entertained 24/7. However, we seem to forget how being bored can be beneficial for us and how it is sometimes very much needed.

Back in the day, with no Internet or smartphones, sometimes we simply had to sit and do nothing.

1. Staring at the Ceiling Wasn’t Boring – It Was Thinking Time

Back when there were no smartphones for distraction or the Internet to browse, we would lie on the floor or our beds, and we would daydream.

This was the way to get lost in our imagination and just think about various scenarios and topics. No endless scrolling, no texting friends, just being in the moment. Boring was considered normal, and we did not fight it; we embraced it.

It was actually in those moments that some of our best ideas were born, and I am pretty sure the best artists out there were just really bored.

2. Porch Sitting Was Practically a National Pastime

Just sitting on the front porch, doing nothing, was a form of meditation we all loved.

You would watch people pass by, observe their clothes, your neighbors would wave at you, kids would smile, and you would take it all in. It was a beautiful way to be with yourself and enjoy a cup of tea before retreating to your bed.

Also, there was something in the air that smelled so homey and calming, that we hardly witness now.

3. Waiting Meant…Waiting

If you were in a line for something, or simply waiting at the doctor’s office, you would just sit and…wait.

You had no distractions except for a few magazines on a nearby table, but other than that, you would just sit and observe.

You would be so happy to see a familiar face to talk to and kill time. Now, we hide our faces in our phones and pray the person we know doesn’t see us.

Just being present and waiting was a kind of mindfulness we didn’t even know we were practicing.

4. Rainy Days Had Their Own Kind of Magic

When it poured, it meant it was time to slow down and abandon any kind of productivity.

We’d sit by the window, watch the raindrops, imagine they were competing which drop was the fastest, or maybe we would read or nap.

There was no guilt in resting, which is way different than today. These days, we always feel like we have to be productive 24/7.

5. Waiting for Film to Develop Taught Us Patience

If you were on a vacation with your family and took a bunch of photos, you would have to wait for quite some time for them to develop.

Then, you would go to pick them up and pray they looked good. Once you approved of how you turned out, you would put them in a special album and show them to your friends when they came over.

It was a process, but it surely taught us patience and slow living. We did not rush everything, and nothing was just a click away.

6. Long Drives Had No Soundtrack but Our Thoughts

There were times when you had to be in your car for a long period of time and your radio was either broken or did not work, so you had to simply drive in silence.

This meant that your only soundtrack of the trip was your thoughts. You would hum songs on your own, observe your surroundings, and even talk to people to show you directions.

This ensured much more human interaction than GPS today and Spotify playlists.

7. We Didn’t Fear Being “Bored” – We Embraced It

Boredom wasn’t a problem; we saw it as a doorway to creativity and freedom. When you were bored, it meant that your possibilities were endless, and you could do whatever you wanted.

We used to sit around long enough to maybe even invent our own games or stories that we would share with others.

Doing nothing gave our brains the freedom to wander, explore unexplored, and invent new stuff.

8. Watching Clouds or Stars Wasn’t a Luxury – It Was Normal

If you grew up without the Internet or smartphones, you remember lying in the grass on summer nights and watching stars or clouds move around you.

It felt magical and special, so you would take your best friends or even crushes to the best spots to stargaze.

It was not boring; it meant we were embracing the moment and the sparkly nature around us.

9. “Wasting Time” Wasn’t a Sin – It Was Sacred

Remember when Sundays were obligatory rest days? You would just lie around in your comfy clothes, listening to music, reading, or doing nothing.

We didn’t feel the overwhelming pressure to optimize every second of our lives, and that was the norm.

Doing nothing wasn’t seen as lazy; it was a normal part of life that restored our strength and will for Mondays.

Today, we feel like Sundays are the days when everything has to be done, from laundry to shopping and cleaning. Maybe that’s why those slow Sunday moments still live so vividly in our memories today.