"The Art of Doing Nothing (And Feeling Guilty About It)"

Hey again,

So I had this rare, magical day where I had absolutely nothing urgent to do.

No meetings.
No deadlines.
No “urgent” WhatsApp messages that are neither urgent nor important.
Just a blank to-do list and some free time.

And guess what I did with it?

Absolutely… nothing.

I stared at the ceiling.
Scrolled through memes I’d already seen.
Made a cup of chai. Drank half. Forgot the rest.
Laid on the floor contemplating life like a 2000s indie film protagonist.
Basically, I did all the things you do when you're "relaxing" — and then proceeded to feel guilty about it.

Why?
Because somewhere along the way, we all downloaded this update into our brains that says:
“If you’re not being productive, you’re wasting time.”

And honestly? That’s messed up.

We’ve glamorized hustle so much that rest feels illegal. Like chilling is some sort of crime and you're about to be arrested by the Productivity Police.

But here’s a thought:
What if doing nothing is actually doing something?
Like, maybe your brain just needs to defragment like an old computer.
Maybe your soul needs a moment to breathe between the chaos.
Maybe your body is saying, “Bro, just chill.”

So I’m trying this new thing where I let myself be. No guilt. No inner commentary. Just me, a pillow, and possibly a YouTube rabbit hole that starts with “how to fix your sleep schedule” and ends with “Indian trains you won’t believe exist.”

Moral of the story:
Doing nothing is an underrated art.
And I, for one, am trying to become a slightly less guilty artist.

Till next time,
– Tushar