Practice letting go of the constant demand for productivity and learn to simply observe your surroundings, challenging the reflex to constantly optimize.
Actively protect your non-work time and parts of yourself from external pressures to optimize or commodify, viewing this as a form of self-preservation.
Live intentionally by directing your attention with agency, making conscious decisions about social media use, valuing your time, and being aware of your community.
Acknowledge how deeply capitalist values have colonized your thinking about self-worth, value, and meaning, as this self-awareness is the first step to questioning underlying premises.
Counter the habitual ’leaning forward’ posture of always working towards an outcome by consciously sitting back and being present in the moment as it is.
Replace ‘grasping desire’ for productivity with a desire for deep fascination, allowing yourself to ‘fall into’ observation where awareness expands.
Engage in deep, sustained observation of phenomena with the understanding that increased knowledge can lead to greater mystery, dissolving the ego and expanding pure awareness.
Engage in ‘doing nothing’ by dedicating planned or unplanned time to simply observe, appreciate, and be surprised, letting your mind unbind from anxiety and doom scrolling.
Actively train yourself to sit in an environment and listen without snap judgment or needing to grasp and react, countering cultural tendencies towards quick reactions.
Approach ‘doing nothing’ as a lifelong commitment to re-examination rather than a goal to be optimized, accepting that perfect control is unattainable and reducing self-imposed pressure.
When feeling isolated or lonely and reaching for social media, pause to identify the underlying need and redirect that attention towards genuine human connection.
When reaching for your phone, consider if it’s a distraction from unacknowledged feelings of loss or mortality, and allow yourself to register and process those emotions.
Recognize moments of disgust or existential despair as potentially instructive, as they can lead to re-evaluation and change in habits and perspective.
Approach divesting from the attention economy and capitalist mindset as a difficult, ongoing process, avoiding quick-fix approaches.
Apply ‘deep listening’ and open-minded observation to long-term relationships, actively making an effort to see people as they are now, rather than relying on frozen past images.
Cultivate a ‘do-nothing state of mind’ by making a subtle shift in perspective to notice previously unseen details in familiar environments, even your own home or routine walks.
Periodically take short, solitary trips to natural surroundings to realign yourself and foster a ‘fellow feeling’ with your inner self, especially when feeling one-dimensional.
Counter the impulse to over-control by engaging with reminders of your limited control, such as contemplating geological time or learning about rocks and natural history.
Practice ’the art of noticing’ by arbitrarily selecting a specific, mundane object to focus on for an extended period, observing its details and context.
Engage in focused, unplanned observation of small natural phenomena, like watching a bee, to practice being present and unburdened by purpose.
Take slow walks with the intention of observing subtle changes in your environment, such as bird populations, throughout the year.
Utilize green spaces like parks or parklets for ‘doing nothing’ by simply sitting and observing your surroundings.
Find ‘sweetness in doing nothing’ through simple, indulgent acts like cuddling pets or playfully interacting with family, without a specific agenda.
Prioritize and engage with traditional forms of communication, like reading letters from friends, as they offer a deeper and more meaningful connection than social media interactions.
Cultivate bioregional awareness by learning about your ecological neighborhood, including its watershed, geology, native plants, and indigenous history.
Develop a sense of responsibility towards your ecological community, recognizing natural elements as active agents and understanding your reciprocal impact within that community.
Practice ‘manifest dismantling’ by acknowledging existing systems and knowledge, then working to repair damaged ecological connections and waterways, reframing repair as a form of productivity.
Befriend local wildlife, such as crows, by consistently being present in the same place at the same time and offering small, appropriate treats like peanuts.
Visit familiar places with someone who has a different perspective to notice new details and expand your own observation skills.
When feeling overwhelmed or reaching a ‘mini breaking point’ with constant news or social media, take a deliberate break (e.g., two weeks off social media) to reset habits and perspective.
Reduce pressure around meditation by focusing less on specific daily quotas and more on cultivating the right mindset for practice, leading to greater benefit.
Avoid approaching meditation with an agenda, especially for Type A individuals, to truly ‘do nothing’ during practice.
Recognize your default state of wanting to be elsewhere or otherwise, as this awareness is the first step to addressing underlying dissatisfaction.
If you lack time due to systemic constraints, recognize that it is not your fault; differentiate this from self-imposed busyness.
To create more time for more people, advocate for structural changes like workplace organizing, unions, and universal childcare, recognizing the limits of individual agency.