Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving
- Downloads：2337
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-28 08:50:56
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Celeste Headlee
- ISBN：1984824759
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Despite our constant search for new ways to 'hack' our bodies and minds for peak performance， human beings are working more instead of less， living harder not smarter， and becoming more lonely and anxious。 We strive for the absolute best in every aspect of our lives， ignoring what we do well naturally。 Why do we measure our time in terms of efficiency instead of meaning？ Why can't we just take a break？
In Do Nothing， award-winning journalist Celeste Headlee illuminates a new path ahead， seeking to institute a global shift in our thinking so we can stop sabotaging our well-being， put work aside and start living instead of doing。
The key lies in embracing what makes us human: our creativity， our social connections （Instagram doesn't count）， our ability for reflective thought， and our capacity for joy。 Celeste's strategies will allow you to regain control over your life and break your addiction to false efficiency， including:
-Increase your time perception and determine how your hours are being spent。
-Stop comparing yourself to others。
-Invest in quality idle time。 Take a hot bath and listen to music。
-Spend face-to-face time with friends and family
It's time to recover our leisure time and reverse the trend that's making us all sadder， sicker， and less productive。
Reviews
Molly Henry
，
Highly recommend the read as we emerge from pandemic life and refigure out our daily lives！
Judy
，
3 1/2
Kelly Ray
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Rethinking about the value of time spent doing。。。。。fill in the blank。 Thoughtful。 Challenging。
Emily
，
2。5 rounded down
Sarah Van Valkenburgh
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Very repetitive， but lots of good reminders。
Cari
，
After reading the advanced reading copy of Headlee's forthcoming book， I was interested in going to her backlist for this one。 It looks like it was published during the height of the pandemic， and many readers probably missed it or felt like it wasn't relevant。 Things really changed a lot during the lockdown （and the pandemic isn't over， as much as my state seems to think it is）。 I'm sure that Headlee would have an interesting take on that as well。 This is a well-researched history of why the US After reading the advanced reading copy of Headlee's forthcoming book， I was interested in going to her backlist for this one。 It looks like it was published during the height of the pandemic， and many readers probably missed it or felt like it wasn't relevant。 Things really changed a lot during the lockdown （and the pandemic isn't over， as much as my state seems to think it is）。 I'm sure that Headlee would have an interesting take on that as well。 This is a well-researched history of why the US is steeped in the work ethic that we have， and there are also many practical tips for people who are looking to slow down their lives。 A good companion to Devon Price's LAZINESS DOES NOT EXIST。 。。。more
Kate
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I cannot recommend this highly enough。 I was reading this and the similarly named "How to Do Nothing" by Jenny Odell at the same time， and I quickly tossed the other aside （I couldn't get into it）。 You know how universities and local libraries will sometimes do a "one book" read along thing？ This book should be required reading for everyone in America at the same time。 All that said， great advice backed up by solid research。 It makes so much sense。 Too bad people who are in charge will likely ne I cannot recommend this highly enough。 I was reading this and the similarly named "How to Do Nothing" by Jenny Odell at the same time， and I quickly tossed the other aside （I couldn't get into it）。 You know how universities and local libraries will sometimes do a "one book" read along thing？ This book should be required reading for everyone in America at the same time。 All that said， great advice backed up by solid research。 It makes so much sense。 Too bad people who are in charge will likely never read this， and most folks aren't in a place where they can be like "okay but I'm going to work for 4-6 hours a day and be productive and then do my own thing。" But for those who can， this book is fantastic for helping to refocus priorities and to understand why we are the way we are。It would be interesting to read her perspective on this topic post-pandemic。 I feel like this is an opportunity for a lot of employers and people to have a paradigm shift。 I hope more people read this book and start thinking differently about what work can and should look like 。 。。。more
SM Zalokar
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The idea here is incredibly significant， but the delivery falls flat for me。
Tommie
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I think this is one of （if not THE） the best non-fiction books I have ever read。 Coming in a time that I so desperately needed it， it was recommended by one of my coworkers。 This book is shocking， both to learn the truths about the modern capitalistic origins that have driven us to where we stand today， and as a millennial to read this and understand where society has pushed me to be。 I cannot believe that I caved in to so many lies and misgivings that the modern workforce hoisted upon me。 I wil I think this is one of （if not THE） the best non-fiction books I have ever read。 Coming in a time that I so desperately needed it， it was recommended by one of my coworkers。 This book is shocking， both to learn the truths about the modern capitalistic origins that have driven us to where we stand today， and as a millennial to read this and understand where society has pushed me to be。 I cannot believe that I caved in to so many lies and misgivings that the modern workforce hoisted upon me。 I will be recommending this book to everyone I know。 。。。more
Amanda
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2。5/5
Jen Melham
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I got this book for an online book club。 I really thought I’d enjoy it more。 Everything the author talks about is absolutely relatable， but the “how to” part isn’t until the last 1/4th of the book。 Before that it reads like a history book。 It’s extremely well researched and well written！ Just not what I thought I was in for。
Caroline Turner
，
This book has some great tips for slowing down and amazing research！ It gave me a bit of anxiety about how technology is not good for us yet here I am using this app 🤷🏽♀️。 Definitely interesting and will try to incorporate some to my own life！
Lyndsey
，
Headlee uses research to de-bunk our culture of efficiency and overwork。 She really challenged me to think about the way I value and prioritize work in my life。 I will be chasing down a physical copy of this book to further consider her ideas。 Note: as she says several times， this book is not directed to those working several jobs to keep a roof over their head。 She critiques overwork as an American value; she’s not lecturing people trying to work their way out of poverty。
Edda Isabel Leon
，
I read this book after my last semester at College。 I was experiencing burnout and stress and to add on top of that I was graduating at the beginning of the pandemic。 （April 2020）。 This book helped me understand where our obsession with work comes from， why we are always trying to keep up with everybody else， and why even after hours of working we still feel we haven't done enough。 I recommend this book if you are experiencing burnout and you are tired of the hustle and productivity culture that I read this book after my last semester at College。 I was experiencing burnout and stress and to add on top of that I was graduating at the beginning of the pandemic。 （April 2020）。 This book helped me understand where our obsession with work comes from， why we are always trying to keep up with everybody else， and why even after hours of working we still feel we haven't done enough。 I recommend this book if you are experiencing burnout and you are tired of the hustle and productivity culture that seems to be everywhere。 Headlee incorporates history and data to help you understand how detrimental to our health and our overall happiness is workaholism。 。。。more
Kanan Saurabh
，
Definitely a book worth reading in this day and age。 However， I do get the feeling that this book got buffed up a bit。 The message is apt and necessary。 However the length could be comfortably cut down to 50%
Leah B
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This was the hardest book to start - and finish。 In the first chapter alone， the author presents a statement and immediately follows it with a disclaimer。 From the first chapter I felt like the author’s points were invalidated， and this was by her own doing。 Through many chapters it seems facts are cherry picked。 For example， in the ‘Do We Live To Work’ chapter， she uses Van Gogh as an example for someone who “only sold one painting during his lifetime， and yet his lack of financial success neve This was the hardest book to start - and finish。 In the first chapter alone， the author presents a statement and immediately follows it with a disclaimer。 From the first chapter I felt like the author’s points were invalidated， and this was by her own doing。 Through many chapters it seems facts are cherry picked。 For example， in the ‘Do We Live To Work’ chapter， she uses Van Gogh as an example for someone who “only sold one painting during his lifetime， and yet his lack of financial success never weakened his sense of purpose or dedication to his art”。。 but Van Gogh had attempted to end his life and succumbed to injuries days later。 This seemed a callous example to highlight Van Gogh in this way， while neglecting the mental and emotional trauma Van Gogh - and many others face。 There’s interesting facts and well-researched points， yet at the end of the day “Do Nothing” had the opposite impact for me than what I believe the author intended。 I was constantly left thinking about work during my ‘idle， leisure’ time because I was reading this book。 I’m so grateful I’m done with it so I can focus on other books that being joy or leverage more valuable learnings。 。。。more
Kelsey Sorenson
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So good！ It took me a while to have time to get through because it’s been a crazy busy month with work， but for that reason it was just what I needed。 I pulled it out when I went on a walk and needed to get my mind off work。 It helped remind me that the most “productive” thing to do is actually take a break。。。 but also， that it’s not always about being productive。 We need to make sure we get leisure time。
Shannon Houston
，
Incredible！ I found myself constantly nodding in agreement and interest; so many times actually saying “mhmm！” This book perfectly illustrates how we have become a society obsessed with appearing productive and efficient rather than actually being those things。 In fact， being busy has become a status symbol。I heard about this book because the author was a guest on The goop Podcast。 I recommend you also listen to that episode because this book was released before the pandemic and the podcast was Incredible！ I found myself constantly nodding in agreement and interest; so many times actually saying “mhmm！” This book perfectly illustrates how we have become a society obsessed with appearing productive and efficient rather than actually being those things。 In fact， being busy has become a status symbol。I heard about this book because the author was a guest on The goop Podcast。 I recommend you also listen to that episode because this book was released before the pandemic and the podcast was released after lockdown — a time when everyone was obsessed with appearing to be productive and “busy”。 It's a nice and relatable addition。 Lots of great points in this book！ I especially recommend it to people who feel overwhelmed by the ‘rise and grind’ mentality。 。。。more
Booklover
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3。5 stars
Renata
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21/05/20213。5/5 stars”Stop becoming and just be for a moment。” No new groundbreaking suggestions， but very well researched and works as a necessary wake up call if you’re putting your work before anything else in your life。
Elaine Herrick
，
A really interesting look at our culture of overwork and perfectionism。 Less a "do nothing" book than an analysis of our toxic habits and a plea to take time for yourself。 It reminded me of a podcast that used to be around， Recovering Workaholics。 I really liked the advice and agree with the author's premise。 I've already done a lot to disengage from toxic work habits， but found the book to be an excellent refresher。 A really interesting look at our culture of overwork and perfectionism。 Less a "do nothing" book than an analysis of our toxic habits and a plea to take time for yourself。 It reminded me of a podcast that used to be around， Recovering Workaholics。 I really liked the advice and agree with the author's premise。 I've already done a lot to disengage from toxic work habits， but found the book to be an excellent refresher。 。。。more
Andrew Q
，
As other reviewers have noted， this book is not for everybody。 Coming from a latin culture in which work is and has been historically romanticized， I can see how many of the ideas Celeste Headlee presents can sound silly。 But this book was incredibly useful for me。 What follows is an narrative explanation of why this book was useful to me。 I recall one Summer college break in which the company I worked for couldn't provide part-timers more than fourteen hours a week at most。Because of this chang As other reviewers have noted， this book is not for everybody。 Coming from a latin culture in which work is and has been historically romanticized， I can see how many of the ideas Celeste Headlee presents can sound silly。 But this book was incredibly useful for me。 What follows is an narrative explanation of why this book was useful to me。 I recall one Summer college break in which the company I worked for couldn't provide part-timers more than fourteen hours a week at most。Because of this change， I started looking at the extra twenty / thirty hours I wasn't working （but had been the past two summers） as time in which I needed to be productive for the sole sake of productivity。 I thought of those hours I wasn't working as hours in which I could be making money （"time is money"） or improving the self。 One major issue with this was that there is no "clock in-clock out" station at home。 Where do the hours begin and end？ I consider this period to be the ground zero of my "cult of efficiency" indoctrination。 The effects of this period continue to linger to this day， especially after having just left （promotion based） a 45+ hour work week position。This book helped me to do more than peel back much of my anxiety resulting from my avid participation in the "cult of efficiency"。 Headlee articulates effective ideas， both common and uncommon， in ways that stick to the reader for the purpose of a greater quality of life。 。。。more
EMP
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Picked this up because it was somehow recommended to me - not sure by whom/where。 While I'm really not the target audience for this topic and the writing is decent， it definitely felt like this information could have been shared via something other than in almost 250 pages of a book。 I didn't find a ton of "meat" here。 Picked this up because it was somehow recommended to me - not sure by whom/where。 While I'm really not the target audience for this topic and the writing is decent， it definitely felt like this information could have been shared via something other than in almost 250 pages of a book。 I didn't find a ton of "meat" here。 。。。more
Mara
，
I have to give this book credit， in that it did change my thinking about my work。 The concept of the shift from product-based work （I made this thing now pay me for it） to time-based work （I worked 8 hours now pay me for it） caused me to re-frame how I approach my job as an information worker。 Rather than thinking about my hours （though I'm still working full-time）， I now think about my tasks as individual products， and it makes a huuuuge difference。 Something may take me more time or less than I have to give this book credit， in that it did change my thinking about my work。 The concept of the shift from product-based work （I made this thing now pay me for it） to time-based work （I worked 8 hours now pay me for it） caused me to re-frame how I approach my job as an information worker。 Rather than thinking about my hours （though I'm still working full-time）， I now think about my tasks as individual products， and it makes a huuuuge difference。 Something may take me more time or less than I planned， and there's no guilt or frustration around that。 I focus on a single task， work on it until I'm done， and then I take a real break。 Simple and wonderful。 However， that re-framing of my work （within my full-time information worker parameters） is not advice that Headlee gives。 Her recommendations instead apply only to those that are able to set their "ideal" schedule and still make sufficient income to exceed the threshold to which money does bring happiness。 Furthermore， the balance of the book is actually on defining the problem （70% of the total length） and is light on solutions， and for all that length， the summary of the modern research seems mostly cherry-picked or anecdotal and is unconvincingly complete， though the history is though-provoking。 Finally， the solutions Headlee does present largely boil down to advice I had definitely seen before （avoid comparing your life to those you see on social media， make connections with strangers， and volunteer， to name a few）。 So overall， this felt more like a history lesson than a guide for how to "Do Nothing。" 。。。more
Hallie
，
This was a decent audiobook。 I agree with Headlee's thesis， which boiled down to the importance of breaking away from the current societal work = worth mentality。 That said， there wasn't particularly new information to me。 I have listened to several podcasts and read other books/articles on this topic， which is likely why I didn't find this book additionally engaging。 However， for people who are newer to exploring ideas around decoupling our identities from our work， this would be a great starti This was a decent audiobook。 I agree with Headlee's thesis， which boiled down to the importance of breaking away from the current societal work = worth mentality。 That said， there wasn't particularly new information to me。 I have listened to several podcasts and read other books/articles on this topic， which is likely why I didn't find this book additionally engaging。 However， for people who are newer to exploring ideas around decoupling our identities from our work， this would be a great starting point with a lot of helpful research， ideas， and tactics。 And， at the end of the day， it is always a nice reminder to remember that， while work can be an important part of identity & meaning-making in our lives， it is not our sole identity， nor is it how we must earn our worth。 。。。more
Iami Menotu
，
An easy read。 A treatise in support of leisure。
Michelle
，
I *mostly* finished this book。 It was just。。。not。。。。for me。 I appreciate what she’s trying to say and I recognize that I certainly need to heed her advice。 But I just didn’t need the entire history of the industrial revolution to get it。 And also， this is another one that just doesn’t resonate during Covid。 “Work less” “make more connections！” Yeah。 I wish。
Rae Slezak
，
This book is a breath of fresh air。 Western society puts way too much value on productivity; that is the main point of this book。 I was happy that Celeste talked about the history of capitalism/the Protestant work ethic and how that morphed over time into our current ideals around productivity/efficiency。 I was also happy she mentioned how privilege plays in to ones ability to be able to choose not to work so much。 People who make minimum wage in most cases simply cannot afford to take a day off This book is a breath of fresh air。 Western society puts way too much value on productivity; that is the main point of this book。 I was happy that Celeste talked about the history of capitalism/the Protestant work ethic and how that morphed over time into our current ideals around productivity/efficiency。 I was also happy she mentioned how privilege plays in to ones ability to be able to choose not to work so much。 People who make minimum wage in most cases simply cannot afford to take a day off or cannot afford to even call in sick; it’s hard for me to imagine a way that folks who make minimum can step out of the capitalist hamster wheel， I don’t feel Celeste addressed that as much as might be warranted which is why I rated it 4 stars instead of 5。 Most of the book is geared towards folks who are on salaries and work in an office， which unfortunately is not a lot of us from my experience。 Overall though， I learned a lot from this book！ I often times feel guilty about not having achieved enough or not using my time wisely， and this book has helped me to shrug off that guilt and shame。 We are human beings， not human doings。 。。。more
Vlad
，
Well， the first part is brilliant。 I loved the historical review， some facts from the past and links to researches。 But the second part。。。 so-called life hacks。。。 nothing special。 Really。 I was disappointed cause I thought I'd find something really useful。 I didn't。Anyway， this book is good。 Not excellent but good。 Well， the first part is brilliant。 I loved the historical review， some facts from the past and links to researches。 But the second part。。。 so-called life hacks。。。 nothing special。 Really。 I was disappointed cause I thought I'd find something really useful。 I didn't。Anyway， this book is good。 Not excellent but good。 。。。more
Itamar Junior
，