Doing nothing may sound simple, but experts say it can be an intentional way to reduce stress and improve your health too.
While constant busyness may feel like a valuable norm, failing to slow down can negatively impact physical, emotional and mental well-being. Experts say that doing nothing is less about inactivity and more about restoring the energy, balance, and presence that everyday life may drain.
“Throughout everyone’s day-to-day, we’re always giving energy,” says Adam Tubero, a life coach and anxiety specialist from Roslyn. When people hit the point where they have nothing to pull from the pool of energy, it becomes essential to pause and assess what’s taking the most out of them.
Tubero notes that burnout often begins with subtle shifts — “feeling overwhelmed all the time, dreading work or realizing that things you once enjoyed are feeling like a task.” Ignoring these signals, he adds, can push people toward full exhaustion before they even recognize what’s happening.
Because of that, the art of doing nothing can look different for everyone — and it often isn’t literal laziness, says Tubero. Exercise, getting a haircut, seeing friends, or breathing practices like 4-7-8 breathwork can be effective forms of re-energizing.
“Sometimes actually doing nothing doesn’t really re-energize us,” Tubero says. “It can actually perpetuate loneliness or keep us feeling stuck.” Instead, the key is pinpointing what refills your battery and doing more of it.
Licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Hersha Diaz of Long Island City says that the art of doing nothing is “an opportunity to quiet your mind, quiet down your body and really get tuned in with yourself and what your needs might be.” She urges individuals not to attach guilt to their sense of self-worth, especially when slowing down feels unproductive. Diaz says that consequences of nonstop motion are immense. “You’re going to burn out and you’re not going to function effectively.”
Nurturing your physical, mental and emotional needs — food, rest, socialization — is essential, Diaz says. Once people stop giving themselves the opportunity to rest, “that trickles out into other areas of their lives,” including physical health. Without a reset, she adds, high stress responses can negatively impact how you respond in relationships, reducing patience and emotional bandwidth.
The remedy begins with assessing basic routines — sleep, nutrition, movement, and daily structure — and intentionally making room for more balance, Diaz says. Meditation is one of her most recommended tools.
“You don’t really have to do anything else but be present in that moment,” she explains.
For parents, slowing down isn’t indulgent — it’s essential leadership, says Jessica Scher Lisa, licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Long Island Mental Health & Wellness in Port Jefferson.
“We live in a culture that glorifies being busy, but constant motion comes at a cost,” she says. Children learn emotional regulation by watching how adults manage stress, so even small pauses — stepping outside, sitting quietly with a cup of coffee, taking deep breaths in the car — give the brain space to reset. “When a parent runs on empty, the whole family feels the shortage,” she explains.
Doing nothing doesn’t require hours of free time, experts say. It’s about being intentional. Slowing down creates room for balance, clarity, and presence — benefits that ripple into every part of our lives, including our health.
