The Joy of Doing Nothing: A Real-Life Guide to Stepping Back, Slowing Down, and Creating a Simpler, Joy-Filled Life

by Rachel Jonat

Fight back against busyness and celebrate the pleasure of doing nothing in this new guide that helps relieve stress and increase happiness in your life.

In The Joy of Doing Nothing you’ll discover how to step away from everything you think you have to do and learn to live a minimalist life. Rachel Jonat shares simple strategies to help you stop overscheduling, find time for yourself, and create moments of calm every day. You’ll learn how to focus more on the important aspects of life, such as family and friends, and scale back your schedule to create more time in the day to care for yourself.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Personal Development, Health

161 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2017

About the author

Rachel Jonat is the writer behind the highly successful Minimalist Mom blog (theminimalistmom.com). Before picking up the pen as a career, Rachel sharpened her simple living skills while training and racing internationally as a rower. After multiple cross country moves, and many trans-Atlantic flights with bags below the weight limit, she retired from the sport after winning a World Championship bronze medal.

Rachel's books include Do Less (Adams Media 2014), The Minimalist Mom: How to Simply Parent Your Baby (Adams Media 2016) and The Joy of Doing Nothing (Adams Media 2017). She is a sought after simplifying expert and has been featured on radio and television.

She is a mother of three and loves brunch and tiny houses. You can get more tips about simplifying as a family and read about Rachel's own downsizing and minimalist journey at theminimalistmom.com.

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the first 50 or so pages, and felt that the author was just saying the same thing over and over.

[Mary Lou · Rating 1 out of 5]

A poorly written book that doesn't offer the reader anything unique. At times Jonat even contradicts the advice she's attempting to give, or is completely out of touch with reality, for example:

"Make a not-to-do list" - couldn't I be using that time to NOT make another list?

"Do Nothing While Doing Chores" such as vacuuming, washing dishes, doing laundry... Maids and mothers everywhere are cringing.

"Finding the Time to Do Nothing at Work" - We used to be satisfied with lunch or a coffee break, but Jonat actually says, "No one is watching you as closely as you watch yourself...Take comfort and confidence in the fact that most of us are too busy focusing on our own lives and work to worry, wonder, or make a note of what the person next to us is doing." So slack off! You won't get caught! I guess that works if you're an author who works at home in pajamas, but it doesn't fly in the real world. I want to be a fly on the wall when one of Jonat's readers tries this: "Ask your manager to call in extra staff or notify clients there will be a slight delay in service." My jaw is still on the floor from that one.

If I had a nickel for every time the words "do nothing" or "doing nothing" were repeated on EVERY PAGE of this book, I'd be a wealthy woman. Random sample - 4x on page 90; page 91, 1x; 5x on page 93. Add to that all the "take a break"s and this book is nearly unreadable.

God summed up everything that Jonat was trying to say in one pithy commandment: "Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy." If you need more than that, I'd suggest reading Joe Lieberman's (non-political) book, The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath - a much better book that actually teaches readers some things, and gives them a lot to think about, rather than just regurgitating articles from women's magazines.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of books from the self help/self improvement genre, so when I saw this one I had to request to review it. Who in their life right now isn’t constantly busy or feeling overwhelmed, whether it’s work, family, hobbies, pets, etc. I absolutely thought this would be a great book that would give great insight on helping me make some time for myself and enjoy some down time.

I feel like this one just fell flat to me, it pretty much just told me what I already knew I should be doing to he myself. Though the advice given was helpful, it felt extremely repetitive.I did enjoy the sections mentioning meditation, since I love meditating. I really enjoyed the “challenges” that were included, I found them pretty helpful.

Overall I just felt like this book could have been so much shorter, maybe 50 or so pages would have been fine for me. I wouldn’t recommend this one if you are looking to learn anything new, because it is pretty straight forward. It was a quick read for sure and may have been better of just being skimmed.

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I find relaxing, having no agenda or appointments, and simplifying life very rewarding, doing "nothing" is not enjoyable. This isn't even meditation, it's just plain and simple nothing. Not for me. I'd rather be knitting. Or reading. Now that is relaxing.

[Lynsey Blacklock · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was going to rate this one star but that would be unfair. To give it it’s due, it is what it says on the tin. It’s a book dedicated to the idea of doing nothing and ways to implement this into your life. Fair enough. But my lord, this was lacklustre to the Nth degree. It could easily have been a 2 page spread in a supplement magazine, at best. Nothing awe inspiring, nothing to literally ‘write home’ about. I stuck with it because I thought i can’t review something i’ve not tried but in all seriousness it not great. The concept of doing nothing is spot on but the way it is delivered is below average. Poor.

[Colona Public Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains a lot of ideas for a person to use to slow life down. Enjoy the moment. You don't have to do every activity. This book also gives you suggestions to take breaks throughout your work day. Take ten minutes at the beginning to center yourself and don't be afraid to say no to overtime. There are also recommendations on how to have a little peace at home. Create a space that is just for you to spend some quiet time by yourself. I suggest anyone who needs to slow down from a high paced life read this book and take away some suggestions.


~April

[Stephanie DeBoer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ridiculously repetitive. Basically, put your phone down and zone out whenever you can. Even if that means just pretending to work so your boss doesn't catch you. Also, according to the author, by doing nothing you will be a better employee, have more money, enjoy exercise more, have a cleaner house, gain greater clarity about life and just be a better person overall. I only finished this book because I have a stubborn side and wanted to finish what I started. I feel like it was wasted time that I will never get back.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with other reviewers that it was repetitive, but I love the concept. I've started incorporating a formal meditation practice and I love how the idea of "doing nothing" brings that into my life in an informal way as an opportunity to practice mindfulness and relax. It had many parallels to another recent read--Bored and Brilliant--only more ancedotal rather than research based.

[A.T. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eh. Very repetitive, also felt there was a fair amount of contradictory points. Big emphasis on how phones take away from “doing nothing.” “Doing nothing” was redefined constantly throughout and just seemed to lack depth and great context.

[Isaac Ruiz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is this title a joke? Basically do nothing to give you time to do things. Like do nothing so you can work more.... No. I want to do nothing.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good tips in this little book. I like to think I participate in this lifestyle, but there are always areas to work on. I like how she gave levels to put ideas into real life action: light, medium, deep. I hadn't thought of changing in levels before, so like this thought.

[Two Readers in Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

p. 74 "Let’s say you’ve been eyeing that office with an exterior window that comes with your own team to lead and a big raise for three years. The day finally arrives when it’s all yours. You’re thrilled until a few weeks in…when you realize that you’re now working 40 percent more for a 15 percent raise.

It’s ingrained in our culture that we should be seeking more money and power. To simply enjoy where you are at is often thought of as being unambitious or lazy. Doing nothing will enlighten you to the radical and life-changing concept that there are positives and negatives to getting promoted.
In addition, responsibility, stress, and work hours are not always proportional to salaries. If you’ve ever wondered why your colleague, the happy one who everyone likes, has turned down promotions twice, here’s her secret: She knows that job titles grow in inverse proportion to personal instability and stress. This life lesson is a hard one to come by, and many people refuse to believe they wouldn’t be happier with more responsibility, power, and a higher salary. They think the higher you get, the easier it gets, because more people are “under” you to do the hard work. But that’s really not how it works. You have less free time and more pressure to perform at a high level. Some people really do thrive professionally in those situations, and that’s where they find true happiness in their life. If that’s you, great—just be sure that you arrive at that decision thoughtfully and intentionally, not by blindly following the crowd."

A great point - and one that is easy to miss when you are keen to please and never slow down. (The corollary is that, as hard as it is to believe to an outside observer, most people really do earn their salaries. Having shadowed our CEO for a week, my question wasn't "why aren't more women like me CEOs" but "why is ANYONE of any gender willing to do this job for so little recompense.")

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a person who constantly feels busy, and therefore very stressed. I thought this book might be a good guide for me on showing how to slow down and calm down.

While it wasn't bad, it was kind of boring, repetitive, and seemed to be reaching too hard. Honestly, it just seemed like a minimalism or simplifying book to me. I didn't really find many actionable steps, and still don't fully understand what exactly the author means by "doing nothing." Does reading count? Napping? Watching TV?

I think the main takeaway from this book is that we need to simplify our lives and slow down. Point well taken, but challenging to do when we have certain responsibilities.

I don't really recommend this one, though I do think it's important that we take more time for ourselves than most of us do.

[Irni Farid · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Joy of Doing Nothing is actually doing a take-five before doing something or venturing into anything. Towards the end of the chapters, the author talked about minimalism and taking care of health. I was looking into her references and was proud to see Malaysian name included.

I breezed through the book as the sentences are rather repetitive.

[Aya Abassi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable and easy to read.
However I do feel like it was a bit reparative every now and then, but I do recommend reading yet as you will find useful thoughts and new perspectives on life and how things could and should be done , that will diffenetly make you think and act upon.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonat's book about doing nothing might seem obvious to most people. Her ideas can bring real value to your home, work and family life.
Rachel has three levels of change - light, medium and deep. Some things are easy like stealing a couple of minutes away during the day for yourself. Others involve suggesting that your family have a technology free evening.
By making simple changes - like just saying no - you can take time for yourself or focus on what you would really like to do.
Interesting ideas that work well with those trying to slow their lives down and live a fuller life.

Could also work well with mindful meditation.
Non-fiction 1

[Julie Garner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't as excited by this book as I thought I would be. There was a lot of repetition. I found if I read it as one of those books that you dive in and out of it worked better for me.
Jonat has some excellent ideas on how to slow down and do nothing. They have definately given me food for thought that I will return to as I need reminding. I wanted this to be a book that I could read from start to finish but it just wasn't possible. At times it felt like Jonat was finding new ways to say the same thing and then give different ideas about how to process and learn.
I did like her approach of light, medium and deep, giving people different options on how far they want to explore each concept.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always found it hard to do nothing. And it's only gotten worse as I've aged. I rarely let my mind wander and just breath. I'm definitely stressed and less happy than I could be. So when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it.

It's lovely - both in design and what it has to say. The author gives tips (light, medium & deep) for doing nothing in all areas of life (work, home, with friends, with family, etc). The day I started reading the book, I started adding more "nothing" time and I started feeling better right away.

I'll be referring back to this book often and as needed for the rest of my life.

[Tess Mertens-Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book discusses de-cluttering your life, taking time to relax and re-charge and meditation.
It made me step back and look at how my life is filled with events and commitments that keep me going and leaving little time to do nothing. I have already stepped back from an event to spend time relaxing and it felt great.
There were examples of how to do nothing, but I am not sure about doing that at work. Sitting at your desk for 15 minutes made look like you are sleeping on the job.
All other aspects of this book I plan on implementing.

[Manuela Colantonio-alonzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Not brilliant, but I was able to come away with a few treasures. It could be because I had already began doing most of what Jonat suggests a few years ago - decompressing my life, spending less time in front of electronics and just being. But for someone who is on the verge of burnout, or too busy in their lives, this could be a life saver.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.com

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite feeling a little structurally redundant, this book made some very good points. I wanted to laugh each time I read the phrase "do nothing!" because it's really instructions on doing more than that...more of a meditative mind-clearing effort, which for me doesn't come naturally. As a puritanical hard-worker, I definitely could use this encouragement to slow down and cherish times of doing nothing (tee hee) as a way to live more fully.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kept hoping this would get into useful strategies for slowing down and focusing on mindfulness. While the former was evident, after a few chapters, it became extremely redundant. I ended up skimming it quickly to make sure there wasn't going to be a big revelation, but generally came up disappointed. It kind of felt like it was getting me to practice doing nothing just by spending time with the book.

[Alisha Henderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was an easy read, however the content was very repetitive and basic. There are sources at the back but it didn’t feel like any real science was put forward other than common sense or popular beliefs. It was a struggle to finish purely because after the first chapter it all seems the same!

[Valeria · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a how-to-do-it book, about how to find time and space for doing nothing in your daily life, with a lot of practical suggestions. For me it lacked some scientific research to back up its claims, I wish there was more investigation on the topic. Easily written and enjoyable, many concepts sounded just common-sense and not innovative.

[T. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Redundant and dull. It was the same thing over and over and it's honestly just meditation without the meditation. At page 70, I just started skimming parts and feel like I read the rest of the book. Might be useful to someone feeling overwhelmed, but overall, redundant. I naturally do some of the suggested things already so I found the book not useful.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book about learning to put time aside for yourself to do nothing, which helps recharge your batter and allows you to be able to be more present in the other areas of your life. It gives a lot of examples on how to reach these goals and it lists different areas of life that doing nothing might actually help.

[Suzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book to be very repetitive throughout, without much substance. I spent a lot of time raising my eyebrows at the suggestions, as they seemed to be meant for an airy-fairy world of make-believe workplaces. It felt like I was reading a series of blogs, and each one reminding me of what the basis of her idea is, which doesn't work in a book.

[Deborah Makarios · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.
To be honest, this book lost me when it started by outlining an aspirational dream morning which involves being woken by an alarm at 6:15 - not my idea of "relaxing and amazing".
I read a bit further, but it seems to be just a heap of different ways to say "resting is good" - resting being a more accurate term for what is being described than "doing nothing".

[Jenny Erickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the things I already know. Some I already do. But if someone is just starting to embark on the path of minimalism and scaling back. It has good recommendations to cover almost every area of your life. You can skim it, write down your favorite nuggets and implement them one at a time and get the journey to a healthier, more well balanced self :)

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I agree with the premise of this book and learned some tips and tricks, it wasn’t written in an organized fashion. It seemed to constantly repeat information. I did appreciate the “light, medium, and deep” challenges.