Winter is coming, and if you’re anything like us, you might be feeling a little low energy. Studies have shown that seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can lead to feelings of demotivation, so it’s normal to find yourself slowing down as the holidays approach.

Many of us are conditioned to feel guilty if we end up doing absolutely nothing for a day. After all, amid a hustle culture where productivity rules, doing zilch is seen as a waste of time.

But here’s the truth: doing nothing is good for you. It’s certainly of value; in fact, it’s essential.

Chris Griffiths and Caragh Medlicott are the authors of The Creative Thinking Handbook. They reckon that doing nothing can be productive – you just need to reframe it.

“When you have a to-do list as long as your arm and a million errands to run, the productive power of doing nothing probably sounds like a lovely, slightly unhinged fantasy,” Griffiths and Medlicott tell Stylist. “It’s true that doing nothing alone won’t help you get more things done, but when you use the power of doing nothing correctly, it can actually increase your productivity and boost your energy so you can better tackle a heavy workload.”

The key to the power of doing nothing is… doing nothing. Not scrolling TikTok. Not watching The White Lotus. Not half-doing email admin, and half beating yourself up in your mind.

You need to be doing “just plain old nothing”, say Griffiths and Medlicott. “Or at the very least, almost nothing: a mundane, repetitive task that is neither entertaining nor demanding of your attention.”

Feeling demotivated as winter sets in? It turns out doing nothing is actually good for you