The lost art of doing absolutely nothing

Waiting for the lift? We reach for our phones. Stuck in traffic? Instagram opens. Eating alone? A video plays. Heading to bed? Another twenty minutes of scrolling.

Somewhere along the way, the ability to simply do nothing has become uncomfortable. Smartphones now fill almost every spare second. Messages, reels, headlines and notifications are always available, even in the most private moments.

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Yet this constant stimulation may be costing us something important: the ability to be bored.

Boredom is often seen as negative, but it allows the mind to wander, reflect and generate ideas when nothing competes for attention.

Without it, patience shrinks. Reading, listening or completing tasks can feel harder when we expect constant stimulation.

We also lose quiet moments once built into daily life - waiting, travelling, or simply lying still before sleep.

These gaps are now filled with scrolling, which distracts but does not always restore the mind.

The solution is not to abandon technology, but to stop reaching for it automatically.

Try small changes: a phone-free walk, a screenless cup of tea, or a quiet queue.

It may feel strange at first, but that discomfort is part of the process.

We are so used to constant input that silence can feel like loss, though nothing is missing.

E-mail: sumaiya.khaled@thedailystar.net