The Subtle Power of "Nothing"

As someone who has maintained a "busy" lifestyle or daily routine for most of my life, but also someone whose career goals entail creativity I've dealt with my fair share of burnout waves. My biggest burnout wave happened last year and lasted for a few months, but felt like forever. To push through the burnout, become reinspired, and gain back creativity and motivation I've learned just how important rest and downtime can be.

I've always been a more creative person, feeling inspired by everything around me and always having ideas pile up in my mind. I'm also the type of person who feels so useless when I'm not being actively productive. So with that combination, I would begin to compare productivity with constantly moving and completing tasks, setting no downtime aside for myself or my mind. I thought that the activity levels of my day-to-day life were helping keep me grounded and productive, but little did I know they were slowly playing into my creative decline. Leaving me with a sense of burnout and stress, I felt so uncreative and it messed with my head.

In today's time, especially being a part of Gen Z, there are constant talks that we, as a generation, are all lazy, unmotivated, and unproductive. With this, I feel that there is an unspoken rule that we have to really "hustle" to prove our worth and break away from the preconceived notions that we're not hard workers with goals in place. This current "hustle" culture can make it incredibly easy to feel overworked and overall behind in life, and career pathways. It also makes it so hard to allow ourselves the rest that we all need to function healthily.

Last year I was involved with a lot of organizations and roles that needed my creativity. At first, it was so exciting and thrilling to be able to do what I love for an organization (or organizations) that I love. But then it became way more than that. At times it felt like it wasn't my creativity or ideas that were needed, but more the need for me to just be a robot that could complete the creative tasks that someone else (who wasn't a creative) had in mind. It took the fun and joy away from creating and turned it into a slight hatred instead. Leaving me feeling so uninspired and overworked. So I got out. I went abroad, I saw the world, I invested in friendships, in my physical and mental health, and finally took a break. Slowly over time, the inspiration came back and I started creating for myself, whenever and wherever I felt inspired.

I started taking time each day, where I do something for myself. Whether it was a workout, an afternoon nap, or an episode or two of my favorite TV show. Normally if there was a chunk of two hours in the day where I didn't have anything to do, I would make myself do something, like working ahead or creating more tasks for myself to do. Whereas now, I listen to my body and my mind when it says "take a break" because it knows that I need one. That doesn't make me less productive or less worthy, it recharges me and makes me more valuable for when I do have things that I have to do. More inspired to create, and more motivated to work toward the career goals that I have set for myself.

I call this the "Subtle Power of Nothing." An art of allowing yourself downtime when you need it. Not getting lost in the noise that life can hold, and instead focusing on what you and your body need. Sometimes the "nothing" is preparing you for a better version of yourself. It's not fun feeling like you chose the wrong career path because you're overworked and burnout. So finding ways to prioritize yourself and taking a break to recharge can make a world of difference.

So, next time you're feeling overworked or burnout, try doing "nothing." You are entirely more powerful when you're rested and recharged than when you're making yourself too busy and draining the life and energy from yourself. Cut out the narrative that "nothing" is something negative, and make it the most powerful thing that helps fuel you.

My name is Caitlyn, and I hope you enjoyed reading about The Subtle Power of "Nothing," I'm so happy you're here!