Why Scheduling 'Doing Nothing' Time Can Help Workaholics Recharge

A self-employed writer who identifies as a workaholic describes their personal practice of deliberately blocking out unstructured time each day as a productivity and well-being strategy. The method involves reserving a fixed daily time slot with no planned activity, allowing the person to do whatever they feel like — such as reading, gaming, or walking — free from any sense of obligation. The author distinguishes this from ordinary rest by emphasizing that the content of the time must remain unplanned; the moment an activity is scheduled, it becomes just another task. They also note cultural and scientific parallels, including the Dutch concept of niksen — meaning purposeless idleness — and the neuroscientific Default Mode Network, which activates during mental downtime and is linked to creativity and memory. The core takeaway is that proactively scheduling unstructured time, rather than waiting until exhaustion sets in, can serve as an effective long-term defense against overwork.