The Art of Rotting — 5 Ways Doing Nothing Heals You

Eny | The Pain Alchemist
Nov 2
2 min read

There’s one day a week where I rot.

No TV. No music. No podcasts. No productivity.

I don’t do laundry. I don’t run errands. I don’t answer messages. I just… exist.

Some people would call this lazy. I used to call it lazy too — until I realized my body wasn’t asking for more hustle. It was begging me for silence.

This practice of rotting saved me after burnout. It regulates my nervous system, restores my creativity, and reminds me that I’m human before I’m anything else.

Here’s why doing nothing — intentionally — is one of the most healing practices you can gift yourself.

1. Your Nervous System Needs Stillness

Burnout, trauma, and constant stress put your nervous system in survival mode. That’s why you feel restless even when you’re “resting.”

Rotting creates true stillness. By stripping away distractions — no phone, no scrolling, no productivity — you give your body a chance to reset from constant overstimulation.

In that stillness, your nervous system finally exhales.

2. Silence Heals More Than Noise

We live in a world that worships noise — music, podcasts, endless conversations. But silence is medicine.

When I rot, I stop filling the air with sound. In that silence, buried feelings rise. Thoughts I’ve ignored come to the surface. And instead of running from them, I let them exist.

Silence gives space for your soul to speak.

3. Naps Become Medicine, Not Laziness

The “good girl” in me once felt guilty for napping. But when I started rotting, naps became sacred.

Your body knows when it needs to shut down and repair. Napping during rotting days isn’t wasting time — it’s giving your body exactly what it’s been begging for.

Sleep heals in ways no to-do list ever could.

4. Boredom Boosts Creativity

When you stop distracting yourself, you’ll get bored. And boredom is powerful.

Without constant stimulation, your brain starts making new connections. That’s when ideas flow. I’ve had my most creative breakthroughs not during work — but during boredom, while lying in bed staring at the ceiling.

Boredom isn’t emptiness. It’s a seedbed for creativity.

5. Rest Is Rebellion Against Burnout

We live in a culture that glorifies overwork. Hustle culture says rest is weakness. But rotting is my rebellion.

When I choose to do nothing, I reject the lie that my worth depends on how much I produce.I reclaim my humanity.I remind myself I was not born to be a machine.

Rest is resistance. Rest is reclamation. Rest is radical.

Closing Thoughts

Rotting isn’t laziness. It’s an act of healing. It’s how I regulate my nervous system, honor my body, and reclaim my energy after years of self-abandonment.

Doing nothing is not wasted time. It’s medicine.