Doing Nothing together
FREquently Asked Questions
Why should I pay to do nothing??
You definitely don't have to! You can absolutely do nothing, alone or with other people anytime, anywhere! And I dearly hope you will. What you are really paying for is a container: the structure and accountability and communion of Doing Nothing Together. I, along with a community of gathered others, am holding space for you to do nothing within because sometimes it is difficult to hold that space for yourself. The hope is that once you get in the habit, you won't need this container. (Though you may always enjoy dipping into the community commitment to resisting urgency and compulsive productivity!)
How do I prepare For doing Nothing Together?
A little bit before the scheduled meeting, find a place where you can be in a physically comfortable position for 30 minutes and aren't likely to be distracted. It doesn't have to be a silent place, but a place where you don't expect anyone will try to engage with you directly for the duration of the meeting. Have some water close at hand in case you get thirsty, and be dressed appropriately for where you are so that you don't get too cold or too hot or sunburned etc. Close every app on your device except whatever app you are using to join the meeting, and put your phone in "do not disturb" mode, with all notifications off. Place anything that you might be tempted to engage with (reading material, music, stim toys, snacks, etc.) out of reach.
I have ADHD or ADD Is this appropriate for me?
I'm not sure! Some people with ADHD/ADD and other types of neurodivergence have reported finding the experience useful, but others have found it stressful or have opted out of trying it altogether out of concern that it will be frustrating for them. This is an area that I am looking to learn more about. If you are interested in being a part of my exploration of how to optimize Doing Nothing Together for neurodivergence, please reach out here.
Are there accessibility accommodations in the regularly scheduled sessions?
The regularly scheduled sessions will usually occur via phone but we will move to Google Meet which offers auto-transcription if someone registered wants to make use of subtitles. Please contact me if you want to discuss additional accommodations.
Is Doing Nothing Together A Mindfulness or Meditation practice?
Sometimes it accidentally becomes one or both of these these things for people but achieving a mindful or meditative state is not the goal.
What is the goal of doing nothing together?
The goal is to do absolutely nothing or as close as nothing as possible together with others, in person or remotely. This is why it isn't meditating or mindfulness. Meditating is doing (or trying to do) something. Being mindful is doing (or trying to do) something. Doing Nothing Together is doing nothing. Together.
How do I know when I am doing Nothing vs doing something?
This is a hard question. My basic rule of thumb is that if you find yourself trying to do something—including trying to do nothing—try less. The goal is to do whatever takes the least effort. But also, if your nose itches, scratch it! It is harder work to resist scratching an itch or to stifle a cough than it is to let the cough happen or to scratch the itch. Respond to your body, your mind or your environment in whatever way takes the least possible effort on your part.
How do the virtual experiences Work?
Once you register, you will receive information for calling into a virtual meeting by telephone or via the web. The meeting will be audio only even if the event occurs via the web. I will introduce the practice at the beginning and then set a timer for the session's scheduled duration. Everyone will be asked to unmute themselves so that we can hear the ambient sound of the environments where everyone else is doing nothing. When the timer goes off I will thank everyone and say goodbye and end the meeting.
How much does it cost?
The regularly scheduled 30-minute sessions are $20/€20 plus a small processing fee charged by the ticketing service. Please contact me via the custom scheduling option to make arrangements for private, organizational or in-person Doing Nothing Together sessions/packages. Gift certificates for Doing Nothing Together are also available.
My question isn't answered here. What do I do?
Contact me here with additional questions or concerns.