Why Unplugging Matters: The Case for Doing Absolutely Nothing

Because rest isn’t wasted time—it’s the reset button we all need

We live in a world that glorifies the hustle.

Fill your schedule. Maximize your minutes. Keep your kids busy. Be productive—even when you’re exhausted.

But can we just pause for a second and ask:

When did we all forget how to do… nothing?

As parents, we feel it first. The mental tabs open 24/7. The pressure to make every moment magical. The weight of being “on” for everyone, all the time.

And our kids? They feel it too. Overscheduled, overstimulated, and so used to constant input that silence feels weird. Boredom feels like failure.

It’s time we normalize rest. For them. For us. For our whole families.

The Real Power of Doing Less

There’s this idea that being still means being lazy. But what if stillness is actually strength?

When we unplug—from devices, from schedules, from the noise—we create space for something much deeper:

• Processing our thoughts
  
• Listening to each other
  
• Noticing the small stuff (like how many freckles showed up after a sunny afternoon)
  

Rest isn’t a luxury. It’s a reboot. A full-body sigh. And in a world constantly yelling “do more!”—choosing to pause is actually pretty radical.

For Parents: You Deserve to Exhale

Let’s be honest: we don’t rest well.

We put the kids to bed and immediately feel like we should clean the kitchen, fold laundry, prep lunches, answer that email, or finally start that project that’s been haunting us since January.

But here’s the truth: burnt-out parents can’t pour into thriving kids.

If you’re always running on fumes, everything starts to feel harder—shorter fuse, less patience, more overwhelm.

Rest isn’t just about sleep (though, yes, please). It’s about intentional disconnection:

• Going for a walk without your phone
  
• Drinking coffee while staring out the window (not at your inbox)
  
• Reading a chapter of a book for no other reason than it makes you feel something
  

You don’t need to earn your rest. You just need to take it.

For Kids: Boredom Is a Gift

Here’s a parenting hot take: boredom isn’t a problem—it’s an opportunity.

When kids unplug and stop being constantly entertained, their brains wake up. They create. They explore. They play with cardboard boxes and invent games involving 37 plastic animals and a pile of gravel.

When we give our kids unstructured, device-free time, they:

• Build resilience
  
• Strengthen creativity
  
• Learn to listen to their own inner voice
  
• Discover what genuinely lights them up
  

And yes, they might whine at first. (“I’m boooored!” is basically a rite of passage.)

But let them sit in it. That moment just before they figure it out? That’s where the magic starts.

How to Start Unplugging (Without Going Full Off-Grid)

You don’t need to move to a cabin in the woods (unless that’s your dream—in which case, I’ll bring the s’mores).

Try this instead:

• Tech-Free Hour: One hour a day where no one uses devices. Pick a time that works—after school, during dinner, before bed. Watch what opens up.
  
• White Space Days: One day a week with nothing on the calendar. Stay in pajamas. Wander aimlessly. Let the day unfold naturally.
  
• Family Quiet Time: Everyone picks a solo activity for 30 minutes—books, puzzles, journaling, drawing, just staring at the ceiling is fine too.
  
• Nature Reset: Go outside. No agenda. No expectations. Just let the breeze do what it does.
  

Permission to Pause

Let me be the first to say it:

You don’t have to be everything, do everything, or keep everything running all the time.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your family is to close the laptop, leave the dishes, and just be with them. Not doing. Just being.

Let your kids see that quiet is safe. That rest is good. That their worth isn’t tied to output or productivity.

Final Thoughts from a Mom Who’s Learning to Slow Down

The world isn’t going to hand you permission to rest. You have to take it.

Take the nap. Skip the lesson. Say no to that extra thing. Lay on the grass. Watch your kid roll around in dirt and call it a day well spent.

Because when we stop to breathe, we show our kids how to breathe too.

And in a world that’s always rushing, that might be the most valuable lesson of all.