The Beauty of Doing Less and How It Actually Heals You
In a world that glorifies hustle and constant productivity, doing less can feel counterintuitive, sometimes even lazy. But here's the truth: rest isn't a reward, it's a rhythm. And when we begin to slow down and honor the quieter moments, something shifts. Our bodies soften. Our minds breathe. Our souls begin to speak. This is about the healing power of less: less pressure, less noise, less doing. Because within the stillness lies deep, profound restoration.
In 2019 and 2020 I deep dived into minimalism. I was seeking a way to live simpler and less chaotically in our busy and stressed out world. I learned so much about how to live with less, how to not put sentimental value on items I owned, and also learned that the newest and shiniest products on the market aren’t always the best and are most definitely not going to make my life better. As someone who was working in digital and social media marketing at the time, I knew too much about how products and services were marketed and that is really what drove me into the minimalist lifestyle.
I share this because for some, minimalism is their way of living slower and simpler. It is one way to make steps towards countercultural living through rejecting buying more and deciding to not follow the typical lifestyle arch of continually acquiring more things.
“The point is that minimalism is a tool to help you achieve freedom. Freedom from fear, freedom from worry, freedom from overwhelm, freedom from guilt, freedom from depression, freedom from enslavement. Freedom. Real freedom.”
― Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus, The Minimalists
Doing less can look different for everybody. For minimalists, it’s owning less things to clean up or organize. Below are 3 simple thoughts around doing less and healingmore, in whichever way adds calm into your life.
1. Less Doing, More Being
Many of us are used to equating our worth with what we accomplish. But healing begins when we allow ourselves to be instead of constantly needing to do. For me, this has looked like actually sitting down to enjoy music playing from my CD player without feeling guilty, like I should be dusting or doing something productive around the house. Your worth does not come from accomplishments, productivity, or doing anything. Your worth does not change with action or inaction, you just are worthy. Worthy of grace. Of love. Of just being in this world.
Sometimes we resist rest because it feels unfamiliar, even uncomfortable. But healing often begins in those quiet, unproductive-feeling spaces. When we stop pushing, the body and mind can finally repair.
What this looks like:
Sitting with your morning tea, not rushing into your phone or to-do list
Letting yourself wander without an agenda (bonus: in a city with breathtaking architecture!)
Allowing space for feelings, thoughts, and silence
Let yourself nap without guilt
Being fully present, even in simple tasks, nourishes your nervous system more than any checklist ever could. I know the nervous system has become a buzz phrase recently, but it is so for a reason. Our nervous systems are wrecked by the constant on-the-go lifestyle. Let’s practice just being for a little while. When we slow our pace, we hear our inner wisdom more clearly. Our days begin to feel like ours again.
2. Less Noise, More Clarity
The constant buzz of media, notifications, and external voices drowns out our own inner knowing. Doing less helps you reclaim that space. Claim your thoughts and mind back from the rushing noise of news, social media, work emails, and social obligations. Our world can be extremely noisy, so let’s find some quiet throughout our days, even if it's just a few minutes. One of the ways I’ve managed to quiet the noise is with The Pour Over: a news source that sends you a summarized version of world news 3 times per week in your email inbox. Their method: not giving you biased opinions, just facts, with a Biblical tie in to point readers to God’s word for answers.
Try this:
Create intentional pockets of quiet in your day (maybe no screens for the first 30 minutes of your day)
Unplug during meals, walks, or wind-down time
Journal your thoughts instead of scrolling for answers
Subscribe to The Pour Over for simplified news and world updates
Take away one noise from your day (less is always more)
When the noise fades, your clarity returns. You remember what matters to you.
3. Less Multitasking, More Mindfulness
Multitasking might look productive, but it often leaves our minds scattered and our energy drained. Doing one thing at a time on purpose is an act of healing. Sometimes, our brains get so overwhelmed with too much going on at once, our body sends us signals to calm down. This happens to me sometimes if I find myself scrolling on my phone while watching a movie. My brain is on overload and my body is telling me it’s on edge. I tense up in my seat, my jaw clenches, and I don’t realize how uncomfortable I am in such a tensed out state. Doing one thing at a time with intention and not letting our body go into overload can help regulate your nervous system and remove the urgency in our brains to keep doing more.
Simple shifts:
Cook without watching a video
Walk without listening to an informative podcast
Listen fully when someone speaks, no phone in sight
Check in with your body before starting another task (the task can wait while you rest)
Mindfulness isn't about perfection—it's about presence. And presence is profoundly healing.
Now, sometimes it can feel like everything and everyone is telling you to DO MORE. Let’s try focusing on shifts in habits to simplify. If anything, I hope this inspires you to remove or replace something from your day to give yourself more space and time to breathe. Simple shifts can lead to big impact. Doing less is healing. It’s a rhythm that softens and restores.
With Warmth,
Teresa
The Healing Homebody
