Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving

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Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Celeste Headlee (Author, Narrator), Random House Audio (Publisher)

4.4 1,091 ratings

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“A welcome antidote to our toxic hustle culture of burnout.” (Arianna Huffington)

“This book is so important and could truly save lives.”(Elizabeth Gilbert)

“A clarion call to work smarter (and) accomplish more by doing less.” (Adam Grant)

We work feverishly to make ourselves happy. So why are we so miserable?

Despite our constant search for new ways to optimize our bodies and minds for peak performance, human beings are working more instead of less, living harder not smarter, and becoming more lonely and anxious. We strive for the absolute best in every aspect of our lives, ignoring what we do well naturally and reaching for a bar that keeps rising higher and higher. Why do we measure our time in terms of efficiency instead of meaning? Why can’t we just take a break?

In Do Nothing, award-winning journalist Celeste Headlee illuminates a new path ahead, seeking to institute a global shift in our thinking so we can stop sabotaging our well-being, put work aside, and start living instead of doing. As it turns out, we’re searching for external solutions to an internal problem. We won’t find what we’re searching for in punishing diets, productivity apps, or the latest self-improvement schemes. Yet all is not lost - we just need to learn how to take time for ourselves, without agenda or profit, and redefine what is truly worthwhile.

Pulling together threads from history, neuroscience, social science, and even paleontology, Headlee examines long-held assumptions about time use, idleness, hard work, and even our ultimate goals. Her research reveals that the habits we cling to are doing us harm; they developed recently in human history, which means they are habits that can, and must, be broken. It’s time to reverse the trend that’s making us all sadder, sicker, and less productive, and return to a way of life that allows us to thrive.

Listening Length

7 hours and 41 minutes
Author

Celeste Headlee
Narrator

Celeste Headlee
Audible release date

March 10, 2020
Language

English
Publisher

Random House Audio
ASIN

B081K7ZSLZ
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	7 hours and 41 minutes
Author	Celeste Headlee
Narrator	Celeste Headlee
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	March 10, 2020
Publisher	Random House Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B081K7ZSLZ
Best Sellers Rank	#7,944 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #23 in Time Management (Audible Books & Originals) #45 in Social Psychology #62 in Medical Social Psychology & Interactions

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

1,091 global ratings

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shelljack24

Being over worked sucks

Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2023

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Today many Americans are over worked and under aid. She makes a lot of factual points in this book. By the time you are ready to enjoy life it may be too late. This is a great book to read, I could relate to because I was a factory worker for 23 yrs.

One person found this helpful

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Turtle's Reads

Do Nothing

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2022

Verified Purchase

Loved this woman's TedTalk so of course I had to read her books. This one in particular appealed to me as in the past I've considered myself a workaholic.

It flips the notion that "the more you work you do, the more productive/valuable you are as an employee" on it's head. Celeste argues that the opposite/version of the opposite may in fact be true.

Definitely some nuggets I'll be trying on my end- especially with my own employees. Excited to have the chance to see her at the #natbookfest next weekend.

3 people found this helpful

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ERIKA B

brilliant

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2023

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This book could have not come to me at a better time!!! I absolutely appreciated and gained so much self reflection and getting back to my values and put an end to underlining.

One person found this helpful

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wantoun

Very insightful!

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2021

Verified Purchase

This book is going to my top favorites list!
Some of the points seem obvious in hindsight but they're beautiful laid out with real life examples & research.

It resonnated with my personal lifestyle at multiple points and I definitely relate. We're so driven to be productive & efficient and labeled as "busy" as if anything less makes us less. So the author helped put things on perspective in terms of being more mindful of our time and thinking about the bigger picture pals while breaking the norms about long hours, efficiency and ever persistent need to answer texts & emails fast.

I would highly recommend this to anyone driven by our modern need to be efficient.

3 people found this helpful

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Kristine L.

No Jacket Cover and looked used

Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2023

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Just received my book and a little disappointed. I opened the book and there was no jacket cover the hardcover I ordered and looked a bit used so I went back to make sure I didnt order a used book and I did not. The hardcover was blank and I had to look on the side to make sure it was the right one. Disappointing because it was a gift for my sister.

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D. Anderson

Great History Lesson of the Labour's Movement

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2023

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This book ready gets you thinking about why we work so hard and is it really worth it. Too bad that everyone has bought into the corporate bs.

5 people found this helpful

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Mikel Zaitzeff

It is time to Do Nothing

Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2020

Verified Purchase

A good read for those who are caught up in trying to do everything at once. Many people in the United States focus on doing so many things that sometimes they do not feel like they have time for things they want to be doing. Time is something you won't get back so remember to use it to do the things you really want to do.

13 people found this helpful

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Kurstin Bush

conversational style but supported by research

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2022

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This book summarized much of what I have been feeling in the last four years. Perhaps it was turning 50, but I have been reckoning with my own issues with productivity and efficiency. I have been wondering how much is my personality and how much of this focused busyness was taken on from cultural norms. This book puts that question in perspective as the author has clearly experienced the same messages and pursuit of productivity. The millennials may be on to something...

4 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Quants guy

Worth reading

Reviewed in Canada on February 13, 2023

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Worth reading

One person found this helpful

Gabriela

The illusion of productivity

Reviewed in Mexico on August 28, 2021

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Great book, a book to question and shows that work, efficiency and leisure have a different dimension and purposes of what it is expected. We are humans one of the most perfect machines, so unique that we should be compared or treated like the rest of the human inventions.

Kiersten Brown

Interesting read

Reviewed in Spain on December 27, 2023

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The books had a lot of good examples and offered different perspectives.

A must read!!

Reviewed in India on September 11, 2022

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I have completed only about 27% of the book yet, but couldn't wait to review. This is complete theory, normally I would have been bored. But not this one. Every page is a reminder and a revelation. I wish everybody would read this and implement this to start leading a better life and ultimately have a better society.

One person found this helpful

Emma

Question Capitalism and Consumerism and who it benefits.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 17, 2022

Verified Purchase

Fascinating analysis of the history of our current culture of busyness and overwork.

In a nutshell: Capitalism and consumerism is the problem and it is not there to benefit you.

Her main suggested antidotes are:

Work fewer hours

Don’t compare yourself to celebrities or the social media curated versions of anyone’s lives

Plan in leisure time

See people face-to-face much more often. Face-to-face is superior to a phone call and a phone call is superior to text or email.

Commit random acts of kindness

5 people found this helpful

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