What do you do when you do nothing?

It did not help that we were sitting inside a bowling alley. The crash of pins and hollering parties embodied the antithesis of nothing.

I forget how I responded, probably with “I enjoy jigsaw puzzles” or something equally as exciting. However, the question has not left my mind: What does “doing nothing” mean?

As blessed as we are to live in a hub of innovation and education, the Silicon Valley “pressure cooker” makes its inhabitants feel guilty for taking breaks. There is always something to read, research, learn and complete in a finite 24-hour day; disconnecting from the constant stream of information feels disorienting. In many ways, I’ve seen myself and my peers come to rely on a culture of instant gratification. We get upset when someone doesn’t respond promptly to messages or when our teachers take more than a week to grade tests.

Riding the fast-moving train is stressful, but it’s also easy. As someone who enjoys the structure of a busy schedule, I understand the luxury of having constant stimuli to capture my focus. However, this bombardment of activity and information comes with isolation; when we focus on our individual stressors, we forget to interact with the world around us. There’s no time for introspection or empathy when our to-do lists reach the floor.

All of this seclusion, and we wonder why our world faces such polarizing issues. We can’t sit in traffic without getting upset so how do we expect our world leaders to have the patience to build bridges?

When the accepted narrative around rest is “you can sleep when you’re dead,” no one is inclined to embark on a cultural shift because everyone has something to prove.

What’s fascinating is that humans are surrounded by allegories promoting rest, whether getting a car’s oil changed, refilling the tires on your bike or charging your cellphone. We take care of our technology so that it performs better, however, we don’t cut ourselves the same slack. As American novelist Anne Lamott said: “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”

The cynics will retort that “doing nothing” has no place on a resume. I challenge this idea by maintaining that taking breaks will only increase productivity for those focused on a direct return on investment. Beyond this, it gives our minds the space to think critically and creatively so we can solve life’s many problems.

I am far from an expert on nothingness. In fact, I am still trying to figure out what it means. As much as I love to read and watch movies, consuming media of any kind still feels like too much of a “something.” My closest encounters with nothing happened while sitting in San Mateo’s Central Park or at my desk, staring at unfinished math homework, deciding that meditation sounds more appealing than statistics.

My point is that “nothing” is subjective. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to taking a break, and maybe that’s what my friend was getting at in her question. The individual exploration of nothing will help us learn what we need to recharge, leaving us with enough energy to connect with others.

With that, I ask you: What do you do when you do nothing?

Chesney Evert is a senior at Carlmont High School in Belmont. Student News appears in the weekend edition. You can email Student News at news@smdailyjournal.com.