The life sabbatical: is doing absolutely nothing the secret of happiness?

ou might imagine that escaping from your everyday life would involve relocating to a Hebridean croft or attending a series of rejuvenating retreats. But, according to Emma Gannon’s new book project, A Year of Nothing, it could be as simple as staying at home. “I did nothing,” writes Gannon. “I stopped replying to emails. I used my savings. I slept. I borrowed a friend’s dog. I ate bananas in bed. I bought miniature plants. I read magazines. I lay down. I did nothing. It felt totally alien to me.

of Rest to Reset: The Busy Person’s Guide to Pausing With Purpose, for advice. She suggested that, like many people, I probably struggle to identify what kind of rest I need. “For people who do a lot of socialising and interacting with other people for their work, they might find that what they actually need to replenish is silence and solitude.”

Taking a very large chunk of time out, perhaps a year, is obviously not financially viable for most of us. But the good news is, it’s not necessary. “The key is to allocate some time out from the hurly burly of life to reclaim some headspace,” says Reading. “If we make time to step away from our routines, it gives us a chance to realise what we can’t wait to get back to. It can help us to appreciate the things we actually enjoy.

It can be helpful to make time away from your responsibilities a regular part of your life, even if that presents logistical challenges. Shirley-Ann O’Neill, an art adviser and director of the, organises her life around taking a reset week every seven weeks. “I intentionally leave my diary open without firm plans, allowing for spontaneous moments of rest and rejuvenation.

I go for an aimless walk to a park that I rarely visit. It’s a dreich day yet it is surprisingly beautiful. I sit on a bench and watch the world go by, then head home and wonder how on earth I am going to spend the evening.

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