Just Do Nothing by Joanna Hardis is a timely and insightful book that delves into the often-overlooked value of doing nothing. Hardis’ compelling arguments and relatable anecdotes make a compelling case for the importance of slowing down and finding meaning in moments of non-doing.
Book summary:
Is there a space between where you are and where you want to be? Do you resist overwhelming situations, wanting to avoid discomfort (while telling yourself you just need more motivation)? Do you feel intoxicated with inspiration one minute, only to find yourself binge-watching “Real Housewives” not long thereafter, having slayed nothing other than the snack cabinet?
You want to do things differently, but something keeps getting in your way. Maybe you spend too much time in your head. Maybe you panic when things start to feel “too much.”
The solution? JUST DO NOTHING.
Through this humorous, insightful guide, you will discover data-driven, science-backed tools that:
Empower you to understand and take control of your emotions
Break through the barriers holding you back
Show you how to create your own sliding scale of distress so you can increase your ability to tolerate discomfort
Help you learn to let feelings be instead of letting them go
As counterintuitive as it may sound, when you learn how to just do nothing with the chaotic thoughts and feelings swimming in your head, your life will change for the better. And, before you know it, you’ll be comfortably engaging in experiences that once had you running for that snack cabinet.
Review:
Sweet and to the point, Just Do Nothing author Joanna Hardis combines personal anecdotes with her skills as a professional therapist to help readers lay new neurological pathways to allow for lasting change. Each chapter is titled with a cliched saying which is done intentionally by the author as she absolutely does not like word art or sayings that really mean a whole lot of nothing. She delves into the topic of each chapter, from tolerance and intolerance to identifying the function of one’s behavior. Each chapter ends with an exercise the reader can do to put into play the skills Hardis talks about.
As someone who loves a good self-help book but who has found them to be quite repetitive nowadays, I found Just Do Nothing to be an excellent book to put me in a good headspace. As someone who considers herself to be very self-aware and mindful of behaviors and actions, I enjoyed reading about the situations the author found herself in and how she used the skills she teaches in the book to pull herself out of what most of us would call “the rabbit hole.” We can’t control everything around us, but we can certainly control the decisions we make for ourselves and learn from them.
As a personal trainer, I really enjoyed the fitness references in the book and chuckled many times. For example, the part of the book that described people and their New Year’s resolutions sounded so familiar to me. Hardis’ examples include, “It’s January 1, and I’m going to start meditating for ninety minutes per day, eat vegan, and do CrossFit five days a week.” and “I’m going to get that fifty pounds off by April…” Over and over again, people commit to these at the beginning of the year, yet when they stumble or mess up, they give up. Hardis emphasizes realistic self-improvement no matter when you start doing it.
I have to admit, there were parts of the book that I identified with, and reading it made me think. For example, the chapter on Choice Points, otherwise known as the fork in the road, gives a person “an opportunity to choose behavior that moves you toward your values or desired behavior, or one that moves you away from them.” I am guilty of checking my phone quite a lot, to be honest. I also always choose to lift weights over cardio, even though I know I should do even a quick HIIT workout.
Just Do Nothing is a book that can help anyone in any stage of life. The chapters are short but packed with valuable information that will make readers think about the choices they make and help them analyze their own behavior, habits, and feelings.
~ Kristi Elizabeth, Los Angeles Book Review
Buy the Book – HERE
About the Author:
Joanna Hardis, LISW-S, is a cognitive behavioral therapist based in Cleveland, Ohio. Committed to using evidence-based treatments, Joanna helps people get “unstuck.” Through her private practice as well as virtual workshops on distress tolerance, Joanna shows people how to respond to being uncomfortable by giving them the knowledge and tools they need to move forward. She may drop a favorite Yiddish word (or two) during a session, and her goal is always for her clients not to need her anymore.
She has been quoted in The Today Show, Self, and Well and Good magazines.
She received her B.S. at Cornell University and her M.S.S.A. at Case Western Reserve University. She earned her certification from the Cleveland Center for Cognitive Therapy in 2000, SPACE (Supportive Counseling for Anxious Childhood Emotions) Certification in 2016, and she’s one of a handful of clinicians with the highest training in Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD in Northeast Ohio.
In her spare time, Joanna enjoys powerlifting, doing anything with her three kids, traveling, and getting sucked into bad reality TV. Just Do Nothing is her first book.