Not Bertrand Russell, but Still Worth Reading

🕰️ My thoughts on Alan Lightman’s In Praise of Wasting Time

(Lightman, 2018)

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🌿

When I saw the title In Praise of Wasting Time, I thought, “Ah—maybe it’s like Bertrand Russell’s In Praise of Idleness.” But it’s not the same. While Russell talks about big ideas and society, Alan Lightman takes a softer and more personal approach.

This short book is all about how we’re always busy, always online, always doing. And how that’s not always a good thing. Lightman says:

“We need time to do nothing, to be idle. Time to rest our brains and our bodies, to restore our spirits” (2018, p. 12).

It sounds lovely, right? Just sitting, thinking, resting... ☁️🧘‍♀️

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📱

(Pinterest, n.d.)

Lightman writes in a calm but serious way. He says we’re losing our ability to think deeply because we don’t give ourselves any real quiet time.

“The brain needs periods of rest. The connections and insights we value most—creativity, memory, emotional depth—are more likely to emerge when the mind is quiet” (p. 17).

I totally agree with that. But here’s my truth: I’ve tried. I’ve had mornings with no screens, tea breaks with no phone, even full “digital detox” Sundays. But I always feel the pull. That itch to check my phone, check the news, check something.

FOMO—the fear of missing out—isn’t just a word I read online. It’s how I feel. Lightman says:

“We fear being left out, left behind, or simply left alone. So we stay plugged in, hoping we won’t miss something important” (p. 33).

Exactly. I don’t want to miss out on what’s happening around me. Being offline sometimes makes me feel... invisible.

He also writes:

“When we are always engaged and stimulated, we lose the ability to know ourselves” (p. 45).

That line really hit me. I know I need quiet time. But knowing and actually doing it? Two very different things.

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🌈

In Praise of Wasting Time isn’t a long book, but it makes you think. It’s part warning and part reminder: you need to slow down sometimes.

“Time we waste is often the most fertile” (Lightman, 2018, p. 54).

I want to believe that. I want to be someone who can be productive and still take time to just think, dream, and rest. But can I really do both?

Right now, with my busy university life, my job, and being far from the people I love, it’s really hard to unplug. I feel like I have to stay connected—to manage, to cope, to feel close to others.

Still, something in Lightman’s words makes me want to try. Even just for five quiet minutes a day. Maybe that’s a start.

If you’ve figured out how to take breaks and still feel okay, I’d love to hear from you. And if you’re stuck in the same place as me—craving peace but scared to disconnect—you’re definitely not alone. Maybe we can figure it out together. 💬🌱

(Lewis, n.d.)

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Bibliography

• Lewis, J., n.d. Stop right now. Thank you very much. BuzzFeed [online]. Available at: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/stop-right-now-thank-you-very-much
• Lightman, A., 2018. In Praise of Wasting Time. New York: Simon & Schuster.
• Lightman, A., 2018. In Praise of Wasting Time. Simon & Schuster UK, 15 May. Available at: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/In-Praise-of-Wasting-Time/Alan-Lightman/TED-Books/9781471168598
• Pinterest, n.d. Vintage‑style illustration featuring pink characters and toys. [online] Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/224687468885712721/

 

❓Are Morning Routines a Scam?

There’s a moment—usually around 5:00 AM—when you realize you’ve totally lost the plot. You’re standing in the kitchen, half-asleep, forcing yourself to scribble “gratitude” into a journal before your first cup of coffee. Why? Because The 5 AM Club said billionaires do this.

Morning routines have become the adult version of magic spells. If you just wake up early enough, meditate long enough, and hydrate hard enough, your life will somehow realign into peak performance. But is that actually true—or have we all fallen for a beautifully marketed fantasy?

I tried it for about six months. Here’s what happened.

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☀️ The 5 AM Life: Maybe Not For You

Robin Sharma’s The 5 AM Club paints an inspiring picture: wake up at dawn, follow the “20/20/20 formula” (20 minutes of movement, 20 minutes of reflection, 20 minutes of learning), and boom—you’ll beat mediocrity.

(Pinterest, n.d.)

For a while, I tried it. I wasn’t exactly waking up at 5 sharp—more like 5:45 or 6. I’d go running at 6:30 in the hot summer sun. Then around 8, I’d do a bit of grocery shopping, come home… and guess what?

Yeah. I’d collapse back into bed. Doom scrolling. Playing phone games. Texting. And then napping for another hour or two.

The worst part? That wave of guilt afterward. Like I’d failed some invisible exam.

Looking back, it’s kind of ironic: when you’re already tired, burned out, or dealing with unpredictable life stuff, waking up at 5 AM doesn’t feel empowering—it feels like punishment.

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🧠 One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying morning routines are total nonsense. For some people, they work brilliantly. But humans aren’t carbon copies.

As the philosopher Michel Foucault put it:

“There is no single model for the care of the self. The practices are multiple, varying by person, age, status, and moment.”
— Michel Foucault, The Care of the Self (1984)

(Pinterest, n.d.)

In other words, the way we care for ourselves has to match who we actually are—not some ideal version on a podcast or Pinterest board. Your version of self-care might start at 10 AM, with a slow coffee and a guilt-free scroll through the news. And guess what? That’s still a routine. It just doesn’t come with a sunrise filter or a yoga mat.

And here’s the thing—we’re not even the same person we were a month ago. Life changes, we grow, priorities shift. So it makes sense that your routine might look different from season to season, or even week to week. That’s not failure. That’s living.

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✨ So… Is It a Scam?

No, not exactly. But the real scam is the pressure to believe there’s only one right way to start your day. That if you’re not up before sunrise journaling and stretching in a linen robe, you’re doing life wrong.

Truth is, a good routine is one that works for you. One that fits your energy, your schedule, your needs—not someone else’s highlight reel.

So if the whole early-morning productivity trend hasn’t worked for you? You’re not broken. You’re just… human.

(Pinterest, n.d.)

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Hey, I'm Leila 😊

Hi, I’m Leila—and honestly, I’m still figuring things out. I started this blog because my uni lecturer asked us to 📚. It’s part of a course I’m doing in Marketing, and yes… I need a good grade 😅. But I also realized it could be a space for me to write freely and reflect on the things we don’t always talk about—like why routines are hard, why we try to be “that girl,” and why we sometimes just want to stay in bed 🛌.

If you’re someone who loves the idea of having it all together but struggles to stick to a routine (or even wake up on time), then you’re in the right place 💛. You’re welcome here.

From the outside, people often think I’m super organized—in both my personal and professional life. But the truth is, I don’t always feel that way. I wear the mask well 🎭. I seem like I’ve got everything under control, but inside, it’s a mix of overthinking, experimenting, learning, and wondering what’s next 🤯.

A little about me:

I’m in my late thirties, born in Shiraz, Iran 🇮🇷, and now living in Birmingham, UK 🇬🇧. I’m the second of four kids. I’m single, no children. I’ve got a BA in Physics, an MA in Sociology, and now I’m doing my second master’s in Marketing 🎓. I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever stop studying. I’m always looking for new things to learn and new challenges. It’s exciting—but also exhausting 🌀. Sometimes I wish I could just relax and enjoy a quiet life. But I guess this is who I am.

(Spotebi, n.d.)