Daily Reflections
Throughout Chapters 1 to 4 of How To Do Nothing, Jenny Odell argues that people need to construct another aspect of their lives, the state of refusal, in which individuals do not confine themselves to social norms, but also not exclude themselves from society. She states that living in the moment is the most important part of being human, and cherishing the day for what it is leads people to understand the true beauty in their life and the lives of others around them. To extend past her thoughts, action needs to take place to bring about change from the normality of a society that moves too quickly in order for people to find time for themselves whenever they need it.
The idea of declining an overflow of useless information returns to the roots Odell unearthed as the basis of her novel itself. The victims of toxic work habits can see a better life, but are still trapped by their jobs, unable to exit to another place where they have the opportunity to think freely without judgement. Doing nothing shatters this glass frame surrounding the entirety of individuals today, and these people can now escape the hold capitalist culture has on them. The “third space” act of refusal, a concept formed through Odells beliefs, guides people on a journey along their own peace of mind, and in today’s world that instinctive desire for independence lacks the recognition it deserves. Odell provides examples of why this is a pertinent issue, and through establishing a system of acknowledging a clear mindset specifically for students growing up, more people will become attuned to this way of thinking into their adult lives.
In Chapter 1, Odell discusses the 1916 edition of The Writings of John Muir, and explains how the beauty in life is too sacred to be sacrificed for non-stop working. John Muir is an individual who after an accident understood,
Life was too brief and uncertain… to waste upon belts and saws. (10)
By making time to reflect for oneself, life can continue its self fulfilling purpose. Addressing the impacts of time away can lead to beginning a new way of existence, and it brings an aspect of purpose along with everyday tasks. Re-establishing admiration for each part of the day generates happiness in being simply human, which is critical to people who are being consumed by the enormity of their endless connections they experience daily.
Reaching beyond her thinking to realistically approach the concept of another outlet of thought, it is essential to form regularity around a society in which children are exposed to a solution that makes them understand the meaning of their own space away from others. Not teaching children to become isolated through their thoughts, and encouraging them to have their private space, can begin a trend of breaking down the capitalist divide that has a hold on communities. Children will learn that each person should be respected and they will understand their peers’ differences, placing emphasis on acceptance that is currently depleted in today’s world.
When discussing the actions of Diogenes, the man who lived in contrast to all those around him in ancient Greece, Odell describes,
He neither assimilated nor fully exited society; instead he lived in the midst of it, in a permanent state of refusal. (68)
She believes that similar to taking a step back, this is a state of limbo between being constantly over connected to the world and living in recluse. She explains that this is the only way people should disconnect in order to live the fullness of their lives and also to contribute back to what makes them who they are. Diogenes is a prime example of an individual who, to the extreme, fought the tyranny of the fake reality he saw surrounding him. He was able to rediscover the purpose of being human, and he realized that in order to connect back to the natural, animalistic foundation people are created with, he needed to resort to measures that reject the unnecessary conflict straining typical life. Through his protest, which occurred in the past, he produced hope that, in the future, people in the world can begin to view themselves again.
Instead of having an evident work-play separation ingrained in people through education growing up, curriculum can be developed and reinforced by educators so another alternate way of thinking is built within students’ minds. Young adults can leave their exhausting homework life and their persistent social life for an in-between that they previously have not experienced. More students will produce a spiritual, personal outlet in which they have the opportunity to access through their education.
Writing for just one minute in a journal everyday can act as this retreat. As a personal anecdote, in high school, I had a teacher in which everyday our class would have one minute to sit in silence and write whatever came to mind. My teacher would keep the journals in her classroom so no one would forget to bring it or lose it. A few minutes into each class she would set a timer on her computer for one minute, and she wrote some prompts on the whiteboard if any students could not think of ideas right away. The class would sit in silence, and everyone would write on their own. No one thought it was pointless or meaningless. Actually, mostly everyone enjoyed that part of the class the most, because it acted as an individual self reflection, and it was a peaceful break from the chaos of the typical day as a teenager.
Leaving the world momentarily through reflecting in a journal can act as a form of sanctuary, as an individual has control over what they want to concentrate on, and they can decide what slice of their life they want to vacate from their tireless minds. In Chapter 4 of How to Do Nothing, Jenny Odell expands on the idea of attention itself, and how through emphasizing certain aspects of life, people can further understand themselves as well as how others view them in society. As she discusses Ellsworth Kelly’s Blue Green Black Red artwork at SFMOMA, she initially did not see the meaning of his four panels of colors together. However, as she took a closer look, she saw that,
The painting seemed alive. (108)
Giving the piece more of her attention led her to begin to see the artwork clearly. The idea of being able to manipulate attention is pertinent when considering the concept of a third space. This “third space” can be established through taking time off in an overloaded daily schedule, and even if this retreat is momentary, it has a multitude of benefits for those who are willing to set it into motion.
Despite when it seems that all sections of attention are out of frame,
Some kind of attention will always be present, [and] when we take a hold of it, we have the ability to consciously direct, expand, and contract it. (108)
People will always be connected to their surroundings, but they can, in fact, change which segment they want to become engrossed in. This constant awareness is a quality of being human, but recognizing the ability to gain selective attention is understanding being human. As individuals write in a journal, they will still be aware of those who surround them, but choose to solely pay attention to what they are writing and how they are feeling at that moment.
In America, education is localized among every state, and federal mandates are typically difficult to enact because they require agreement in legislation. As stated by Senior Research Associate Bryce Loo in a 2018 article from the World Education Services,
The 50 states… are directly in charge of their own education systems, resulting in tremendous diversity of education nationwide. (Loo, 2018)
All states cannot form the laws needed to effectively produce an equal outlet in regard to students’ mental getaway at the same time. Therefore, it will take one state to make the first step in authorizing a policy conveying the possibility in which a daily journal is required. When considering how to begin, schools and education services need to start with children in elementary school where the foundation for this idea would be the most helpful. The state of Delaware should be conscious of the benefits a statewide program would provide for its students, and it should be the first to push for the development of the solution.
Furthermore, as Odell states,
The third space… can become a spectacle of noncompliance that registers on the larger scale of the public. (77)
American students being raised in a draining environment can be accustomed to a new mindset. Through common practice of the third space, a haven of the mind and body, newfound self-confidence and awareness will be placed in children, aiding their mental states in the configuration of the ability to actively take a break whenever that time is needed. Tearing down the superstitions that exist around mental health is necessary to society, and through practicing a safe place for children to go, students will feel more self assured of their place in the world as they grow older.
In recent years, mental health has been open to discussion in schools across America. But, it still lacks the attention it requires, causing some students to fall behind. According to a 2021 report by the National Association of Secondary School Principals,
A U.S. Surgeon General report indicates that one in five children and adolescents will face a significant mental health condition during their school years. (“Mental Health in Middle Level and High Schools”)
Children do not feel like their emotions matter, provoking mental illness to take control of their young minds and thrive in what they perceive as a deadly school environment. The creation of a safe space, an environment for children to enjoy their own time whilst being supported through their relationships with their peers going through the same thing, can affirm a positive more outlook. A silent reflection is more important now than ever, and the journal is a starting point for more reform to better self esteem for all children that desperately need it.
America can set a precedent for other countries to see a notion of success as a breakthrough, and these countries will feel inspired to embark upon the journey of fighting the negative, unspoken mental practices in their own school and educational systems. By focussing on assembling a spot that all children can retreat to, adolescents worldwide will begin to believe in their own future, and the futures of those growing up around them as well.
Works Cited
Bryce, Loo. Education in the United States of America. World Education Services, 12 June 2018, https://wenr.wes.org/2018/06/education-in-the-united-states-of-america
“Mental Health in Middle Level and High Schools.” NASSP, National Association of Secondary School Principals, 8 March 2021, www.nassp.org/mental-health-in-middle-level-and-high-schools/.
Odell, Jenny. How to Do Nothing. Brooklyn: Melville, 2019.
