7 Old-Fashioned Reasons to Sit on the Porch and Do Nothing

I’ll admit, I’m not one who is naturally given to rest. My default mode is work—not because I’m particularly ambitious, but because I’m restless and bored easily. My “work hard, play hard” personality has taken me far in life, but I’ve also learned through trial and error that it’s unsustainable without periods of intentional renewal.

Rest for me is different than sleep. I’ve never had a problem falling asleep at night or getting a solid 8 hours.

But life isn’t just about pursuing your goals or sleeping—there are important things that happen in the in-between spaces of rest.

When I think of rest, a certain image pops into my mind. I’m sitting on my front porch, the sun is shining, and I’m happily watching the world go by.

As I grow older, I grow more affectionate towards my vision of the good life, and I’m convinced there are lessons here for a generation that seems to have forgotten how to stop and smell the roses.

Here are 7, to be exact.

7 Reasons to Sit on the Porch

Reconnect with nature

Since I live in an old neighborhood, my sidewalk is lined with tall, beautiful trees. From my perch on the porch, I can watch them sway gently in the breeze. Even though I’m not in the woods, it’s as close as I can get without driving 45 minutes away. And even though I’m in town, I can hear the breeze and the buzzing bees and the birds singing in the trees. This reminds me how large the world is compared to my little problems, and how beautiful compared to my mundane concerns.

Take a digital break

One of the reasons we don’t sit on the porch as much as we used to is because we’re constantly distracted by our devices. No need to sit and watch the world go by when you can pull out your phone and check in on your favorite apps. The problem, of course, is that these little distractions don’t really rest our minds. They make us more anxious, and crowd out the more pleasant and meaningful forms of rest that refresh us.

Make small talk with neighbors

I once heard someone describe the modern neighborhood as the place where we moved everything to the back yard. And how true that is! For most of human history, wherever people gathered for community living, socialization took place in the front of the home. My advice is to sit on the front porch more often, and instead of retreating inside when you see a passerby, walk out to the sidewalk and greet them. That’s neighborliness at its finest.

Improve your health

In the world we live in today, I think most people assume that “rest” is a waste of time. It’s not exactly sleep, which we all need to recover each day, and it’s not the kind of focused, intentional leisure that the ancients wrote about. It’s the kind of time use that seems purposeless on the surface. In fact, it’s actually quite good for your health. A number of studies have shown that relaxing outdoors can lower your blood pressure and your muscle tension, as well as reducing the levels of stress hormones in your blood.

Sharpen your curiosity and powers of observation

Practically speaking, I don’t really just sit on the porch and do nothing. Usually, I’m either talking with my wife or musing internally about the passing sights. You could think of it as the lazy man’s people-watching, which many of us seem to do when we get to the airport far too early for our flight. These cases of passive entertainment are delightful on their own, but they also have the benefit of tuning your powers of observation, which we seem to under-appreciate in today’s ultra-pragmatic society. Being curious and observant are great skills that are only enhanced with practice.

Meditate and pray

Don’t hear me wrong, when I use the word “meditate” I don’t mean the Eastern practices of emptying your mind, but rather, the more broadly accepted notion of thinking deeply about an idea. This kind of meditation is highly pleasurable, and best done when you aren’t in a hurry or looking at a screen. Porch sitting is the ultimate way to expand your mind and make space for valuable reflection. There’s no real secret except to make time and try it yourself. The mind is an amazing thing, and experiences can only go so far in capturing its wonderful complexity.

Let your mind wander to new ideas

Another old-fashioned idea that has fallen out of favor is the notion of daydreaming or letting your mind wander. I think this is because we now associate daydreaming with a certain laziness we are quick to resist. But letting your mind wander can provide a number of benefits to your overall well-being. One 2020 study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology concluded that deliberately letting the mind wander was just as pleasurable as engaging in digital distraction, but with the added benefit of enhancing our ability to draw connections between ideas and think creatively.

Waste less time on screens

Another simple benefit of sitting on the porch is that it is an enjoyable replacement to browsing on your phone or watching TV. I can’t explain why exactly, but sitting on the porch makes me less likely to want to pull out my phone. Maybe it’s the proximity to nature, or the fact that other people might see me—whatever it is, I know that porch-sitting makes me feel more virtuous and less distracted, and it’s something I plan to do more of in the coming years.

Conclusion: Rediscover the Simple Pleasures

I hope I’ve convinced you that the “old-fashioned” practice of sitting on your front porch is a timeless idea that is probably better classified as old-school chic than out-of-date. To me, there’s nothing more aesthetically pleasing than seeing a stranger happily relaxing on their porch. It makes me want to know that person and hear what they have to say. Maybe you’ll find the time in your own life to test the theory I’ve so passionately laid out above. I know you won’t regret it.