Today in ÀṢÀIssue No. 01Lagos, Nigeria
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The Artof DoingLess

johnWords byjohn
Published23 August 2026
Reading time2 min read
The Art of Doing Less
In a culture that constantly asks women to do more, choosing less can become its own form of luxury.

There is a particular kind of exhaustion that does not disappear after a good night's sleep.

It comes from carrying too many tabs open at once. The work. The family. The messages. The plans. The version of yourself you think you should already have become. We have become very good at being busy. Perhaps too good. Doing less is not about ambition disappearing. It is about deciding that every available space in your life does not need to be occupied.

“A full life does not have to be a crowded one.”

Ghandi

What deserves your attention?

Attention is one of the most valuable things we have, yet we give it away casually. A quieter life begins with asking simple questions. What actually matters to me? What am I doing because I want to, and what am I doing because I am afraid of disappointing someone? The answers are rarely dramatic. Sometimes doing less means declining the invitation. Sometimes it means leaving your phone in another room while you eat. Sometimes it means spending an entire Saturday without turning it into a productivity project.

Close-up of a woman reading beside a cup of tea.
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