The first Sunday of November is Zero Tasking Day. It’s also the day most people in Canada and the United States “fall back” to standard time, giving us an extra hour in our weekend.

We could squeeze an extra decluttering task into that hour, but we’re actually ahead of schedule on our decluttering checklist. To celebrate, our decluttering task for week 44 in the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge is … nothing!

Read on to learn more about the origins of Zero Tasking Day, and some suggestions on what you can do—or not do—with that extra hour.

And don’t worry. Weekly decluttering challenges will resume next week.

This post was originally published in November 2021 and updated in November 2024.

The origin of Zero Tasking Day

Author Nancy Christie created Zero Tasking Day to open a space in our hectic schedules when we can do absolutely nothing.  

I don’t know about you but, when I find myself with an extra hour, I immediately want to fill it with something productive. But we all need to take time to recharge our batteries. That’s the idea behind Zero Taking Day. Instead of filling that extra hour with more work, we’re supposed to fill it with “me time”—rest, relaxation. So, basically anything but work.

Are you ready to embrace Zero Tasking Day? For some of you, it might be harder than another decluttering task.

Ways to spend that extra hour

If you’re like a lot of people, doing nothing doesn’t come naturally. You may need some ideas on how to relax and enjoy some downtime. Here are 10 suggestions on what you can do with that extra hour. They are just suggestions, though. The last thing I want to do is add to your stress level by putting something else to your “to do” list.

• Take a nap.
• Read a book.
• Listen to music.
• Take a relaxing bubble bath.
• Sit outside and listen to the birds singing.
• Curl up on the couch with a blanket and watch the world go by.
• Turn on the fireplace and watch the flames.
• Go for a walk and enjoy the daylight while it lasts.
• Meditate.
• Go to a quiet room, turn off the lights, and do absolutely nothing!

I plan to spend my extra hour doing something I never have time to do enough of—reading a book!

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So that’s all for week 44. I hope you enjoy the little break and find it relaxing. We’ll get back to decluttering next week.

If you have friends or family members who could benefit from a little less clutter in their lives, please share this post and spread the word!

What would you do with an extra hour in your day? Tell us your ideas below.