Go through the motions Informal

Perform the expected actions mechanically or without genuine interest, commitment or engagement. The outward routine continues even though the person’s heart is not in it.

The expression draws on the physical meaning of motion: a body can carry out a sequence of movements even when the mind is not fully engaged. The plural «motions» came to evoke the prescribed steps of a routine, ceremony or task. In the figurative idiom, someone follows the visible pattern while lacking the feeling, intention or enthusiasm that would normally give it purpose. The phrase is not limited to deception: a person may be exhausted, grieving, bored or simply stuck in a habit. It is therefore different from straightforwardly pretending that something happened when it did not. The idiom became useful in descriptions of work, relationships, training and religious or social rituals, where actions can be repeated long after their original meaning has faded. Its critical edge comes from the contrast between outward compliance and inner disengagement.

After the announcement, everyone went through the motions at the meeting.

He still attends practice, but lately he’s just going through the motions.

I was so tired that I went through the motions without really listening.