Sit on your hands

Generated image of a woman sitting on her hands
To sit on your hands means to do nothing when you should be taking action. It is used when someone waits, avoids helping, or chooses not to get involved.

The expression comes from the image of a person literally sitting on their hands so they cannot use them. It suggests stopping yourself from acting, even when something needs to be done.

We cannot just sit on our hands while the roof keeps leaking.