Can Health be found in doing Nothing?

Is boredom the key to healing

Life is a funny thing. Before your eyes even fully adjust to the morning light, your mind is already sprinting through the day’s agenda. You strive, you search. Always moving to the next thing. The art of doing nothing has been lost in haze of pinging alerts, urgent updates, attention grabbing headlines and running. Always running, always stressed and always out of time.

When was the last time you sat on a park bench, for example and just did nothing? Watched the world pass by, listened to the sounds around you, felt the breeze on your skin, turned your face to the sun and enjoyed the warmth on your body. Nothing, nowhere, no time. Why has the art of doing nothing been turned into a shameful act? Relegated to the shadows and seen as something that is overindulgent or may I say, even sinful.

It is in the stillness of nothing that creativity blossoms. When we are not overstimulated, overwhelmed and under pressure that the spark can ignite. Finding joy in the little things is an art form that modern society has forgotten.

Connection is measured by likes and love hearts on a screen and wisdom has been left by the roadside. How can we hope to heal ourselves when the things that make us human are being eroded and scorned? Our humanity is seen as a weakness, instead of our greatest asset.

I recently came across an interesting concept called “Radical Boredom” credited to the German writer Siegfried Kracauer in the early 20^th century. It frames a psychological theory that suggests complete sensory deprivation, leading to profound boredom can be a deeply transformative state that brings about a confrontation with oneself. The process represents a mental reset button that clears and detoxes the mind. Something akin to brushing away the cobwebs and sorting out the boxes to create more space.

This concept has been refined over the decades and a more mindful approach to boredom is now being seen as having transformative value for stress management and creating a more meaningful and balanced life experience. The act of adopting “boredom” as a therapeutic tool may have enormous potential benefits. Embracing downtime, instead of trying to escape moments of low stimulation, avoiding the urge to fill every second with external content. What if doing nothing can help improve your health in unimaginable ways?

When was the last time you left the house without your phone? Heck, when was the last time you left your phone in another room? How do you feel about putting your phone on airplane mode and watching a whole 40 minute television program or reading 10 pages of a book? I might get some kick back here but for many I would say it would be a long time. Anyone over the age of 30 should remember a time when you could leave the house and be off grid for an hour or two. The world didn’t end.

I recently spent two weeks doing a holistic course in a beautiful exotic location. In a room for the most part from 7am – 5pm, with 50 participants who are all interested in health and wellness. We were asked to turn our technology off, leave phones in our rooms or at least put them on airplane mode. Seems like a simple request but every single day someone’s phone or computer would ping, ding or ring. There were several occasions when a participant did not seem to even notice the disturbance as their device was allowed to send notification after notification. Everyday we were reminded and every day the occasional pings would continue, not always from the same person. It seems unfathomable that going technology free for a few hours, even in this location was not possible and yet for some people it is.

The continual interruptions caused stress and everyone noticed, even if they didn’t want to and that is what your devices are designed to do. Your attention is required and the notification are meant to get noticed, it gets you to sit up and focus. The same can be said of the very specific pitch of an emergency services siren. These frequencies are designed to create a physiological fight or flight response in our nervous system. Emergency services want you to be aware and get out of the way asap but the telephone is also using these techniques to keep you on edge and trigger your need to respond accordingly. It is not a positive, peaceful interaction by any means.

The act of doing nothing, passive flow or simply just removing yourself from the constant call on your focus can have significant benefits on your stress levels, sleep hygiene and your overall, physical and psychological wellbeing. An intentional practice that involves stepping away from constant external stimulation allows the brain to reset and reduces mental fatigue. Doing nothing for as little as 20 minutes can;

• switch the nervous system from “fight or flight” mode (sympathetic) to “rest & digest” (parasympathetic)
• can lower blood pressure and heart rate, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke
• can improve digestion, allowing the body to properly manage energy intake
• facilitate better quality sleep and allow the body to rest, detox and repair more efficiently
• strengthen immune system, aiding in healing and disease resistance
• lower the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn lowers inflammation markers and can help with feelings of exhaustion and fatigue
• promotes emotional regulation
• enhances creativity and problem solving
• improves mental wellbeing and acts as a protective mechanism against chronic stress
• improves concentration, attention span and focus

Take some time for yourself today and play with doing nothing. Spend 10 minutes, if that is all you can manage and build up your tolerance. Put the devices on silent in another room and stare out the window and breath. Standing in a queue or go for a walk without headphones (or your phone) and observe the world around you.

Recognise that initially you may feel restless or frustrated during these moments of ‘stimulation detox’. After all you may not consciously remember the last time you did absolutely nothing and neither does your mind and body. Stick with it and the very obvious health benefits with quickly follow.

If you would like to book a session please contact Ann-Marie Toolen at hello@myinnatevitality.ie