While it can be difficult to sometimes sit still and not do anything to occupy yourself, some experts claim it might be beneficial to be bored.
Social media has recently introduced the “do nothing” challenge, where participants film themselves as they sit and experience boredom, while deliberately choosing not to look at any kind of screen or even a book.
According to Niro Feliciano, a psychotherapist specializing in anxiety, there can be benefits to taking a break from the constant sea of information people are exposed to with the presence of technology.
“Our minds are constantly going,” Feliciano said in an interview with Today.com. “So I think this challenge is great because it’s really forcing people to train their minds to be still. And we know that a lot happens in the brain and in the body when we find that place of stillness.”
She explained that constant new information from checking notifications provides our brains with a boost of dopamine, or the “feel-good” hormone, which reinforces a craving for more every time it is used.
“We get these high levels of dopamine from constant new information, whether it's social media or text notifications or checking our email,” Feliciano continued. “Whatever it is, that gives us a hit of dopamine because we can not tolerate stillness. We almost go into withdrawal without the dopamine.”
The trend helps to reduce anxiety by eliminating social media, which reduces FOMO, or the “fear of missing out.”
To see the biggest benefits from the challenge, Feliciano suggests choosing not to film yourself participating or posting the video for the sake of being fully away from your phone.
For those who may struggle with the concept of sitting and doing nothing, it is suggested that people start out by taking a few minutes to stare out the window or taking a longer shower than usual.
Feliciano added that she would “encourage people to daydream” and “let your mind wander.”
If keeping your phone around is absolutely necessary, whether that be for school or work, you can still receive the benefits of the “do nothing” challenge by silencing phone notifications, turning on greyscale mode, making the screen black and white to avoid becoming attracted to the colorful screen, and keeping your phone away from your bed while sleeping.
