Doing Nothing – Is It Holi Enough or Unholy?

Whassup dudes, long weekend 2024 coming up. Holi coming up. High key socialising expected. Have you made it to all the lit party lists? And the rain dance, Bollywood bash, after party, after-after party frfr? FOMO levels in control? Drizzle Dress – tick? Desi Daru – tick? Curated mithai – tick? Bespoke gift bags – labelled? Not-to-miss discount deals – tick? Social media messages – checked? Friends’ Close Groups – formed? Salon appointment - fixed? Drip plus-one right swiped? Weekend calendar - FULL!!! Overthinking – done? Headspace – crackle free? Phew!!! 

Heart rate slowly returning to normal! Everything’s sorted. Life’s good! Yeah, all double checked before wrapping up the office report and kicking in some TGIF! 

For a whole lot of people just reading this paragraph will be triggering. It’s a lot of pressure measuring up to the expected. Norms can be nerve wracking. Social Holi rosters can be psychedelic. Quite understandable especially if literally everyone else seems to be on a joy ride, having so much fun seeped in non-stop festivities celebrating life. 

This Holi - Do Nothing!

Pause and think about it though. Because this is the interesting thing, is “celebrating life” always about noise, crowds, hyper activity, over-the-top displays, choc-a-bloc schedules and following set trends? Is it? It’s your life after all, shouldn’t you celebrate it as YOU want to? Say the choice is a) RETRO NITE b) HOLI BRUNCH c) THEME PARTY and d) BALLOON BATTLE. Go for any or all the hype by all means if that’s what you truly crave, BUT what if NOTA’s on your mind and it’s peace, quite, silence, calm that your soul craves right now instead! Just low key you, your thoughts, a BFF or two, some colour, relaxed meal prep and going with the slow flow. Yes, even though you are an extrovert. Yes, even when the whole world is whooping wet and wild. Yes, even when it may look like an anomaly. Yes, even when it’s not the usual done thing! Yes, even when everyone’s doing something, and YOU err want to do “nothing.” 

Doing nothing is powerful!

Doing nothing is important!

Doing nothing is relaxing!

Doing nothing is scientific! 

Doing nothing is good for you!

Doing nothing is in fact a fine art…

And it’s called Niksen. Wu Wei. A bit of Boketto. Some Nispand Bhav. Just being … reflected in French Philosopher Blaise Pascal’s observation that “all of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

Doing nothing as in? – “When you are not taking any action or performing any activities, even though you could or should be doing something. It implies that you have a choice but have decided not to do it.” Going broader than the literal connotation it is adaptable to daily life when the aim is to restore balance. 

Statistics, Shinto Buddhists, psychologists, wellness coaches, healthcare professionals, philosophers, yoga gurus and neuroscientists endorse the concept wholeheartedly in case you have any doubts. So there’s no need to feel any sort of guilt about this “relaxation response” that invariably occurs when you do nothing. According to Harvard’s Dr Herbert Benson, it is a very “simple and effective” approach to deal with the uncertainties and pressures of modern lifestyle. 

Research has compelling evidence that the Dutch practise of “setting aside time to do absolutely nothing” aka Niksen “improves focus, reduces stress, boosts productivity, and bolstered imagination” as it gives the brain a chance to re-align, re-focus and recall experiences so that learnings can be processed and emotions regulated. Void is virtue in the overachiever paradox. Call it doing nothing with a purpose if you will. 

Indian culture already embraces the concept of nothingness, where you let go of the need to “catch up and control.” Where the purpose of life isn’t always “fitting in or filling social calendars or keeping up with the info overload.”  Mental health professionals emphasise the need for stillness to stimulate creativity and clarity despite disruptions. Humans apparently also have a “hunt and hibernate” design where Niksen comes into play as a life skill and not a synonym for laziness or lethargy. That’s why its gotten more and more mainstream now to the extent that there are experts on “how to get better at doing nothing.” 

The brain needs to switch off for that internal dialogue to happen, you tune out to tune in! The aim is to be aimless to refurbish the cognitive resources bombarded by societal demands. Way back in 2004, the complex construct of FOMO was introduced to describe “the compulsive behavior to maintain these social connections… associated with a range of negative life experiences and feelings, due to it (FOMO) being considered a problematic attachment to social media.” 

It may have started subtle, but a recent survey pegged nearly 75 per cent of social media users feeling “annoyed” by vacation posts. SM’s internal research corroborates alarming statistics on the negative impact of FOMO on teen psychology. Phenomena that find solution in Wu Wei the ancient Chinese concept of inaction or inexertion. Mental health counsellors swear by the effectiveness of this “zero effort” flow mindset from 2000 years ago. Meditation is said to be a progressions of this delicate art. 

“To do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world, the most difficult and the most intellectual.” That’s Oscar Wilde for you. Clear and crisp. In caxe you still harbour doubts. But if Winnie The Pooh is more your style, he’s got a take on the matter too: “Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear and not bothering.” 

La dolce far niente. Into shunyata… echoing Lao Tzu “I do nothing and yet nothing is left undone!” Happy Holi Guys!!! 

Views expressed by the author are their own.