How about a day spent doing nothing, yes simply nothing? But why would somebody think that? You might feel ashamed ‘doing nothing’ on some days, and probably feel the guilt for not being normal or rather being lazy. But peers, today is not that day. It is January 16, Nothing day. And let us tell you, such a day is existing since 1973. Let’s get to know about it.

Well, there is nothing much of a pomp and show about it, neither there is any sort of a celebration, because as said, it is a day for nothing. But let us catch up with some history of the day that dates back to 1973.

In the year 1972, a journalist named Harold Pullman Coffin had proposed for National Nothing day as a “non-event” in the USA, to observe January 16 by doing nothing. Surprisingly, the very next year National Nothing day made it to the “Chase’s calendar of events”. It is a publication that has been marking the annual occasions since 1950s.

This was not the first. Back in 2021, a Chinese man named Luo Huazhong had propounded Tang Ping’s concept that states, choosing to “lie down flat and get over the beatings”. However, Huazhong wasn’t completely referring to “doing nothing.” This was where he was talking about – the beatings of a rat race with diminishing returns.

The notion of nothingness cannot be put together with mindfulness. Because, it is not to really do something, it is to be blank completely. When the brain is still, it is more creative. The ‘time-out’ can prove effective and re-wire the brain for the better.

There have been some ancient ‘doing nothing’ concepts to have existed in some cultures of the world like,

Hygge- Danish term that means to take away time from the daily rush and engaging in the quieter pleasures with yourself and the people you care.

Niksen- the Dutch concept of doing nothing, being idle or doing something that is of no use.

Dolce far niente- yes, the Italian term that everyone on the gram is aware of. It sums up to doing nothing, hanging out or chilling; that too without any guilt.

Boketto- Japanese word that translates to ‘gazing vacantly into the distance without really thinking about anything specific.’

Lagom- The Spanish term which states “finding balance in all aspects of life by not too much, not too little, just the right amount.”

Noting the fact that no one has known ‘nothing’ yet. Back in the past too, writers and philosophers have debated upon the idea of nothing. For, they could never find the meaning of nothing in the first place. ‘Nothingness’ in the outer space is also disagreed often, because even if it is devoid of anything, still the quantum particles exist that too without gravity.

So, what would be your idea of nothingness? Is taking a day off enough for that, or going on a holiday will fulfill it? Can anything fit to the concept? A day to celebrate nothingness can rather be contradictory, for if you really silence the mind, can you really silence the heart…

But still, we all have an individual choice to embrace nothingness in our own separate ways. That would be our nothing for our own self!