As I’m at the Sundance Film Festival for my part in Life in a Day, the last few days have been crazy and hectic. There’s been a lot of running around from venue to venue, and then trying to sneak in phone calls to home and my boyfriend – and trying to prevent my inbox from becoming a full-blow cluster-f**k.
So, I peed in my pants when I came across the new website, Do Nothing for 2 Minutes. It challenges users to do just that. With a million things clamoring for our attention (i.e., Facebook, phone calls, IMs, text messages, etc.), this is an opportunity to pause for a hot second. And maybe even find some peace.
Says the site’s creator:
I had been thinking how we spend every waking minute of the day with access to an unlimited supply of information, to the point of information overload. I also read somewhere that there is evidence that our brains are being re-wired by the internet, because we get a little dopamine kick every time we check our e-mail or Twitter or Facebook and there’s a new update. So we’re all developing a bit of ADD – which is probably not great in terms of being productive.
So, give it a try. Can you do nothing for 2 minutes? It just might be the most important thing you do all day.
January 26, 2011 at 2:30 pm
Sounds interesting!
I also want to try the not speaking and listening to something for 2 hours that deepak chopra suggests in his book, but I have not quite gotten myself to do it jet.
January 26, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Davey I suppose I’ll take two minutes off from tweeting you non stop lol
January 26, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Meditating is always a good way to go. Any relaxation is a benefit. Even looking at a tree is proven to reduce stress. Or even just the image of a tree is a good way to go.
January 26, 2011 at 3:14 pm
I live in American Samoa and they have a custom called “Sa.” Sa occurs once a day around 6 o’clock in the evening. A bell is rung, warning everyone that Sa is coming and they should go to their houses, a second bell is rung announcing the beginning of Sa, during this time one should pray or just keep quiet. If one can’t get into one’s house by the time the second bell is rung (about 15 minutes between the first and second bell) then one just sits down where ever one is and is quiet. After another 15 minutes or so a third bell rings and Sa is over. Now image if that could happen in the U.S.; everyday for 15 minutes everyone just stopped and prayed or was simply quiet. I would wager that it would have an amazing positive effect. Of course, it would never happen because so many would be going on and on about how it would be a violation of their “rights,” but having lived in a small Samoan village where this was the norm I found it to be a welcome break.
January 26, 2011 at 3:17 pm
do nothing for 2 minutes? s**t I can do nothing for 3 minutes….
The President and other politians are very good at doing nothing 24/7.
January 26, 2011 at 3:20 pm
AH damn it anyways!!! I went to that website and “failed” I could not stand listening to the crap they were playing…guess I can’t do ‘nothing’ for 2 minutes..I am a complete failure
cry in my pillow…
January 26, 2011 at 3:36 pm
Now….. don’t be so harsh on yourself, Davide. I could do it, but obviously, I had a little bit more exercise in doing nothing.
I actually had to learn to move some more. So I took it upon me to start riding my bike to work as much as I can. I also went out of my way to consume at least 1,5 liters of water before the end of my daily shift.
This took a lot of adjustment on my part, since I basically tried to alter my persona. I felt I could do it, since I could quit smoking (which cost me a lot of trouble but I’m now almost done smoking for four months)
If even myself (with lack of discipline) can get to do ALL that, I’m certain, you could sit and listen to some waves crashing for 2 minutes.
January 26, 2011 at 3:38 pm
That is so cool. Never knew that.
January 26, 2011 at 3:40 pm
Come on, they have been doing a good job. I think the state of the union has been a positive point and that economic stats show that.
January 26, 2011 at 3:42 pm
“We’re all developing a bit of ADD” WTF? That makes no sense whatsoever, even in this context. If anything, doing nothing is more “ADD” than doing a million things at the same time. And I say this because I have ADD.
January 26, 2011 at 3:55 pm
This solution is in fact very old, it’s also called meditation. First try it for 2 minutes, free your mind of all thoughts. It’s fairly difficult. Then every week spend an extra minute or two. Doing this along with exercise has many health benefits, mentally and physically.
January 26, 2011 at 4:08 pm
Too easy!
I can spend my whole day doing nothing, so 2 minutes…I’m a good company for myself
Another challenge?
January 26, 2011 at 4:10 pm
lol thanks
January 26, 2011 at 4:10 pm
what planet you from? but okay
January 26, 2011 at 4:35 pm
almost virtually impossible to do.
unless you sit in a lotus position and relax, but thats doing something, you are just exercising your mind and balance.
peace and love xxx
January 26, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Hi Lad,
this is the really good idea. I am practising something similar for several years. My secrete is breakfast. Everyday I am preparing a breakfast for me and my boyfriend I will wait until he will wake up. Read few lines of my favourite book. I will take my time of the day.
keep on rock.
viktor
January 26, 2011 at 5:05 pm
i love lying in bed and not doing anything. i try to shut up my mind but,, it doesnt listen when i say “be quiet!” so, im stuck with my thoughts. but PHYSICALLY not doing anything, im good at. its fun (:
XOXO
January 26, 2011 at 9:00 pm
do nothing for two mins. I do nothing 28 hours of the day D:
January 26, 2011 at 11:10 pm
It sounds amazing and I think many people in the western world would resist it like the plague. I think I’d love it.
January 26, 2011 at 11:16 pm
I remember at about 24 or 25 I went on a Catholic retreat weekend. One of the activities was to spend an hour in silence doing nothing. Now that was something! It was so peaceful.
I’m not sure I would do that every day but I would certainly do 2 minutes!
January 26, 2011 at 11:16 pm
Yes, there have been some unpleasant incidents here with outside people threatening to sue villages because their individual rights are being “violated,” but most outside people who live here realized they are guests, that they are living in a different culture and go along with it and some, like me, end up enjoying it.
January 27, 2011 at 12:09 am
I think even when you’re not doing anything within that two minutes you are still thinking of what you’re gonna do once that two minutes is up lol
January 27, 2011 at 1:25 am
I couldn’t sit still for two minutes on the website but sometimes I can just sit and think forever. Just not on that website. Watching the clock tick down slowly. I guess it’s just not a good meditation technique for me. =)
January 27, 2011 at 1:35 am
omg that was so relaxing, I love the sound of the ocean, I used to fall asleep to that sound
January 27, 2011 at 3:08 am
i fell asleep….
January 27, 2011 at 11:18 am
la dolce far niente
January 27, 2011 at 1:23 pm
The country needs a dose of optimism!
January 27, 2011 at 2:03 pm
The country needs to kick all progressives and Obama out of office…next election…but only if it wants a future for American children…
January 27, 2011 at 3:25 pm
You’re welcome. and I have to say…. the more you view it, the more doable it becomes:)
January 27, 2011 at 5:39 pm
A truly advanced civilization!
January 27, 2011 at 5:41 pm
Why are we not surprised?
January 27, 2011 at 6:33 pm
Only 2 minutes? How simple, yet so profoundly eloquent, that some have difficulty doing such a simple exercise.
Sound is such a simple object of bare attention. It’s there all the time, even in the most remote places we can still hear the noises of man everywhere on the planet. Maybe the only exception would be far out at sea, but even there, you would still hear the sounds of the water splashing on your man-made boat.
Delighted you shared this with us, Davey.
Be well,
Be well,
February 2, 2011 at 3:56 pm
we only get a two minute lull in our life only when we see a bad two minute youtube video-fortunately all of DWs youtube videos are worth every moment-never ever a dull video.that we can be very fortunate for.
February 2, 2011 at 3:59 pm
alright-their is another time i can spend two minutes doing nothing-after drinking a glass of good red wine.then another-after a shot of good vodka-chasing that with a good glass of beer.oh-thats two times.
February 2, 2011 at 4:01 pm
ok-another two minutes of orgasmic contemplation after a good bout of meaningful sex.