Main image via The Washington Post + Vice
We’ve all been living in extra stressful times thanks to the pandemic.
From having to completely change how we live our lives to dealing with the constant media storm of information from around the world, we could all definitely use a nice long break from reality.
Well, one competition allows you to do just that. Nothing.
via GIPHY
Every year in South Korea, a competition known as the Space Out competition is held for those who just want to relish in the act of doing nothing for 90 minutes.
This year’s competition involved 28 participants and took place in a “healing forest” on the southern island of Jeju which is known as a site for other therapeutic programs.
The premise is rather simple for those partaking in the competition – an individual is required to zone out for 90 minutes and the person with the lowest and most stable heart rate during this time will be crowned as the winner.
Spectators of the even will also be able to cast votes for the top three who displayed the best Zen and this year, a Jeju-based hair stylist, who barely moved in the 90 minutes, won.
Image via The Washington Post
Space Out was first created by South Korean artist Woopsyang in 2014 as a pushback against South Korea’s fast-paced and high-pressure society. The competition has since spread to other places such as Hong Kong and the Netherlands.
“The pandemic-hit world needs Space Out more than ever,” Woopsyang shared. “We have a lot of downtime at our homes but we spend that time stressing over the virus and feeling anxious.”
According to experts, the pandemic pressures can put the body and mind into a virtual “survival mode”.
“Facing unprecedented threats of the virus, people find it hard to stay still and keep worrying about what action to take next,” Shin Dong-won, a clinical psychiatrist at Seoul’d Kangbuk Samsung Hospital said.
“But what the brain needs during these unusual times is a moment to space out, take a mental rest to break free of the self-perpetuating cycle of anxiety.”
Image via Vice
24-year-old college student Lee Ji-won shared that the 90 minutes she spent at the Space Out Competition was the longest time she had spent doing nothing in a while.
“The coronavirus opened up a lot of free time for me, but I felt pressured to use those time effectively,” she said. “This time I could really let go of myself. I felt very refreshed.”
We can definitely see the benefit of doing absolutely nothing, even if it’s just for 90 minutes!
We’d sign up for this competition in a heartbeat if they had it in Malaysia – though we probably have to learn how to give up our screens…
When’s the last time you did absolutely nothing? How was it like? Let us know!
Info via The Washington Post