Can you sit silently for five minutes without looking at a phone, laptop, TV screen or book?
The "do nothing" social media trend challenges participants to do just that — sit silently. Users are setting up cameras to record as they sit and battle boredom, and then posting the videos to social media.
Niro Feliciano, a psychotherapist specializing in anxiety and author of the new book "All is Calmish," says the challenge is great for practicing being still — which has many health benefits.
Health Benefits of the 'Do Nothing' Challenge
"We are so overloaded with information and stimulation. Our minds are constantly going," Feliciano tells 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.”
The human brain gets a hit of dopamine, aka the "feel-good hormone," when it processes information, so in this digital age, the constant stimulation from online content creates an endless cycle of more and more desire for technology, Feliciano explains.
"We get these high levels of dopamine from constant new information, whether it's social media or text notifications or checking our email," she adds. "Whatever it is, that gives us a hit of dopamine because we can not tolerate stillness. We almost go into withdrawal without the dopamine."
Feliciano agrees that this challenge can have a positive effect on your mental health and attention span.
Studies have shown that when your phone is in proximity to you, your awareness periodically goes to your phone to check and see if there are any new notifications. By practicing mindfulness and spending less time using technology, you can be more aware and present in your daily life.
In her new book, "All is Calmish," Feliciano writes about how to manage stress during the holiday season and the role that technology plays in causing anxiety.
"Social media is a powerful driver of FOMO (fear of missing out). Just since I wrote my last book, researchers have developed a psychological scale to measure the level of anxiety that FOMO causes," Feliciano writes in the book.
"FOMO can result in very real physical and emotional symptoms. In my work with patients, I am often amazed at how FOMO affects adults as much as teens alike."
For some people, using their phones less can lead to less FOMO, which can reduce anxiety.
How to Try the 'Do Nothing' Challenge
To try the challenge in a way to get the most health benefits, it's best to try to remove the phone and social media elements altogether.
If just sitting alone and doing nothing seems intimidating, you can practice by simply spending an extra few minutes staring out the window or taking a longer shower than usual.
"I would encourage people to daydream, look out the window, let your mind wander," Feliciano says.
Daydreaming activates a part of the brain called the default mode network, which only occurs when the brain is not concentrated on something. The network is responsible for introspection, how you see yourself and other people, emotional regulation, storing memories and developing empathy, Feliciano explains.
In today's digital age, the use of technology is required for almost every task, whether it be at work, school or even checking out at the grocery store. It is difficult to separate from your devices, so here are some tricks that Feliciano recommends to practice mindfulness and bring more awareness into your daily life:
- Silence phone notifications.
- Put your phone on grayscale so it's in black and white, which attracts your brain less than when it has color.
- Place your phone out of reach when you go to sleep.
