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Feb 24, 2022 Today In the chaotic flurry of our bustling world, we often forget to take a moment, step back, and intentionally relax. Itâs a global phenomenon â many countries around the world function on [workweeks]( in excess of 40 hours, and a significant percentage of employees clock in 50 hours or more. [Karoshi](, the Japanese term for âdeath from overwork,â has grown into the worldâs lexicon despite the countryâs own attempts to recalibrate. How did we get here? What can we do? In todayâs Daily Dose, we ask you to stop and smell the rosé. And if that doesnât work â just drink it. â Featuring reporting by Sohini Das Gupta and Charu Sudan Kasturi Idling for Everyone Advocates for Idling Long before we strained, 19th-century author [Charles Lamb]( lamented the woes of labor in his poem Work: âWho first invented work, and bound the free...?â he asked, plaintively. Years later, [Karel Äapek]( was contemplating the purpose of stillness â âto be like a stone, but without weightâ â while Bertrand Russell in 1935 predicted the looming dangers of workaholism. Both lobbied for leisure in separate essays with identical titles: In Praise of Idleness. Fast-forward to today and finding our cities more crowded and noisy than ever before, medical experts are encouraging us to get away from it all and indulge in shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. But can you afford to? One might argue that the ability to shut off or slow down suffers from a socioeconomic gap, a sentiment reflected in labeling âthe idle rich.â [Read More]( Idling for Health If you doubt the poets, perhaps the data will change your stance. According to a Work Happiness Index poll conducted by [Indeed](, Japanese workers, with their no-room-to-idle worldview, have fared as the unhappiest among developed nations. This has yielded the concerning phenomenon of [inemuri](, workers sleeping at their desks out of exhaustion. Their productivity has ranked low among G-7 nations, something the country is trying to change with its proposal of a four-day workweek, the merits of which are justified by [one Icelandic study](. Meanwhile, countries like Finland and Denmark boast shorter workweeks than America. The greater work-life balance is considered a factor behind the five Nordic nations being some of the happiest in recent years. In Sweden, [six-hour workdays]( have boosted productivity and energy. The lesson: With fewer work hours comes more time to pursue sweet nothings. A time that if spent wisely (read: idly) might just hand you the key to happiness.
The Culture of Idling Dolce far Niente No matter your feelings about [Eat, Pray, Love](, Elizabeth Gilbertâs 2006 book, introduced âdolce far nienteâ to the world. The mellifluous Italian phrase became a pop-culture signal for an entire generation of human hamsters, whose biggest act of rebellion was to try and embrace âthe sweetness of doing nothing.â But in her memoir, Gilbert doesnât do nothing. A closer look at our existential, idling heroine reveals a woman who has learned to relish her carbs and consonants without shame, to make friends with strangers and eventually with herself. Niksen, Hygge and Lagom Itâs not just the Italians who are masters of embracing leisure time. Niksen, a Dutch import, literally means to â[do nothing](â and is about embracing the moment. Itâs a philosophy that encourages you to just stare at nature, laze around or listen to music . . . youâre fine as long as youâre not looking for any purpose. And if you look farther to the north, thereâs the Danish concept of living, [hygge](, a wellness fad of its own. Thatâs unless youâre Swedish and embrace [lagom](, roughly translating to âfinding joy in moderation.â In fact, such is the traditional rivalry between the neighboring Danes and the Swedes that hygge and lagom have become stereotypes of the two cultures, Tobias Toll, a Swedish physicist at the Indian Institute of Technology, tells OZY. âLagom is the soul of the Swede that originates from ârule of the law.â Hygge, on the other hand, epitomizes the Danesâ love for coziness and comfort.â [Read More]( Lyadh To be clear, [lyadh](is not a wellness concept. But for many Bengalis, especially those living in the Indian city of Kolkata, a frequent serving of lyadh â ideally over the weekend â is essential to living well. Think of it as lush lazies that come unannounced to hypnotize you, mind and body, into a state of inactive indulgence. Donât resist, for surrender can be sweet. If youâre unlucky, this rogue feeling might even visit on work afternoons, when napping is not an option. The trick, if you ask me, is to embrace it so it can pass. And hey, if the Italians and Dutch are right, it would only add to your spiritual wealth.
Slow-Living Hot Spots China Life in China over the past three decades has been defined by rapid urbanization, soaring dreams and the constant search for wealth. Now a new generation is tired of that approach, especially after a pandemic that has exposed consumerismâs pitfalls amid an economic slowdown. Instead, more than 100 cities and counties are now embracing âslow living,â setting development limits, throttling down traffic and restricting fast food. [Read More]( Brazil The [Cerrado savanna]( is one of Brazilâs most ecologically diverse regions. But in recent years, it has lost half of its native vegetation to giant agribusinesses that produce everything from beef and palm oil to corn and cotton. To counter this, Indigenous communities, conservationists and even celebrity chefs are banding together to form a [slow food movement]( focusing on traditional and local food to promote the regionâs native agri-products, such as the guava-like gabiroba, the baru nut and the macaúba coconut. Their goal? To get Brazil and the world excited about native Cerrado food and protect this wilderness at the same time. Japan Yes, Japan, the country where long working hours and [little sleep]( have traditionally been viewed as a virtue, is changing. Amid alarming numbers of people dying at their desks, Japanâs government has in recent years been [pressuring companies]( to cut their employees some slack. But the biggest evidence of the shifting mindset lies in the response to another federal initiative that preceded COVID-19. Since 2009, Japanâs government has paid the countryâs youth to relocate from cities to the countryside to revive dying villages. Coupled with improved internet connectivity in recent years and the hunger to get away from stressful city life, the initiative has proven successful, helping once-dying villages double their number of residents. [Read More]( Watch Karoline Leavitt [Revolutionizing the Republican Party]( Are You Zen? Quirky Ways to Idle Cow Cuddling Well, [goat yoga]( had to move over at some point to make room for something bigger . . . and more content: cows. Cow cuddling, a [Netherlands staple]( that has emerged as a wellness trend in the U.S. in the last two years, is self-explanatory in terms of what youâre expected to do. Go on a relevant farm tour, find a cow that will have you and cuddle it. Koe knuffelen, literally âcow huggingâ in Dutch, has all the logical benefits of a healthy human-animal snuggle. Recline against your genteel friend as unobtrusively you can. Its big, comforting body, warmer temperature, slower heartbeat and, should luck favor, a few validating licks should work together to relax you. Unless the price of this unusual therapy is what gets your goat; in Arizona and New York, bovine love goes for [$75 an hour](. Ebru Painting Hereâs something you donât need to pay for: frittering away hours watching [ebru art](. This stunning technique of painting on water using special pigments that dissolve into dyes is popular in Turkey and Central Asia. It requires a water-based solution, some uncommon tools including an awl and serious hand control. Ebru typically involves plenty of swirls and streaks, which gives it its visual richness as well as its nickname: paper marbling. Check out Van Goghâs [Starry Night]( â on water! Stone Skipping If you grew up in the countryside, especially around water, this chilled-out pastime will be second nature. Youâll need to plant yourself near a calm lake and far from distractions. Look out for boats, swimmers or waterfowl, and once their absence is confirmed, find a medium-sized stone, ideally flat with rounded edges. Aim and release from your hand the way you might backhand a frisbee, but put some spin on it with your forefinger and watch your stone skippity-skip, once, twice or thrice across the water! Whether [youâre a pro]( or practicing to better your [technique](, stone skipping embodies the gloriousness of doing things that thankfully add up to nothing. Sound Bathing Before you accuse me of pulling a Gwyneth Paltrow, sound bathing is nothing but allowing certain pleasant sound vibrations to wash over you. Think of it as a meditative experience similar to chanting âOmâ or bee-breathing. In short, itâs about listening to sounds with a notable resonance that ground and center you. At first glance, it might sound like a New Age concept, but those who have been privy to the sound of bells in Hindu temples or gongs in Buddhist monasteries will know itâs rooted in ancient practices. Crystal singing bowls, chimes and didgeridoos may not be things you have lying around at home, but thereâs always [the internet](. If the for-free sessions leave you craving for more, you can book a virtual concert for your soul. Alternatively, visit a [sound bathing studio]( near you. Not your jam? Watch a [miniature Zen garden]( come to life, play dead with the yogic [corpse pose]( or let [dolphins sing you]( to sleep. Luckily for you, thereâs no wrong way to idle. COMMUNITY CORNER Have a favorite way to unwind? Share it with us at OzyCommunity@Ozy.com. ABOUT OZY OZY is a diverse, global and forward-looking media and entertainment company focused on âthe New and the Next.â OZY creates space for fresh perspectives, and offers new takes on everything from news and culture to technology, business, learning and entertainment. [www.ozy.com]( / #CarlosWatson / #OZY Curiosity. Enthusiasm. Action. Thatâs OZY!
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