An Emirati Eye: Aida Al Busaidy On How To Avoid Burn-Out
Communications strategist and storyteller Aida Al Busaidy urges us to start a short digital detox and indulge in Niksen
When was the last time you got bored? And when you did get bored, what device did you automatically turn to to distract you? Yes, it is always a device. It’s the easy way out. Turn on a screen for either music, movies, games or scrolling through endless memes. But that, dear readers, was not always the case.
A decade ago we shifted our attention from one thing to another every three minutes. Two years ago, it was every 45 seconds and today it feels like we need a new focus every 15 seconds, or even at times every five seconds. Nowadays, it’s impossible to find time to get bored. We are over stimulated 24 hours a day and seven days a week – we don’t give our brains enough time to rest. We don’t even register that we are bored.
Personally, I didn’t really know the meaning of the word back in the 80s and early 90s. Our parents, their parents and theirs before them had time to spare, and got creative because of it. Imagination got sparked with new games and new activities – people basically figured out ways to amuse and entertain themselves.
Think about Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; shame on you if you haven’t read or watched its various versions. The protagonist allowed her mind to wander into fantastical realms and created an entire eco-system (that may or may not exist), literally comparing it to her actual world. Her journey allowed her to fathom new ways of getting out of trouble. Her imagination and her creativity allowed Alice to expand into new areas of work, she found herself as a person and even helped those around her.
We need to allow ourselves to get bored from time to time.
Not convinced? Do your own research. You’ll discover medical specialists and TEDx speakers who all share the same sentiment: boredom can lead to brilliant ideas, better mental health and is sometimes give us the motivational push we need to improve our lives. As Steve Jobs once said, “Boredom allows one to indulge in curiosity… and out of curiosity comes everything.”
How to start this process? Initiate a tech-detox. It might feel painful at first – many of us believe our phones are an extended limb – but releasing this digital connection for a dedicated amount of time daily will allow you room to think and breathe.
Cultures across the world have embraced this art of doing nothing, without a purpose – so no meditating, or concentrated mindfulness – too. The Dutch call the concept Niksen, the Japanese coin it Boketto (staring vacantly and absentmindedly into the distance and letting your mind wander) and the Italians have the poetic expression il dolce far niente (literally ‘sweet idleness’).
What better way to avoid burn-out and mitigate daily stress? As you meticulously plan your summer, sorting out schedules, micro-managing travel and kids camps, try indulging in Niksen. You can thank me later.
Lead Image Courtesy: Photography: Efraim Evidor. Styling: Imogene Legrand. Make-up & Hair: Arina Zubakhina. Stylist’s Assistant: Janhvi Kohli. Special thanks to The St. Regis Downtown Dubai
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s July/August 2024 issue.