Try a new sport: Doing nothing

A new competition in South Korea: who’s best at doing nothing.

Finally there is a competition everyone can participate in. In South Korea, a country with the highest rate of burn-outs, there is a competition where people have to do absolutely nothing.

Doing Nothing as a sport. It is called the Space Out Competition. It may sound bizarre, but then again, it makes sense. It began with South Korean artist WoopsYang in 2014, when he experienced a lot of stress at work and wanted a way to unwind.

Competitors of the Doing Nothing contest.

He went to a park for some peace and quiet, but was distracted by his phone and many other things. He felt guilty about not being at work. South Korea has one of the highest numbers of people suffering burn-outs and phone addictions.

It is not easy to do nothing.

A sport was born

When WoopsYang spoke to his friends about it, he realised quickly that he wasn’t alone with his anxiety. They soon decided to go to the park together, putting away their phones. The challenge was quickly set: Who can keep this up the longest?

That’s how the competition was born. Nowadays, around 2000 people apply to participate, but only a handful is selected. The goal is simple: do nothing for 90 minutes. No talking, sleeping, checking your phone, nothing at all. Simply relax and do nothing.

You can visit this weird contest.

The competition starts with a few physical exercises, then the silence hits. Every participant wears a heart rate monitor. The winner is the person who lasted the longest while maintaining the most stabile heart rate. In other words, those who was the calmest for the whole time.

When is the Space Out Competition?

The Space Out Competition is held every year at the end of May. This unique competition is year at Ichon Hangang Park in the capital Seoul.