I had several plans for my birthday. I signed up for lap swimming at the YMCA. I was planning on going to my favorite cafe. I wanted to go for a hike.
But when I got up, I felt like doing nothing. I decided I’d like to sit around and read for my birthday. I was reading the Wall Street Journal and I ran across two interesting articles about doing nothing. I had no idea that my new birthday plans were trending.
One article was written by Ben Zimmer and was about Hurkle Durkle:
The unpredictable pathways of language usage never cease to amaze. Who could have foreseen that one of the trendiest words of 2024 would be an old Scottish term for lounging around in bed?
That word is the delightfully reduplicative “hurkle-durkle,” which has taken TikTok and other social media outlets by storm. As defined by the Dictionary of the Scots Language, it’s a verb meaning “to lie in bed or lounge about when one should be up and about.” That dictionary cites an older one published in 1825 by John Jamieson, who reported that the word came from the dialect spoken in Fife, a peninsula in eastern Scotland.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/to-hurkle-durkle-or-lounge-in-bed-is-a-tiktok-trend-thats-200-years-old-ad9e7c52?mod=lifestyle_lead_pos5
The other was about a new vacation trend doing nothing on vacation called:
The Rise of the Do-Nothing Vacation
More travelers say they want to make relaxation their top priority while on holiday
By Allison Pohle and Rachel Wolfe
The pendulum is swinging away from jam-packed trips and Instagram-worthy adventures and toward vacations with little to write home about beyond a pretty sunset and a cold drink.
More vacationers say they want a true break to rest and recharge during their time off. Their do-nothing vacations have no schedule. These aren’t beach trips that involve surfing or kayaking, or foodie tours requiring hours of research—and decision fatigue.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/travel/vacation-trends-resorts-all-inclusive-relax-ce3f9026?mod=lifestyle_trendingnow_article_pos2
The third article I read was about a mommy blogger who was making seven figures by Sara Ashley O’Brien:
She Was a Mommy Blogger. Now She’s Covering Trump and Kennedy on the Trail—and Making a Fortune.
Jessica Reed Kraus built a massive following by sharing celebrity gossip on Instagram. Now she’s on the campaign trail and running a growing media brand.
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.—For a year during the pandemic, Jessica Reed Kraus and her husband, Mike, rented out the two-room hideaway behind their ranch-style home to help support their family of six.
Then came Depp v. Heard.
Kraus, a stay-at-home mom who’d built a following as a lifestyle blogger, was part of the frenzy surrounding the 2022 defamation trial of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. She shared salacious stories from anonymous sources about Heard’s personal life and quotes from a phone call she said she received from Depp. Kraus told her followers she had once believed the actor was abusive, as Heard’s lawyers alleged in court. But now, she was taking his side.
https://www.wsj.com/style/jessica-reed-kraus-house-inhabit-rfk-jr-trump-kennedy-newsletter-e17077c4?mod=lifestyle_lead_pos1
Wait a minute. I was a mommy blogger. Why didn’t I make seven figures? Maybe because I’d rather do nothing.
Have you ever heard of hurkle durkle?
Why do you think doing nothing is a new trend?
Do you ever feel the need for a day off of activities?
I’m with you! Do-nothing is my favorite sport. Got me a gold medal, I do!
That’s awesome!
I just see this as more of that societal need pushed on people to be busy and always engaged that lifestyle folks like to run with, write about in self-help books and feel they can admonish others over when every second isn’t filled with doing something. My feeling is this: if I want to sit on my butt and stare at the wall or a tree or a book then I have the right and the responsibility to be true to myself and do just that. No need to explain why to anyone or feel guilty!
I’m with you. I have been so busy for most of my life. It’s a treat to relax and say I don’t have to be running around.
This reminds me of the quote from Winnie the Pooh; “PEOPLE SAY
‘NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE’
BUT I DO
NOTHING
EVERY DAY.”
Why not relax at a vacation by doing nothing.
I love this quote! I agree completely.
Thank you so much Eilene. ❤️🙏🏼❤️
😊
What a great saying by Pooh!
Yes it a favorite ❤️
👍🏼
💛🤍🧡
Vacations, for parents, are anything but relaxing. Even now that my kids are grown, our trips are to see them, help them with their kids and homes, and/or plan and pay for the opportunity to meet up with them in some rented spot (where we do the cooking and driving, etc). My husband and I were just talking about this. Add the trips to help our aging parents, and we haven’t had a “break” since we can remember. Vacation days are more exhausting than work days. We need to take a few days to hurkle-durkle.
Our vacations are like that, too. We rent a house and I do the cooking and cleaning. Or, I go visit the kids to help them out post surgery, moving, etc. Yes to hurkle durkle days.
If I could only get over the guilt feeling. My favorite thing is to just lay in bed and read all day but I only do it when I’m sick.
My mom used to call them mung days. She’d allow us to stay in our pjs all day. Yes, I normally have guilt and can’t do it unless I’m sick.
My weekends are usually time off from activities. Our vacations aren’t usually activitu filled to begin with. A good place to walk, eat, visit (museum)
After a busy week, having guests, throwing a party, I needed downtime. I like it when weekends are time off, too.
Do nothing weekends. Yes, love them. I like busy ones too where we travel or get together with friends, but a do nothing/chill weekend is much appreciated too. Happy Birthday EA!
Thank you for the birthday wishes. I worked too hard on getting ready for our Friday birthday party, so I felt I earned a day of rest.
Hope your husband’s party was fun. We all need do nothing days some times. I probably take advantage of them too much, but love them. Happy Birthday to the both of you!!!
It was fun, but tiring for me. I don’t entertain like that too often. I prefer one couple at a time rather than a party. Thanks for the birthday wishes!
🙂 🙂 🙂
Have you ever heard of hurkle durkle? Yes, the term seems to popping up a lot.
Why do you think doing nothing is a new trend? It’s only a new trend to extroverts, introverts know better.
Do you ever feel the need for a day off of activities? Yes, at least once a week, says the introvert who dreams of being a hermit!
I hadn’t heard hurkle durkle before. I’m with you. I’m an introvert and I have to have my down time!
Happy Birthday, dear Elizabeth! I say the ‘hurkle durkle’ Gods were encouraging you to have a slow and languishing birthday…actual day…surrounding days…heck – the whole week! I’m with Ally — a day off to replenish and refuel with limited activities is like a gift! I need that booster shot of alone time every now and then. xo! 🥰
It was a welcome day! Now it’s time to get back to working on my taxes. I’d love to take another day off! 😊
LOL! 🥰
👍🏼
I have never heard it termed “Hurkle Durkle” but I have heard it termed “Bed Rotting ” as another Blgger pointed out, recently.
I hope you had a wonderful Birthday! 💗
Rotting of what my daughter calls it.
That’s great you were able to downsize your birthday plans and find it enjoyable. I’ve not heard of hurkle-durkle until now, but that’s because I avoid social media or trendy stuff in general. I’m a trendsetter in my own mind.😉 No one will ever know, since I live the blessed introverted life.
I love that. The blessed introverted life!
A pretty sunset and a cold drink is far from nothing! I’m so glad you did what you wanted to do for your birthday! Hurkle-murkle. Never heard of it but I love the word and description! Happy birthday, Elizabeth!
It was a well needed rest day! I had a super busy week.