There emerges a strange phenomenon as summer melts into fall. September arrives with a very specific vibe — yung hangin na medyo malamig na sa umaga, yung sunlight na hindi na kasing harsh ng July, at yung subtle shift sa city rhythm. Sa Chicago, ramdam na ito sa Lakefront breeze, sa mga bata na bumabalik sa school, at sa mga Filipino households na nagsisimula nang mag-adjust sa fall routines.
Foremost in the Filipino psyche as September rolls in is the approaching Christmas season: joyful but expensive, more incessantly present in the mind as poignant memories flow back to the holidays in the Philippines spent with family many years ago. In this moment of transition is the prospect, too, of the coming brutal Chicago winters and bone-chilling miseries. Amidst these unsettling episodes, the art of doing nothing becomes surprisingly vital and powerful .
Sadly, “doing nothing” can be so cruel as it can cull virtual invectives over the literal manifestation of the very words. At first encounter, “doing nothing” can be interpreted as absence of initiative, idleness or indolence, or not engaged in any form or manner, intentionally or not. And so it connotes an image of the corporeal form in utter relaxation of the highest order.
Though absolutely a model of immobility, “doing nothing” however does not necessarily suggest an unwillingness to act or to do anything. It does not readily translate into anything like laziness or indifference and definitely not “tamad” in Tagalog which can be so cruel when language exercises its mean streak. Rather, doing nothing is simply a strategic craving to free up the mind from stressful screens and tasks — allowing the senses to get a break. It’s a deliberate pause — isang intentional na paghinto para maka-recover from the mandate of “make the most of summer.”
A single figure sitting still by the lake, the light easing from summer gold into autumn blue behind them — that’s the essence of the piece: not idleness, but a deliberate pause the mind needs before the season turns.
Science News Today (Aug. 23, 2025) offers an interesting window into the science of silence – of draining the brain for a moment or so of stressors, social and familial pressures and the incessant daily grind of big-city life. It examines the benefits of “doing nothing” as the body yearns for a respite bago sumabak sa bagong panahon.
Research scientists fault everyday stress as impeding the growth and healing of the brain. For the sake of brain health and sustainable homeostasis, they urge the public to “just listen” — not to music or white noise — but to stillness.
May isang research na malinaw na nag-uugnay sa “doing nothing” at sa biological need of the brain for deep silence. Si Imke Kirste sa Duke University North Carolina ang nag-prove that “listening deeply in a quiet environment” can actually be “eustress,” a kind of positive stress, and that “silence is most alerting” as it promotes pure relaxation. This finding, Kirste maintains, “accelerates the growth of valuable brain cells” and enriches the capacity to think and perceive.
Ang intrinsic system ng utak para sa emotional regulation ay mas active kapag walang ginagawa, pagpapatunay din ni Marcus Raichle, a neurologist sa Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis. Aniya, ito ang panahon kung kailan “nagre- reorganize ang utak, at nagre-reconcile ng experiences.” Ayon kay Raichle , emptying the mind of stressors while listening to absolute silence ay isang scientifically documented form of mental maintenance.
These many functional challenges of the brain deserve a much-needed attention. Many Filipinos grew up in families where rest was earned, not given. Immigrant households often carry the belief that constant motion equals survival — work hard, stay busy, keep going. But this mindset, while understandable, makes September truly overwhelming. After a summer filled with obligations, travel, caregiving, and community events, we enter fall already tired. Hence, doing nothing — even for a few minutes for the brain’s sake, becomes a form of self-preservation.
September is a transition month — and transitions require gentleness. The art of doing nothing gives our minds time to adjust to new routines, new expectations, and new rhythms. It helps us enter autumn with intention instead of exhaustion. Rest is not a reward; it’s a need. When we sit still, watch the light change, or marvel at how the leaves transform into brilliant colors, or simply breathe, we enter the new season whole — not depleted.
Connie Triggiano is currently Board Secretary of Circa-Pintig, a Chicago community theater organization. She works as Academic and English tutor assisting foreign students to pass IELTS, TOEFL, Celpic, ESL and other English exams to gain admission to universities in English speaking countries. She also trains greencard holders to pass US citizenship exams and interview. She worked for many years as Vice-President of Chicago-based Leo Burnett Advertising in its Manila office where she managed the advertising accounts of the country’s biggest brands: Procter & Gamble, Pepsi Cola International, BPI, Vicks, Wyeth and Cathay Pacific. She edited a travel newspaper in Singapore and taught college freshmen in a local university. Connie graduated with a BA degree, major in English, from the University of San Francisco in California while working as an information officer for a United Way agency. She took up MS in Advertising at the Asian Institute for the Development of Advertising, UST Graduate School.
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