Nexen: The Dutch Art of Doing Nothing and De-stressing in Nature

As a linguist, I loved the idea of ​​expressing the concept of doing nothing in one short, easy-to-pronounce word.

in my book “Nexen: The Dutch Art of Doing NothingI know the word “do nothing without a purpose.” I don’t scroll through Facebook or meditate.

Where Mindfulness is about focusing in the moment, Nexen is about having time to let your mind think as it pleases. As we are slowly recovering from the pandemic, it is important to rethink the way we do our work and spend our time.

Linguistically, nixen (to do nothing) is a verb derived from the Dutch word ‘nix’, which means ‘nothing’.

Monique Flecken, a psycholinguist at the University of Amsterdam who researches how the languages ​​we speak affect our view of the world, says Dutch tends to derive verbs from nouns. Such as the word “football” which means football to become the verb “futbolin” meaning playing football, or “internet” to become the verb “internet”, and from “WhatsApp” to “WhatsAppn”, and so on.

“It’s a Dutch thing. Saying ‘nexen’ instead of ‘doing nothing’ takes less effort. The Dutch are practical, direct people and their language reflects that,” she says.

In the Netherlands, the word can be used in many positive and negative ways; Let it be an example of a parent saying to his son: “Zet ge weer te nexen? Are you wasting your time again?” or saying “Leker nexen”, which translates as “It’s nice to do nothing”, when talking happily about an evening devoid of anything. task or work, according to so be it.

As for Tess Launchbach, psychologist, TEDx speaker and author of a book busyness crazy: staying sane in a stressful worldHe defines the word Nexen as “not doing anything or occupying yourself with something trivial as a way to enjoy your time, by not abstaining from doing everything, but by doing it as little as possible,” indicating that this mostly applies to the elderly who have unorganized free time .

On the other hand, the younger generations are more stressed than ever, even in the Netherlands, which is lauded for its work-life balance.

There are plenty of reasons for that, says Launchbach. “Our lives and jobs are becoming increasingly complex. We spend a lot of time with computers. And there’s a lot of pressure to do your best, whether it’s at your job, parental expectations or social media. There’s a lot of pressure to do that.”

Of course, some stress can be a good thing, notes Bernette Elzinga, a professor of psychology at Leiden University. “It’s not necessarily bad to feel nervous for a moment, when you’re alert and focused. The problem is when it gets out of hand,” she says.

Elzinga explains how Nexen can help you in that situation: “When you do nothing, you connect to the default mode network. This network is responsible for mind wandering and thinking.”

Ironically, Nexen may make us more productive, simply because breaks allow our brains to rest and return with better focus and sustained attention. Perhaps this is why the Dutch, although they don’t work long hours, can be more efficient at work. And you will not find anyone encouraging you to work extra hours because of the prevailing Dutch culture that believes in the principle of “just be normal, that’s crazy enough.”

It seems that this saying is reflected in reality, as the Dutch are a creative nation. Just think of all the famous painters like Rembrandt, Vermeer and Escher, as well as the innovative solutions the Dutch came up with to counter the frequent flood threats, by building huge dams and floating houses.

The Dutch also love to enjoy life, as evidenced by the word “leker”, which means “delicious”; But it can also be used to refer to anything nice and pleasant, such as “liker warm” which means delicious warmth, or “liker slappen” which means pleasant sleep, and of course “liker nexen” which means not to do anything pleasant. It’s easy for people to do nothing.

Locals like to spend their time doing activities; Like cycling or hiking, which allows time to clear your mind. Every time the sun comes up, the Dutch flock to the cafes and terraces en masse, even in winter, which for me are ideal places to do nothing.

However, Launchbach is not a fan of doing nothing as a technique to prevent stress. “I’m a little skeptical about the idea that you have to put a barrier between yourself and stress,” he says. “I don’t know how achievable that is with the way we live and work today.”

Elzinga also prefers to do some kind of physical activity to distract you from your daily worries, preferably one that is related to nature. Fortunately, the Netherlands combines Nexen with nature and activity.

Although the country is not famous for its natural resources, the Dutch appreciate the limited natural spaces that they do have. Many of the dunes, which are my favorite in the Netherlands, are part of a large network of hiking and cycling trails that run across the country. Even if you are in big cities like Rotterdam, The Hague or Amsterdam, you will never be far from these tracks.

Vandelent is an organization dedicated to the creation and maintenance of walking paths, and has collaborated with the Dutch railway system, to create NS Vandelingen, a system of walking paths easily accessible by train or other public transport, ranging in length from 7 to 22 km, making it an ideal for a day trip. And with plenty of seating along the way, it’s perfect for a Nexen mini-break.

Leisure time is possible for the Dutch; Because the Netherlands is a country with an excellent welfare system, and as people there tend to work hard, they also ask for and are given several days off.

“Having a good social support system and a way to reduce stress is associated with a sense of security and balance, so I wouldn’t overestimate the importance of that,” says Elzinga.

And with everything going on in the world, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and more, de-stressing is more important than ever.