Niksen literally means doing nothing. Practicing the “art of Niksen” consists of enjoying the little pauses in life, a philosophy of life easy to introduce in the day to day and essential to take care of ourselves, as he tells us Annette Lavrijsen and Niksen. The Dutch art of doing nothing (Dome) “. As this author recounts, the niksen – the power of pause – is the contradictory Dutch answer to practically any problem. Go slower and live well, something that can help us a lot in the pandemic situation in which we find ourselves.
At just 41,500 km2, the Netherlands is one of the smallest states in Europe. And he is continually listed as one of the happiest in the world. ¿What are its citizens doing well and what can we learn from them? As Lavrijsen explains in his book, practicing the Niksen method will help us:
- Breaking those myths that you’re too busy and doing nothing is crazy.
- Finding new ways to relax, slow down, and combat stress.
- Honestly communicate your limits and readjust your priorities.
- Create your own sanctuary.
- Find the balance between work and your personal life.
- Boost your creativity, your mood, and even productivity.
- Establish a happy family and improve your friendships.
D.R.
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Niksen: The Dutch art of doing nothing (Health and well-being)
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Is it really doing nothing?
Still not clear what the niksen is? Imagine a world where we stopped trying to optimize every minute Instead, let’s dedicate our time to what truly deserves it. In short, that we reject the idea of wanting to do everything in order to do nothing from time to time. That is the niksen.
Lost? Stressed? Overwhelmed? Feel like you’ll never make it to the bottom of the to-do list? Get rid of external pressures and appease your internal chaos by accepting the niksen as a form of resistance to the culture of being always on. As Lavrijsen recommends, use it to discriminate what really matters to you from what isn’t really that relevant.
This book will show you the path to conformity as a lifeline for sanity. Its intention is to contribute to putting yourself as a priority, getting yourself out of the whirlpool of work – regardless of how busy you are – and make your days better. It is designed to tame and suppress all those hassles that stand between us and doing nothing.
Is it a new approach to mindfulness? You may wonder if niksen is just another stream within mindfulness. The answer is: not exactly. You may have tried mindfulness before, taken classes and set up a sanctuary at home, with its cushions, scented candles and playlists made up of soothing mantras.
But honestly, how long have you persevered? You wouldn’t be the first person to quit long before enlightenment can even be sensed.
Mastering mindfulness requires hard work and perseverance. The niksen, however, is much less complicated.
This discipline does not require bending the numb limbs into perfect lotus posture or training the mind until it stops wandering. In fact, as Lavrijsen points out, the niksen does not force anything except that you allow yourself a moment during which to do nothing, without any specific objective or purpose. And this is where it becomes especially interesting. The niksen admits any restorative hobby that helps take day-to-day concerns out of thought, does not require anything special or occupies mental space, and is absolutely useless when it comes to generating economic benefits, getting fit or socially thriving. .
“I know that for the layman this could be interpreted as simple laziness, it may even seem somewhat antisocial”says Lavrijsen.
“But let’s think about it like this: whether it be in terms of improving creativity and self-esteem, or self-awareness and reducing anxiety, doing nothing has the same beneficial qualities as mindfulness, except that it is achieved with much less effort ”. As this author says, “When we get used to taking a moment to rest, the chances of becoming happier people increase, more relaxed parents, more efficient workers and best friends “.
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Why do you need the niksen in your life
The niksen may not serve a specific purpose – it will not increase your bank account or your social networks, nor will it improve your figure – but, as Lavrijsen says, “Many investigations already point in their results to improvements in productivity, creativity, health and happiness derived from doing nothing “. As this author says, all of this is what practicing the art of doing nothing can bring you:
- Greater energy. You cannot be productive if you feel mentally empty or drained. By taking short breaks to do nothing, you can recharge your body and mind.
- Better health. Short parentheses prevent us from running out of energy or concentration, reducing the risk of exhaustion and other health problems.
- More family happiness. With more energy, you can dedicate yourself to home life and be more attentive to your family. Keep in mind that children notice when you are stressed or absent.
- A healthier brain. By always being busy, we lose the ability to stop and sit and reflect or be alone with our thoughts. Research from the Donders Institute in the Netherlands suggests that constant occupation alters the brain to the point of diminishing reasoning ability, attention and memory. A healthy brain needs rest to repair all the damage suffered.
- Greater efficiency. By developing the ability to concentrate, tasks are performed more efficiently.
- Better self-awareness. Minimize and decongest your schedule selectively: do not waste time and energy on tasks that have no value. Also, develop a better understanding of what is (really) important to you.
- The possibility of an epiphany. When we take our mind off daily routines, we can examine problems and doubts with better perspective and greater clarity. At the same time, we acquire more resources and are better able to come up with creative solutions and ideas.
- More time to design long-term goals. A study published in 2012 by the journal Consciousness and Cognition concludes that when we let our minds wander, we think about the future and long-term goals fourteen times more often than when we force ourselves to focus.
- Better sleep. If we are always connected, responding immediately to e-mails and text messages, always alert, it becomes increasingly difficult to relax and quiet the mind at bedtime. By progressively adding more and more breaks throughout the day, we can reduce stress and improve the quality of our sleep.
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How the Dutch have reached the vital balance
In the first chapter of the book, the author discusses the Dutch’s relationship with the niksen and how you too can achieve the incredible work-life balance that they have achieved. Do you think you don’t have time to do nothing? In chapters two and three you will know why no excuse is valid and how to readjust your priorities. During chapters four and five you will learn to master time management and create a space in which to do nothing regardless of the environment. Finally, chapters six and seven are dedicated to a better understanding of how a niksen state of mind and a healthy work-life balance can lead to a happier and more harmonious family life, and how we can implement what we have already learned.
“Personally, I can’t give you a step-by-step guide on how to do nothing.”, says Lavrijsen, “That is something intuitive and personal, it requires putting your own well-being before everything else and then reaping the benefits”. And this, as the author emphasizes, does not have to be difficult. This book will help you develop a new attitude through meditation exercises, simple tips and relaxation activities in order to achieve a niksen lifestyle. Consider it the first step towards a substantial improvement in your creativity, your attention and your relationships, with the aim of making yourself a happy person in the Dutch way.
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Manifiesto doing nothing
Do you want to start practicing niksen now? You just have to follow its manifest:
- I’m going to make doing nothing a priority, because I know that this will make me more productive, more creative and, above all, someone healthier and happier.
- I will allow myself to do nothingEven if it means not being productive or appearing antisocial. I will ignore anyone – be it a friend, a co-worker or my inner critic – who says that doing nothing is synonymous with laziness, worthlessness or selfishness.
- I will take some time each day to do nothing, setting healthy limits that open windows of time and opportunity both in my schedule and in my mind, as well as through better management of my hours.
- I’ll make those moments of nothing at all an integral part of my life, both professional and private, welcoming the niksen’s potential for change.
- I’ll make doing nothing a lifelong habit, spending time in active and passive relaxation and aimless activities, which will allow my mind to loosen and wander.
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