The Courage To Do Nothing

Slowing down in our fast-paced society can be a scary concept but it may actually be what you need to help you get more done

When someone asks you how you are, is your answer often “busy” or “stressed”? If so, you could require the Dutch practice of niksen. Niksen is being touted as the answer for those who burn the candle at both ends – and is the latest European well-being fad set to burst onto the world stage. First, the Danish gave us hygge – a sense of cosiness and comfort. Then, the Swedes brought lagom, the idea of everything in moderation. Now, it’s time to bring some niksen into our lives.

Put simply, niksen is the practice of doing nothing or doing something without purpose, such as staring out the window or listening to music. It sounds simple, but for many of us who are used to ticking off lists and achieving goals, niksen can be a challenge.

The upside of nothing

However, the benefits of niksen are worth the effort. Experts say that niksen offers long-term health benefits from stress relief, and boosts creativity. People sleep better and handle stress more effectively throughout the day.

It couldn’t come at a better time, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognising burnout in mid-2019 as an “occupational phenomenon”. The WHO stopped short of defining burnout as a medical condition. Still, it did state that burnout results from “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”. Chronic stress is all around us, and with burnout a real possibility, niksen is a coping technique that might actually help.

The idea of niksen, which literally translates to something close to “nothing-ing” in Dutch, is to be intentional about doing absolutely nothing.