Feeling overwhelmed? Unwinding doesn’t have to be complicated. Discover Niksen, the Dutch art of mindful doing nothing. Relax, reduce stress, and boost creativity by simply allowing yourself to be present. Start small with short breaks throughout your day to unwind and reconnect with yourself.
Already an expert?
Niksen
as a hobby
AKA: Doing Nothing.
I see niksen as a form of self-care that is easier to put into practice than other kinds of relaxation.
Olga Mecking, author of Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing
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Helpful content to start niksen as a hobby
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📼 Videos
Short visual inspiration.
🎙️ Podcasts
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As with many other good ideas, doing nothing was recruited by western culture to serve its core values. Niksen is often sold as a productivity enhancer, for example. While this might be true, we believe Niksen should be valued for itself. After all, we are trying to be productive in order to be successful. And strive to be successful in order to be relaxed and happy. If Niksen can get us there directy, why go around about it?
📜 Terms
Basic lingo for orientation.
- Niksen: Verbification of niks, Dutch for ‘nothing’. The practice of doing nothing as a means of relieving stress; idle activity, as staring into the trees or listening to music, with no purpose other than relaxation.
❗ How to start niksen as a hobby
First moves for getting acquainted and breaking the ice.
- Make use of life’s natural pauses, such as a bus ride, for Niksen.
- Schedule dedicated Niksen time.
📚 Books
Get read-y.
Yet it is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top.
A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf
🪜 How-tos
Step-by-step tutorials.
📄 Articles
Further reading.
- Everything About Niksen, The Dutch Concept of Doing Nothing | TIME
- The Dutch solution to busyness that captivated the world – BBC Travel
- The Case for Doing Nothing – The New York Times
- The art of doing nothing: have the Dutch found the answer to burnout culture? | Netherlands | The Guardian
- The life sabbatical: is doing absolutely nothing the secret of happiness? | Life and style | The Guardian
- People just do nothing: is the Dutch concept of niksen the best way to relax? | Mindfulness | The Guardian
- Escape the grind with “niksen,” the Dutch art of doing nothing – Big Think
- Niksen: The Dutch Art of Purposefully Doing Nothing – Blue Zones
- Can Doing Nothing Unlock Your Decision-Making Superpowers? | Psychology Today
- The Secret Power of Idleness | Psychology Today
🌐 Websites
Go-tos for information.
I want to say, in all seriousness, that a great deal of harm is being done in the modern world by belief in the virtuousness of work, and that the road to happiness and prosperity lies in an organized diminution of work. [… Work] is emphatically not one of the ends of human life.
In Praise of Idleness, Bertrand Russell
🍿 Movies
Nothing like a film for inspiration.
❓ FAQS
Get a clue.
Is doing nothing really a hobby?
Your mind is never really doing nothing. Niksen is better defined as ‘doing nothing with a purpose other than relaxation’ – and we believe it to be one of the best definitions of a hobby.
Moreover, Niksen can, although it doesn’t have to, be combined with other hobbies such as knitting, listening to music, and walking, and serve as a platform for more hobbies, creative ones for example.
And if it is a challenge you’re looking for in a hobby, you’ll probably find Niksen quite challenging. As we are conditioned to believe and feel that we must always do something, doing nothing becomes not easy at all. No wonder Niksen is often referred to as an art.
What is the difference between Niksen, mindfulness and meditation?
While mindfulness and meditation are essentially about stopping your mind from wandering, Niksen is about letting your mind wander.
What if, left wondering, my mind can’t stop worrying?
That’s a good question. One thing that could happen is that by letting the bad thoughts run their course every once in a while, without repeatedly stopping them, they might eventually ease.
But our minds are different so no such thing can be guaranteed.
However, we do believe that easing our worries is the key to happiness and that repressing them forever by keeping our minds busy (and exhausted) is possibly not the best way to do so. Letting the bad thoughts surface every once in a while might not be a bad idea.
What are the benefits of Niksen?
Niksen can reduce stress, improve focus, boost creativity, and enhance your overall well-being by allowing your mind and body to recharge.
How can I incorporate Niksen into my daily routine?
You can dedicate scheduled Niksen times. You can also try utilizing natural pauses during the day – for example when waiting for the bus – for Niksen, instead of reaching for your phone.
📱 Apps
Smart assistance.
Never put off till to-morrow; what you can do day after to-morrow.
Mark Twain, The Galaxy
📦 Products
Essentials to have.
⛳ Courses
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📍 Near You
Get together.
The parts of the brain that come “online” when you are doing nothing are called the Default Mode Network. research finds that the Default Mode Network is also activated by intense aesthetic experiences. This draws an interesting line between our ability to do nothing and our ability to derive aesthetic pleasure from the world around us.
The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network
💡 Tips
Additional advice for beginners.
Additional information
| Activities | |
|---|---|
| Fields | Personal Development, Spirituality, Sustainability, Wellbeing |
| Locations | Anywhere, Beach, Coffee Shop, Community Center, Countryside, Farm, Forest, Garden, Home, Lake, Mountain, Nature, Outdoor, Park, River, Sea |
| Participants | |
| Skills | Active Listening, Adaptability, Analytical Thinking, Attention to Detail, Attention to Health, Communication, Concentration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Decision-making, Divergent Thinking, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy, Imagination, Innovation, Lateral Thinking, Logical Reasoning, Memory, Mindfulness, Musical Ability, Patience, Perseverance, Problem Solving, Time Management |