Paradoxically, niksen, which is the idea of doing nothing, can also make us more productive, simply because breaks allow our brains to rest and come back with more energy.
The city of The Hague, where I live, has 11km of beautiful coastline with rolling dunes and sandy beaches. In the summer I often see locals in Scheveningen or Kijkduin (the most popular beaches) sunbathing, walking in nature or cycling and then sitting on one of the many benches available.
Sometimes they read or chat with friends. Other times, they are practicing niksen.
Niksen it’s a Dutch feel-good trend that means “do nothing.” It has captured the world’s attention as a way to manage stress or recover from mental and physical burnout.
At a time when many complain of exhaustion and depression from overwork and are looking for solutions to this, concepts such as ikigai Japanese or hygge Danish is starting to enter the lexicon of other languages.
As a linguist, I loved the idea that I could express the whole concept of doing nothing in one short, easy-to-pronounce word.
In my book”Niksen: Embrace the Dutch art of doing nothing (“Niksen: Adhering to the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing”, in free translation)”, I define the act as “doing nothing, aimlessly”.
So we’re not talking about browsing Facebook or practicing meditation.
While the awareness it’s about being present in the moment, niksen it’s more about making time to be, letting the mind wander where it wants to go.
And as we’re slowly recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to rethink how we work and spend our time.
The least possible
linguistically, niksen (do nothing) is a verb created by nikswhich means “nothing”.
It fits the Dutch language’s tendency to create verbs from nouns.
Other examples are from voetbal (soccer) a voetballen (to play soccer), from ‘internet’ a internet tenfrom ‘Whatsapp’ to What happen.
“I think this is something that mostly happens in Dutch,” says psycholinguist Monique Flecken of the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, who studies how the languages we speak affect how we see the world.
Essentially, it’s a lot less work to say niksen than “do nothing”. “The Dutch are down-to-earth and down-to-earth, and the language reflects that,” she explains.
In the Netherlands, the word can be used in many ways, both positive and negative. Flecken says, “A father may tell his son, ‘Zit je weer te niksen?’ (Are you doing something new?). And I would also say ‘lekker niksen‘, which translates into ‘a delightful idleness’, when speaking of a happy night, free from any business or work.”
For psychologist Thijs Launspach, TEDx speaker and author of the book “Crazy Busy: Staying Sane in a Stressful World” (“Crazy Busy: How to Stay Healthy in a Stressful World”), niksen means “doing nothing or taking care of something trivial as a way to enjoy time. Not exactly doing nothing, but doing as little as possible.”
Launspach adds that this is especially true for older people, who have a more unstructured free time.
Increased productivity
The younger generation, on the other hand, is more stressed than ever. And that’s also true in the Netherlands, a country traditionally applauded for its work-life balance.
There are many reasons for this. “Our lives and jobs have become increasingly complex. We tend to spend a lot of time on the computer. There is a lot of pressure to be the best version of yourself, whether it’s at work, in parental expectations (or) on social media There’s a lot of pressure,” notes Launspach.
A little stress can be good, as stressed by Leiden University psychology professor Bernet Elzinga.
“It’s not necessarily a bad thing to be in a state of stress for a moment when you’re really focused. The problem is when it gets out of hand,” she explains.
But the niksen can help in this matter. “When you’re not doing anything, you connect to your default mode. And that mode is responsible for wandering and reflecting in the mind,” Elzinga explains.
Paradoxically, the niksen it can also make us more productive, simply because breaks allow the brain to rest and come back with better focus and attention.
This is probably why, although the Dutch don’t work long hours, they tend to be very efficient at work.
Working overtime is discouraged due to the adage that “being normal is crazy enough” that prevails in the Netherlands, a nod to the country’s honest and egalitarian culture.
And it seems to work: Holland is a creative nation. Think of all the famous painters like Rembrandt, Vermeer or Escher, as well as the innovative solutions the Dutch have come up with to combat the recurring threat of floods, such as huge dikes and houseboats.
Physical activity
The Dutch also like to enjoy life, which they use the word for lekker.
It means “delicious” or “tasty”, but can be used to refer to something good and pleasant, such as hot lekker (deliciously warm), lekker slapen (deliciously sleeping) and of course lekker niksenor “delightfully doing nothing”.
And all this architecture of idleness makes it easier for people to do nothing.
Locals like to spend their time in active ways like cycling or walking which gives them time to relax.
And whenever the sun comes up, the Dutch flock to the cafés and terraces, even in winter. For me these are perfect places to do nothing.
However, Launspach is not a proponent of doing nothing as a stress-preventing measure.
“I’m a little skeptical of the idea that you have to create a buffer zone between yourself and stress. I don’t know if that’s possible in the way we live and work today,” she says.
Elzinga believes that it is much better to engage in some kind of physical activity to distract from everyday worries, preferably in nature.
But luckily in Holland there is a way to combine all these things: niksennature and movement.
many days off
While the country isn’t known for its natural resources, the Dutch appreciate the few green spaces they have.
Many dune areas, my favorite places in Holland, are part of an extensive network of footpaths and cycle paths that criss-cross the whole country.
Even in big cities like Rotterdam, The Hague or Amsterdam, you are never too far off a trail.
In collaboration with the Dutch railway system, Wandelnet, a foundation dedicated to the creation and maintenance of hiking trails, has created NS Wandelingen, a network of hiking trails that are easily accessible by train or other public transport.
These trails measure between 7 and 22km in length, making them perfect for day trips.
And, thanks to the numerous benches installed along the way, it is also possible to take a short break niksen.
Such free time is possible for the Dutch because the country has an excellent welfare system, and although people tend to work a lot, they also take (and receive) plenty of time off.
“Having a good social support system and lower stress level is linked to feeling secure and balanced. So I wouldn’t overstate the importance of that,” says Elzinga.
And with everything going on in the world, like the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, stress relief has become more important than ever.
*This article was originally published on BBC Travels. Click here to read the report in yours original version (in English).
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
