There are a host of wellness books out there based on concepts from other cultures. You can embrace Hygge and live cozy. You can work on mindfulness. Or you can declutter your home with Marie Kondo or with Swedish Death Cleaning. Or you can do nothing.
Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing is about how to do nothing in a way that improves your life. It’s not about being bored or sitting in front of Netflix for hours. It’s about learning to take breaks so your brain can quiet and make connections that it can’t find if you’re constantly doing things. Niksen is like daydreaming, when we take a few minutes to turn away from all our screens and just be. It’s looking out the window at the beauty of nature, closing your eyes to rest them from all the harsh lighting, giving your spirit a minute to breathe while putting aside all the busyness.
Author Olga Mecking has done lots of research about doing nothing, and she blends the results of scientific studies with wise words from other authors and personal anecdotes to come up with all the reasons why Niksen is good for us, how to niks at home or at work, and all the benefits we can expect from taking the time to do nothing. It’s a form of self-care, and it can make you more creative and more productive.
Niksen is a short book filled with colorful, whimsical illustrations, but it also contains a wealth of reasons why engaging in doing nothing is an important part of life. I enjoyed this book and learned a lot about niksen. As someone who has been fighting burnout, I think this will help. I love the playfulness of niksen, and I love that it’s not about being lazy but it’s also not about being productive. It’s about just being, breathing, looking around, and enjoying the moment.
This little tome would make a great gift for anyone struggling with overcommitting, overscheduling, exhaustion, burnout, or who can’t set their phone aside for five minutes. It could help, even if the person you need to buy this for is yourself.
Egalleys for Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing were provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt through NetGalley, with many thanks.
