The Lost Art of Doing Nothing: How the Dutch Unwind with Niksen

A timely guide on how to make the most of your life when there’s nothing to do (whether by choice or not)—niksen is the new Dutch philosophy teaching us how to rest and relax. Don’t you think it’s time for a break? We're all invariably plagued by nonstop pings and notifications from our phones and computers—so much so that we have lost the knack of zoning out, kicking back, or even slacking off. Even when pandemic-induced lockdowns forcibly cleared our calendars, many who thought they were free ended up filling their days with Netflix and doomscrolling. How can we reclaim our free time (planned or not) to truly rest and reset? Enter the Dutch! They have it figured out: with niksen. Perhaps their best-kept lifestyle secret, niksen is the art of doing, well, nothing. It’s the opposite of productivity, and it’s incredibly good for your mind (it makes you calmer), body (it offers rest on hectic days), creativity (it clears a space for brilliant ideas), and wallet (it’s free!).