It is what the lion does in the savannah after its prey. And the warrior after the battle. And we in our childhood during the summer vacations.
The nothingness or the doing nothing!
Niksen has become a buzzword, but it fits perfectly. It describes the pleasant activity of "doing nothing.
The word comes from the Netherlands and stands for a relaxed lifestyle.
The Italians know it too and call it "Dolce far niente", "the sweet idleness".
The principle is simple, you do something without any purpose or great benefit. No reading technical literature or fixing the bike. Just hang out, observe the area and maybe listen to relaxing music.
How long? As long as you want and can stand it. Don't worry, your "ability to sneeze" will get better with time.
But how is it different from mindfulness, focus, or meditation?
With these techniques you try to create a certain emptiness or to pay attention to something specific, like your own breath.
Niksen, on the other hand, is simply about being. Letting the soul dangle.
Modern distractions and time robbers like Netflix and smartphones also invite being unproductive. But this is neither Niksen nor anything else like it.
So much information and the rapid change of stimuli cost our brain a lot of energy.
The mind also needs rest. And so do the eyes, which is why it's better to let them wander over a landscape than over a display.
But why should we even Niksen in fast times like these. Isn't that very lazy?
No, on the contrary, it creates a healthy balance for us. Performance-oriented living or working also means incorporating periods of rest. Because only when we come to rest, mind and body can recharge their batteries. Then you are ready for the next competition or business meeting.
In the Netherlands, Niksen is considered a stress management tactic. It wasn't always that way. Early on it was also called lazing around. But the sickness and burn-out statistics of other countries showed that it is important to be more aware of your inner self and to just take it down a notch.
The Dutch have recognized this and made it a part of their lives.
Laze around, downshift or chill.
You can call it whatever you want, as long as you've found a tactic for yourself that allows you to calm down and find a balance for intense times.
Your Richard
