Niksen

Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing

Olga Mecking

• Publisher: Harvest
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9780358395089

The Dutch people are some of the happiest in the world. Their secret? They are masters of niksen, or the art of doing nothing. Niksen is not a form of meditation, nor is it a state of laziness or boredom. It's not scrolling through social media, or wondering what you're going to cook for dinner. Rather, to niks is to make a conscious choice to sit back, let go, and do nothing at all.
With this book, learn how to do nothing in the most important areas of your life, such as:

• AT HOME: Find a comfy nook and sit. No technology or other distractions.
• AT WORK: Stare at your computer. Take in the view from your office. Close your eyes.
• IN PUBLIC: Forget waiting for the bus, enjoy some relaxing niksen time.

Backed with advice from the world's leading experts on happiness and productivity, this book examines the underlying science behind niksen and how doing less can often yield so much more. Perfect for anyone who feels overwhelmed, burnt out, or exhausted, NIKSEN does not tell you to work harder. Instead, it shows you how to take a break from all the busyness while giving you sincere, heartfelt permission to do nothing.

Index

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

Adam, Hajo, 10

Agendas, in Dutch culture, 77–78

Alcohol consumption, 93

American culture, 64–65, 91–92, 173, 174, 200

Amsterdam, Netherlands, 55

Animals, 88

Anxiety

and procrastination, 126–27

from stress, 113–14

The Atlantic, 92

Bailey, Chris

on distractions, 43, 147

on guilt, 149, 175–76

on ideas, 39

on mind wandering, 124, 128–29

on smartphones, 103

on taking breaks, 46–47, 140–41, 175–76

on work cultures, 124–25, 144

B

Baking, 203–4

BBC Religion, 15

Beck, Rebecca, 35

Bellezza, Silvia, 35, 96, 97, 110–11

Belonging, sense of, 152

Benefits of niksen, 119–36

creativity, 127–32

improved decision making, 132–35

improved health, 120–23

productivity, 123–27

Bespreekbaarheid, 82

Bible, 90

Bike riding, 186–87

Billinghurst, Stuart, 67–68

Bircher Brenner, Maximilian

Oscar, 95

Birthday parties, Dutch, 67–68

Bitterballen, 62

Blodgett, Amanda Hsiung, 36

Body, listening to your, 187

BoekCoach (website), 28

Boisgontier, Matthieu, 32–33, 108–9, 163–64

Boredom, 33, 42, 185

Boredom parties, 157

Boundaries, 131, 154

Brain(s)

children’s, 154

and fitting in, 107

niksen and the, 120–23, 181–87

and stress, 113

Brain dump, creating a, 148

Brain networks, 122–23

Break, taking a, 46–47, 140–41, 146–47, 149

Breathing, 15

Bregman, Rutger, 194

British culture, 36, 92–93

Bruno-Clarke, Li, 63, 14...