Come, let us niksen
doing nothing is not something we would consciously do. But as the Dutch have pointed out, there can be great happiness in just doing nothing. They have also coined a word for this inactivity — niksen, which literally means just this, to do nothing. It means to be free of any purpose, to be completely idle.
A period of niksen can act as a stress buster and help us regain focus. As has been said, niksen can make us more productive.
Niksen is not the very antithesis of all that we are taught — to be focused, hardworking, productive, goal-oriented. Niksen is just an acknowledgement that there comes a time when we all need to take a break from all the running around. This is the classic work-life balance with a twist — instead of relaxing by reading a book or spending time with the family where again we are mentally engaged albeit in a good way, we niksen, just do nothing.
Niksen should be a short break after long periods of sustained hard work. The challenge, of course, is that we do not become so fond of 'niksening' that it leads to procrastination. Nor should it result in drifting through life aimlessly. It calls for a calm mind; a mind free from thoughts of chores to be done. At one level, it is akin to meditation, but here the focus is on nothing. As the very erudite Winnie the Pooh says, doing nothing leads to the very best of something. So, niksen today and get spiritually, mentally and physically energised.
