People just do nothing: is the Dutch concept of niksen the best way to relax?
The stress-busting technique is increasingly popular. But, as one writer discovered, doing nothing is harder than it looks
Doing nothing is exhausting: mindfulness involves keeping a running tally of every single passing thought and sensation, while transcendental meditation involves concentrating on your breathing and mantra. Perhaps we should all try niksen instead?
Niksen is an increasingly popular Dutch relaxation technique where you relinquish control and just … stop. When thoughts occur, you don’t interrogate them or imagine them being carried away on balloons, you just let them occur. At a time when meditative practices can feel like yet another thing to do, niksen is liberatingly simple. Stop doing everything right now. Congratulations, you just did a niksen. It is essentially sanctioned daydreaming.