#REPUBLISHED
On this humid day of July as I sit down to write this blog with my cup of green tea, I realize that just like others around me, my focus has recently shifted towards self-care and I too continuously strive to try out new wellness trends that will improve my quality of life on this planet.
In the past two-three years, I have experimented with various trends and I have adopted quite a few habits that help me grow, minimalism is one of them.
Lately, I came across Niksen, the Dutch lifestyle of doing nothing, a practice that apparently can help people relax.
What Is Niksen?
Niksen is the Dutch art of allowing yourself to do nothing and to just be.
It means one takes out time to do nothing or to do semi-automatic activities, allowing one’s thoughts to come and go freely.
In a world where we all are productivity obsessed and have mastered the art of making To-Do list, Niksen can help immensely to do away with the stress.
The word ‘Niksen’ means to do nothing, to laze around and act without purpose for a bit. While this practice may seem like a cat way of being, it isn’t.
One doesn’t have to practise Niksen all the time, just a few minutes or a couple of hours can be of enough good.
How To Practise Niksen?
Practising Niksen may mean different things to different people. While to some, just sitting and watching outside the window can get them into a state of niks, for other people semi-automatic activities like knitting can be helpful.
The art of doing nothing has to come naturally and doesn’t have to be forced. The practice doesn’t tell one to quit work or not have any productive pursuits, it tells one to just clear his/her agenda for a couple of minutes and not beat himself/herself up for doing nothing.
Just sitting back and existing like a cat, not interrogating one’s thoughts and allowing oneself time to unwind.
The key while practising Niksen is to not label oneself as Slacker, Couch Potato or any other negative adjective that the society has for being idle.
Also Read: In Pics: Demystifying The Greatest Political Ideologies Of The World
What Are The Benefits Of Niksen?
The practice can help people unwind and relax. It can also help one get rid of burnout.
According to Veenhoven the director of the World Database of Happiness, Niksen can help foster creativity. When one allows the mind to be free, the creative juices get flowing easily.
Another study published in Frontiers in Psychology, on the pros and cons of a wandering mind, showed that this process can help an individual get inspired about achieving his/her goals.
Research also suggests that Niksen can strengthen one’s problem-solving abilities and the more relaxed the human brain is, the easier it gets to take on new tasks.
Should You Dare To Be Idle?
After reading about the life-changing benefits that Niksen offers, I have decided to let myself be niks more often and I think you should too. We really need to board this train of Niksen in order to live a balanced life.
I am going to dare myself to be idle and not measure myself by my productive hours or numbers and I hope after reading this blog, you decide to dare to do the same as well.
Sources: HuffingtonPost, TheGuardian, Time
Image Credits: Author’s Own, Google Images
Find The Blogger: @anxioushustler
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