The art and sweetness of doing nothing
In Dutch, it’s "niksen"; in Danish, it’s "hygge." The Swedes call it "lagom," and in Italian, “dolce far niente” means “the sweetness of doing nothing.” By all accounts, the notion is vastly underrated.
“Idleness is essential to an active life,” explains author Thomas Opping from betterhumans.com. “There’s a time and place for action, but there also needs to be a time and place where we stop doing things and give the brain a quality break it needs to restore, recover, and make better connections.”
Professor Craig Phillips speaks to the cultural pressures: “We're constantly bombarded with messages telling us to be more productive, accomplish more, and achieve more. We often find ourselves trapped in a cycle of overcommitting, multitasking, and burnout.
"This relentless drive for productivity can lead to feelings of exhaustion, anxiety, and disconnection from our own needs and desires. The concept of niksen challenges traditional notions of success and encourages us to rethink our relationship with time.”
THE BENEFIT OF INTENTIONAL REST
For many, when they come upon the phrase “doing nothing,” it evokes words such as lazy, irresponsible, even reckless. But time and again “intentional rest” turns out to be of enormous benefit, boosting not just our mood but also our creativity, productivity, and health.
According to Calm.com, “Laziness is often framed as avoiding responsibility or effort altogether, even necessary actions. The art of doing nothing, however, is a conscious, intentional practice.”
“It creates space for unconventional thoughts and novel solutions” and “allows the brain to consolidate memories, enhance problem-solving skills, and promote creativity,” per SilvoTherapy in the United Kingdom.
'DO NOTHING, WITHOUT A PURPOSE'
In 2019, a New York Times journalist drew global attention with her piece, “The Case for Doing Nothing,” and soon followed with her book, “Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing.”
In an interview with Vic Groskop from guardian.com, Mecking acknowledged how difficult it is to define.
“The definition I use in the book is to do nothing, without a purpose. Not watching a movie, not scrolling social media, not reading emails," Groskop said. "We always have in mind some kind of outcome. When we prepare meals, we think, ‘This meal will help me lose weight or will make me healthier.’ If we go for a walk, it has to be part of our 10,000 steps. So we lose that fun of just eating or just walking. It’s about letting go of the outcome.”
Antonia Fest of gratis.com calls it “delicious idleness.” And the health staff at henryford.com insists, “Periods of doing nothing shouldn’t be confused with laziness or lack of drive.”
HOW TO BEGIN
No surprises here; you’ve heard all the tips. Voices coalesce around a single notion: to start small (maybe, a five-minute daily break?). But perhaps the critical first step is to acknowledge – to fully embrace – the notion that doing nothing is of enormous benefit, in myriad ways.
TAKE TIME TO PAUSE
Our final words are from SilvoTherapy, Calm.com, and Pascal.
SilvoTherapy: “In the midst of life's demands, perhaps the greatest productivity lies in the art of doing nothing at all.”
Calm.com: “Doing nothing is about pausing on purpose because you recognize the value of rest, reflection, and simply being.”
The French philosopher Blaise Pascal (as quoted by Chad Foreman): “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”
Touche.