Niksen: The Danish Art of ‘Doing Nothing’
“You have to allow a certain amount of time in which you are doing nothing in order to have things occur to you, to let your mind think.”
Thanks to the success of books like The Little Book of Hygge written by the wonderful Meik Wiking, the Danes have gained a reputation for knowing how to live well.
Empirical evidence seems to back this up with the country frequently appearing in the Top 10 in the UN’s World Happiness Report.
The word hygge can be loosely translated as ‘finding ways to get cosy in the depths of winter’. It involves an abundance of candles and soft furnishings - a vibe that’s thoroughly worth adopting if you live with cold winters.
But there is another great Danish word you should also be aware of: niksen.
In English, it’s probably best described as the ‘art of doing nothing’. In French, the word flaneur is perhaps a close enough approximation.
Certainly, it should not be confused with the Swedish word lagom, which proposes an ‘everything in moderation’ mindset. Not that this maxim isn’t also good life advice, of course.
So what qualifies as niksen?
Well, it could be anything from staring out the window for 30 minutes to sitting on a park bench watching the world go by.
Whatever the activity, it should involve doing very little - as close to nothing as possible.
Think of it as the antidote to the busyness of the modern world.
A world that gives you so many ways to spend your attention that it becomes overwhelming.
Is it any wonder that you often feel exhausted?
Not only is it tiring, but it also means the activities you do never get your full attention - your brain simply wasn’t designed to be stimulated so much.
So, as soon as you finish reading this, please put down the device you are reading it on.
It’s high time you spent some time doing nothing.
P.S. Meik Wiking has written another great book on the art of marking memories called Happy Moments: How to Create Experiences You’ll Remember for a Lifetime. It’s well worth reading.
We’ve also made something called The Happy Course with him because he’s so great.
As the title suggests, it will help you master the science-based principles and practices for living a happier life.
