Slow Summer Living: The Art of Doing Nothing

Last month I decided to do a ‘brain dump’ and the result left me quite horrified. There were 169 items on my ‘to do’ list (at last count – I keep remembering things I’ve missed). Being that I’m a toddler mum, working full time with a busy social life, I have a house to decorate and keep clean and I also have other things I like to do like painting, DIY and of course writing this blog, it’s really not that surprising. However seeing it all written down and putting a number to it left me a little daunted.

I’ve been working through it since but there is a small part of me that is wary of becoming burnt out from this seemingly never ending to do list.

Consequently I discovered ‘niksen’ – the Dutch art of doing nothing! The concept is quite literal, to do nothing (or at least nothing with any intent or purpose).

It seems a little counterintuitive to decide to do ‘nothing’ when I have so much to do, but that’s precisely the point. I find it really difficult to ‘switch off’ and having constant access to my phone doesn’t help. When I don’t get rest, I get stressed and then I struggle to focus on anything. Niksen, the art of doing nothing, is a moment to breathe and reset. At a time in my life when I feel pulled in so many different directions, it’s pleasant to do absolutely nothing. The result is that I feel more motivated and focussed to complete tasks and I also take in more of my surroundings, which makes me feel more creative too.

So how can you ‘practice’ niksen? It’s very personal and there is no right or wrong way to do it. It can be an aimless walk without headphones, or sitting on a favourite chair ruminating. My favourite way to practice niksen is to have a bath. That way I can’t easily move somewhere else and I have to actively dry my hands before touching my phone, so it’s a lot harder for me to get distracted!

To embrace the Art of Doing Nothing, simply permit yourself to relax and be idle.