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Originally, hyggem was the Danish concept of staying indoors and feeling comfortable. Next, Iagom, the Swedish mindset of approaching life with a mindset of doing things in moderation. Now it's the turn of another concept called niksen and in the Netherlands they practice it a lot to feel less stressed and burdened in everyday life.

What is nixen?

"Niksen literally means doing nothing, sitting around or doing something without a definite purpose," says Carolien Hamming, director of a stress management center in the Netherlands. Practicing niksen can be as simple as lying at home, listening to music or simply looking out the window at nature. The focus is on leaving the mind in complete freedom, without focusing on details or actions

One aspect of the "art of living" is discovering which ways of relaxing suit you best. There is not necessarily a one-size-fits-all approach, on the contrary. You have to find out which behaviors are most effective for you.

What are the benefits of niksen?

In the Netherlands, niksen is not considered laziness, but rather an opposite approach to being productive. While stress levels are increasing all over the world, the effects this has on the lives of each of us is both physical and mental. Therefore, doing nothing is a positive technique against stress and emotional overload.

Another benefit of this concept is that it helps people generate new ideas. Even when we do nothing, our brain is still processing information and updating its power to find solutions to various problems.

How to practice nixen?

For many people, doing nothing is not as simple as it seems. In fact, it can be somewhat challenging to sit and look out the window, for example. But experts say that you should get over any worries and practice niksa, that is, dare to sit idle.

It's all about allowing yourself to go with the flow of this concept to free yourself for a few moments from commitments, stress, problems, etc.

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Source: Time