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The Lost Art of Doing Nothing: How the Dutch Unwind with Niksen Spiral-Bound | March 16, 2021

Maartje Willems, Lona Aalders (Illustrated by)

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A timely guide on how to make the most of your life when there’s nothing to do (whether by choice or not)—niksen is the new Dutch philosophy teaching us how to rest and relax

“The best thing about niksen is the absence of a goal. It doesn’t serve a purpose, but it’s wonderful.”

Don’t you think it’s time for a break? Plagued—as we are!—by nonstop pings and notifications, we have lost the knack of zoning out. Kicking back. Slacking off. Even when pandemic-induced lockdowns forcibly cleared our calendars, many who thought I’m free! filled their days with Netflix and doomscrolling. How can we reclaim our free time (planned or not) to truly rest and reset?

The Dutch have it figured out: with niksen. Perhaps their best-kept lifestyle secret, niksen is the art of doing, well, nothing. It’s the opposite of productivity, and it’s incredibly good for your . . .
  • MIND—it makes you calmer.
  • BODY—it offers rest on hectic days.
  • CREATIVITY—it clears a space for brilliant ideas.
  • WALLET—it’s free!
If you’re waiting for an invitation to go lie down in the sunshine, this book is it.
Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Original Binding: Hardcover Paper over boards
Pages: 160 pages
ISBN-10: 1615197648
Item Weight: 0.1 lbs
Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 7.3 inches
“A charming and accessible how-to guide to chilling out.”—BuzzFeed

“Charming . . . This pleasant, effortless work will be perfect for any busybody.”—Publishers Weekly

“I got a surprising amount of guidance. . . . It looks like a coffee table gift book, partly because of the lovely illustrations. . . but there are questions to answer and exercises to try.”—The Boston Globe

“This compact book builds a case of why we should do nothing and how to get started. It has beautiful, soothing illustrations that make us feel calm and light. It also introduced me to the term ‘JOMO’ that stands for the joy of missing out (here to replace sad old FOMO). I have experienced JOMO multiple times and I’m glad to have a term for it.”—Book Riot
Maartje Willems is a Dutch journalist and writer. She lives in Amsterdam where she works as a freelancer and for the VPRO radio program Never Sleep Again. She previously wrote the self-help book Vanaf nu wordt alles beter (From now on everything will get better).

Lona Aalders is a photographer and illustrator. She lives in a tiny house in Baambrugge and sees slow living as her personal religion. She previously authored the book Bullet Journaling: This is How You Do It! and illustrated Vanaf Nu wordt alles beter for Maartje Willems.