Self help and wellness books are not my usual genre but after a particularly stressful couple of weeks, niksen sounded like something I could use. 
Niksen is the Dutch art of doing nothing. It’s not being lazy, it’s allowing yourself to let your mind roam while not focusing on your long to-do list. 
This book made me realize that in society, especially in America, being busy is a status symbol. If you’re always busy, then you must be important or very popular! We place a high value on how long you stay at work, not the actual work you do. 
Overall, I don’t know that this book was for me and that’s ok. Niksen isn’t for everyone but it is interesting. I need to carve out some time in my day to sit on the couch and try this. The premise is that doing nothing a few times a day or week will make you happier and more productive-but not overly so. Don’t be weird, be normal.

I always admired the Dutch way of life and how happy the Danes were. This book give an insight in their life and practices that helps them find happiness in the littlest things around. 

The book has such colorful artwork and is a self help book. I love the practice of Nilsen- doing something without a purpose like taking a stroll, enjoying music or just staring out of the window..

It talks about the benefit of Nilsen. Much needed in todays busy life. Surely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an e ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A really interesting topic, and a great launching point from Jenny Odell’s How to Do Nothing, which is frequently mentioned throughout the book. Though it is a really well laid-out book, some of its ideas are more difficult in practice. For example, the Danish principle of “just be normal” seems practical, but what about for those that exist outside of normality? And, on occasion, though the author tries to make the argument that productivity should not be a central goal, she still frames productivity as an essential part of niks.

Oh how I adore this colorful guide to doing nothing, a practice the Dutch have perfected. The cover and illustrations are lively, the message reassuring and perhaps even lifesaving in this time of high anxiety. To wit: Doing less can make you happier, healthier and even more productive. Backed by scientific evidence and brimming with helpful examples, NIKSEN receives my highest marks!

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 12 Jan 2021

Thanks to the author, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#Niksen #NetGalley

Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing is a new self-help book that offers an alternative to mindfulness and other wellbeing trends by suggesting that you can become happier… by simply doing nothing. But what does “doing nothing” actually mean?

« Niksen » is a Dutch verb which comes from the word “niks” which means “nothing”. In the first chapter of the book (which counts six), Olga Mecking explains that this term got popularized in 2017 by reporter Gebke Verhoeven in an article entitled “Niksen Is the New Mindfulness”, published in the Dutch magazine Gezond Nu. Intrigued, Mecking, who works as a journalist and translator, published an article almost two years later in The New York Times exploring the concept further. The positive feedback she received to this article made her want to write a book.

“Niksen” should not be confused with mindfulness (being in the present moment) or with procrastinating (e.g. scrolling through a news feed on social media to avoid doing unpleasant work). Essentially, niksen means “doing something without a purpose, like staring out of a window, hanging out, or listening to music.” The benefit of this practice? Instead of “wasting” time, it lets your mind wander without purpose, thereby allowing you to relax while boosting your energy and creativity.

If the basic message is quite convincing, it’s not obvious that it warrants 256 pages. Chapter 2, which claims to show how the concept is uniquely Dutch, is full of clichés and primarily relies on anecdotal evidence, with the author quoting friends and her Dutch teacher to prove her point. Chapter 3 on “busyness” is also a bit weak, insisting on already commonplace ideas, such as the fact that productivity does not depend on the number of hours spent in the office.

The subsequent chapters are, fortunately, more interesting. Chapter 5, in particular, contains concrete practical tips for mastering the art of “niksen” at work, at home and in public. It suggests, for instance, that some hobbies like knitting or colouring books are particularly prone to allowing one’s thoughts to wander free.

The good thing about Mecking’s approach is that she offers a no-nonsense way to reduce your stress level without feeling that you need to adopt a strong life discipline – and without promising that you will hold the permanent solution to a happy and healthy life. That said, some of the most interesting considerations in the book do not come from Mecking herself but from the many other self-help authors she quotes, including her favourite: Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project. One could thus see the book as an easy introduction to recent trends around wellbeing – with a useful bibliography at the end helping readers explore further those ideas that appeal the most to them.

The book, to be officially released in English on 12 January 2021, is available in Dutch since March 2020.

[I will hold on publishing my review until January 2021 - as required by the publisher, hence the absence of links]

Light reading for those who want to be expert in doing nothing at all. Olga will explain to you how to do it. Doing nothing is not the same as procrastination, being lazy, daydreaming, or in zen. And what's the difference then?  Yeah, you can read this book. She uses examples from the way Dutch people live. 

Besides the topic, I really like the cover and the illustrations inside.

Very interesting read, especially after the popularity of hygge in the last several years. I may just have to move to Denmark!

Lovely little book describing the Dutch tradition of Niksen (the unique are of both doing nothing and loving that one is doing nothing). I particularly appreciated the author's efforts to place Niksen within a range of other recent wellness and mindfulness trends (hygge, Swedish Death Cleaning, KonMarie, etc).

Niksen by Olga Mecking.  Well written, interesting look into the Dutch culture and lifestyle.  

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I am so glad that I have picked up this book to read. This is the book that we all need to read in overwhelming times like these as this book gives you hope and permission to spend some guilt free relaxing time throughout the day without any purpose or goa. We all need that break time, our kids need it and our colleagues. So does our parents and friends too. This book nudges you to take the much needed rest in an otherwise autopilot, hyper ambitious life while convincing you that it is perfectly OK to do so.  With lessons and observations from the life and culture of Danish people, this book is well researched and well written manifesto on how to welcome niksen into your life and realize it's benefits. I would recommend this to everyone who wants to take a fresh look at their lifestyle, welcome change and make their days more comfortable and fulfilling.

I received a free ebook of this title from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I have been reading several books of this ilk, including Hygge, Lagom, and Sisu among others.  This particular lifestyle trend is Dutch in origin and has to do with the “art of doing nothing”,  something I used to be quite good at as child, but seemed to have lost the knack for as I aged.  The Author writes as an outsider who moved to the Netherlands and observes the culture through that lens.

There are many anecdotes and snippets of interviews or quotes of what people have said sprinkled throughout the book.  It is written in a very friendly, conversational style.  I found it really easy to sit back with a cup of coffee and my feet up on the couch and read.  I did like that the author pointed out not every suggestion works for each person and to take what fits in your life or your circumstances. At the end of each section, there are questions to think about how you can relate what you read to your own life.   On the whole, I enjoyed reading it and found it on par or better than some other lifestyle books that are circulating now.

Niksen explores the value of the Dutch art of doing nothing. It contained some food for thought and has certainly encouraged me to think about how I can build more quiet into my routines. Olga Mecking writes in a warm and personal way and I enjoyed many aspects of the book.

I am giving it 3 stars because it contains some thoughtful nuggets but I felt that the first third of the book was a bit random and more of a general celebration of Dutch culture and therefore the actual exploration of the benefits and advice for practising Niksen were pretty brief.

Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group and Olga Mecking for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whew! It has been a LONG time since I sat down and read a book in one sitting like this!

I was intrigued by the concept from the start which is why I requested this.

The idea of doing nothing is a topic I have read about before, and the author of *that* book was mentioned in this one super early on and I wondered if I would wind up not liking this! Thankfully that wasn't the case!

Many different works featuring similar topics were mentioned and I was pleasantly surprised by how many other books mentioned I have also read and reviewed. I enjoyed how well researched this entire book was. Several studies were mentioned and tied into the topic being discussed seamlessly. Bravo!

I adored learning about not only a different culture, but how that culture functions in relation to other cultures as well. I also liked that the author didn't gloss over the less than perfect parts of the Dutch lifestyle either. She presented everything in such a way that while I wouldn't want to necessarily move to the Netherlands, I definitely wouldn't mind visiting some day!

The way that Niksen is portrayed to not be a general cure-all for every single person was also unbelievably refreshing! This may not work for you, but it could! That's not something many well-being/nonfiction books even mention. How and why this idea may not work for you.

The writing style itself was entertaining, even lightly sarcastic at times, and I liked how the author related her own life to the topic without making everything about her life. It struck the perfect balance of personal and factual. Loved that!

I also enjoyed the engagement questions at the end of each chapter to help you connect with what was being discussed.

Docking a star for the sections with red text (made it hard to read) and the repetition. I don't just mean the recaps at the end of the chapters, I mean the literal repetition of the concepts again at the end. I feel like maybe this was stretched out more to make it hit a certain number of pages or maybe to hit a certain word count perhaps. Regardless, we didn't need the information recap so often.

Overall though this has been the best book to date on this topic that I have come across and that's saying something!

I definitely recommend checking this one out for a quick, engaging, and pleasant sneak peek into a different way of life that many of us could benefit from if we allow ourselves to try. 

*Sets phone down and stares off into the distance for a bit.* 

♡ Happy Niks! ♡

This is a beautiful book about the art of literally doing nothing. In our busy world I think everyone could get something from this book. It is well written and explains the concept in an informational way. I think this could be a very helpful book in our all to hectic world.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Niksen is an art which of I've never heard of before. I know personally I could not do it. Not because I feel like I can't accomplish it. Not because I'm too "busy". But because I like keeping busy. Keeping busy keeps me sane. I know the book says it is for everyone but that is not true for some.  

The author however did introduce the very interesting topic and I think it is interesting how I never hear about it until now. The author brings each topic and subtopic out in a very smooth way and there is not a whole lo of word traffic associated with it. She brings her own experience out of it rather than JUST teach what Niksen is.

I am fascinated by Niksen the 
 Dutch art  of doing nothing.Literally doing nothing taking time to sit relax not worry about work cooking cleaning just sit.The author shows us why the Dutch  people are happy take things in stride.I really enjoyed reading about this technique the author writes in a conversational style like one of your girlfriends sharing her life issues her coping skills with you.I willbe trying to incorporate Niksen in my life and as someone born in New York where we never stop moving  I’m looking forward to moments of doing nothing.#netgalley#houghtinmiflen