'Niksen' is a Dutch verb which means "doing nothing". In our daily lives, this is rare. We are always "so busy". It is affecting our mental health, well-being, and productivity. Always achieving. Running of our to-do lists.
Technology seduces us into being busy too: our phones enable us to search, read, view, do something anytime. It makes it harder to truly unplug.
But we are human beings. Sometimes it's just good to just be. Not only to recharge our batteries but also to solve complex problems.
Mann's (2014) research shows it "literally makes us more creative, better at problem-solving, better at coming up with creative ideas.”
Just going for a walk, taking a nap, staring out the window, taking a long bath. Accepting the boredom. Many brilliant scientists used this strategy when they were stuck, like Einstein for example.
“It takes you out of your mind, and then you see things clearly after a while,” stated Professor Kets de Vries of INSEAD Paris.
It can be challenging in a culture that prizes being busy & getting things done, to build daily habits to do nothing. But remember, "Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time!”
Taking intentional pauzes is part of why we set up ON.PURPOSE STUDIO and how we built the 28 DAYS online program.
