The Lost Art of Doing Nothing: How the Dutch Unwind with Niksen

The road to happiness is littered with little breaks

Sometimes, the best thing we can do for ourselves is nothing. That's the idea behind niksen, the Dutch philosophy of active rest. Niksen (which translates closely to "doing nothing" in Dutch) is a state of non-productivity--staring out a window, laying on the grass, closing our eyes, or listening to music--that can help decrease stress, improve health, inspire creativity, and more. Ironic as it may seem, niksen argues that the best way to increase productivity is a healthy break.

In this charmingly illustrated guide, Dutch journalist Maartje Willems draws on a pool of interviews, studies, books, and films to teach us exactly how and why to niksen (it's harder than you think ). In this book, readers will learn to:

• Neither work nor browse. Just chill
• Take more breaks
• Declutter your mind and truly slow down
• Set aside social pressure to always be "productive"
• Discover what lies on the other side of nothing

Following on the tail of hygge and lagom, the global phenomenon of niksen adds a new perspective to the self-care conversation, proclaiming that sometimes, the answers and inspiration we are looking for are just a moment's rest away.