The Art of Doing Nothing – Niksen on Vacation

I’m a planner by nature – especially when it comes to vacations. However, not every vacation needs to be planned down to the minute or packed with activities to make it worthwhile. Sometimes, you just need a true break to shutdown and offset the crazy hectic lives we live every day.

Even when I plan a purposely active vacation, I try to leave one day (usually in the middle) to do nothing. At the very least, I avoid planning any activities and just go with the flow. Because, let’s face it, whether you’re at work or on vacation, having a packed agenda, where you move from one meeting/project or activity to the next, can be stressful and sometimes totally draining. And in these cases, the idea of doing nothing really means everything.

This practice of doing nothing for a day  – called Niksen – is actually a wellness trend in Europe, specifically among the Dutch who use it as a way combat busyness, manage stress and avoid burnout. Although some may compare Niksen to simply being more mindful, it’s really more about giving yourself permission to compartmentalize all of your daily stressors, push them aside and save them for another day. But we all know that clearing your mind of worrisome thoughts is not easy. So Niksen often works better when you add a little more physical activity (ideally outdoor activity) to your day to help distract you from your daily worries. 

Vacation – especially a vacation away from home –  is a great time to practice Niksen for we are less likely to obsess or be bothered by normal everyday stressors, like laundry, meal prep, and cleaning, that can trigger thoughts and tempers to spiral out of control. With Niksen, you allow yourself a mental work-life balance, giving your mind the freedom wander to happier, stress-free, inspiring thoughts for a full day, without feeling the least bit guilty.

So, as you begin to plan the details of your next vacation, why not leave a little room for Niksen, a mental break you so desperately need. After all, that’s what vacation is really about.

Travel often, travel well, my friends.

Jennifer