Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Quasi das neue hygge oder auch entspannen in einer hygge Welt. Ganz nett weil es die Gegenbewegung zur Leistungsgesellschaft darstellen könnte aber wer nicht nichts tun kann lernt es nicht durch dieses Buch und wer schon weiß wie man entspannt der braucht das Buch nicht. Niksen ist kein Trend geworden, vielleicht hatten wir dank Corona auch zu oft nichts zu tun außer niksen.

To be honest, the cover alone pretty much guaranteed four stars from me. I love the idea of reframing what we look at as "nothing", because in American culture what we call nothing is actually something. I am hoping to incorporate some of the ideas into my own life and move away from every moment needing to feel mega-productive to have value.

An incredible little book that teaches you one of the most important skills in contemporary society - sitting back, relating and doing nothing. Yep, it sounds easy but it's not at all, especially now when the work environment is moved home and people feel obliged to work all the time.

Fascinating reminder for everyone in the midst of a pandemic whilst we're all working from home and doing all chores at once.

Just a thank you for letting me have a copy for this for an honest review in exchange. Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion for this! I've read this over and over from time to time just as a reminder to myself.

Content
The book basically explains the art of "Niksen" which means doing nothing. The book addresses the common questions and busts myths such as:

1. Why is it important to hit the pause button from time to time?
2. How/Where do I begin?
3. But I just have so much to do, there's no time.
4. It's bad to take time out because people need me.

and so much more. The book contains explanations on how we can break our habits and excuses and how we can further taking care of our selves. Yes, it's a self-help book that really focuses on taking a breather for all types of people and includes tips for parents as well on how they can practice Niksen with their children. The book helps us to realize that time well spent doesn't necessarily mean just working. Time well spent can also mean time for self.

Time is not money, Time is our own.


Exercises
Exercises are quite easy and simple to follow. It does take a habit to do these and incorporate them in our daily lives. Most of these exercises are more introspective and evaluating.

Learnings
1. We all need an organic flow of exertion and relaxation.
2. It's okay to say "NO" with directness and apologetically when it will invade your space or boundaries.
3. Schedule your time & Niksen with it, create a Niksen space and set boundaries.
4. Continue with positive affirmations.
5. Act normal, act yourself for you and not because it's what's needed of you.

Overall
It's an easy read and it isn't difficult to digest what the author is saying. Plus points for the amazing and relaxing art in the book. This book is something we need to read at least once in our life to help us evaluate our life and how we're taking care of ourselves.

Bye. Going Niksing.

I got about halfway through this book in the summer and enjoyed the gentle advice and messages as well as the gorgeous illustrations. Unfortunately, I was distracted and started reading other books. I decided to return to the NetGalley shelf on my phone to finish it today but sadly found the book had expired.

I think it would make a nice companion to dip into when you want a reminder of self-care practices.

It's also a good gift choice.

I've given it four stars based on what I read.

In this hectic world we all inhabit, the importance of downtime and recharging has become an increasingly critical area of focus. Hot on the heels of the Danish "hygge" phenomenon, comes Niksen, the Dutch art of doing nothing. And by doing nothing, they mean literally nothing. Not binge watching TV series on Netflix, not reading Proust's A La Recherche du Temps Perdu, but actually doing nothing - emptying your brain and unplugging from the world.
It's an interesting concept, and there are some really good ideas in this book, I just feel it could have been said a lot more succinctly - this doesn't need to be a 144 page book, this would be better served as a smaller tome / magazine article. That said, it's a small gripe. Maybe I need to chill out more :) I will certainly be taking a few good behaviours away with me from this book.

This is more like 2.5. It wasn't a bad book at all, more like I didn't feel like I got that much out of it. It can be summarized in a couple of sentences: Give yourself daily breaks to avoid burnout, make it a routine, it has to be something mostly mindless and consistent. That's the whole book, and it doesn't even consider freelancers and people with flexible work schedules, it seems like they only address those with offices and set work time. I find that I apply these in my daily life, and when I don't, I do feel the burnout, but it didn't provide anything else I wasn't doing.

I liked the style and the simple writing style, but I don't think I'll be going back for it for tips or something like that.

I thank Netgalley for the digital ARC.

This book was an amazing surprise, and I think each and every one of us need this little gem in our lives. It is about the pleasure of doing nothing, a concept I simply tend to adore.
We are forever preassured for the society to be productive every day, Japanese even say this is the secret of being happy, but I beg to disagree. Being happy is also about relaxing, taking some time off. Wander off. Daydream. Just take a break, and breath.

While books like these seem to always follow trends (there are several currently out on this topic) like Hygge and tidying up, this one did give me pause. Yes, exactly as it was meant to do. Since reading it, I’ve been more conscious of taking small moments to just be. Though the concept is perhaps not worth multiple treatises, it did improve my day, and that’s not nothing.

Since learning about Hygge, I've always been interested in unique ways to destress and find happiness. Seeing Niksen, I couldn't help but request the book. It's a short and sweet book to guide you on how to learn the beauty of doing nothing. The illustrations accompany the descriptions and instructions beautifully, and there's a calming air to the book. I loved trying the exercises and would love to get a copy of this for myself! During these stressful times, I think this is the perfect book to have or one to gift others!

I’ve always been drawn to this kind of book, one spouting a single-word philosophy, something that sounds at once a little strange and comfortingly familiar – hyyge, lagom, ikigai. As soon as I saw Niksen by Annette Lavrijsen, I knew it was one for me. I was doubly convinced by the wonderful illustration on the front of a very cosy looking cat (let’s be honest, I’ll read anything with a cat on the cover).

I’m simultaneously hooked by and slightly sceptical of this trend for vaguely ‘foreign’-sounding words that encapsulate some sort of concept or feeling. Hygge is Danish, meaning something along the lines of cosiness, comfort and contentment. Lagom is Swedish and means not too much, not too little – just right. The Japanese ikigai means one’s reason to live, or a reason to jump out of bed in the morning.

For the past few years, books and articles have been popping up all over the place explaining these concepts and supposedly letting us in on the ‘secret’ of how to achieve them. A quick search on Amazon reveals loads of different books on lagom, for example, all with similar subtitles (‘The Swedish Art of Balanced Living’; ‘The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life; The Swedish Secret of Living Well’) and interchangeable covers.

Yet while they all do reek slightly of capitalising on this hollow trend for ‘wellness’, I’ve found a few of these books to be quite delightful. Many are beautifully illustrated, and they’re genuinely lovely books to have around even just for an occasional flick through. Niksen fits the mould perfectly with its cover and subtitle: ‘The Dutch Art of Doing Nothing’.

The concept of niksen, Lavrijsen explains, is that of simply doing nothing. Not because you have nothing to do or feel completely exhausted – just deliberately taking a moment do nothing. In our increasingly frantic, hectic world, being actively encouraged to do nothing feels surprisingly good. Backing it up with the assertion that by taking a break, giving our minds and bodies time to rest and recharge, we will actually be more productive in the long run – well that’s even better!

Nothing in Niksen is particularly mind-blowing. A lot of it reads like common sense, but perhaps that makes it even more important – because sometimes it’s the simplest things that get lost easiest in our fast-paced modern world. Lavrijsen also avoids the pitfall of becoming too preachy or didactic in selling the concept – balance is highlighted, encouraging each reader to discover what niksen looks like for them, acknowledging that we may not all have the same opportunities and affordances.

The book also explores a number of other complementary Dutch phrases and concepts alongside niksen, such as voorpret: ‘the joyful anticipation derived from imagining a future pleasure’, which prevents it becoming too repetitive. As well as simple theories, it suggests a number of exercises and activities, ranging from keeping a happiness journal, to trying out a Viking ritual (yes, really!), to the Pomodoro time-management technique.

A lot of Niksen resonated with me, especially at the moment I read it – at the end of a long day working from home, having spent 8 hours in my home office staring at my laptop screen. The book was a good reminder for lots of small things I’ve let slip lately – getting up from my desk every couple of hours, stretching my legs, not checking my emails as soon as I get up or before I go to bed.

It’s nothing revolutionary, but if you’ve enjoyed books about hygge and lagom or you’re looking for a little more balance in your life, Niksen will be a worthwhile and enjoyable read. Plus, there’s that lovely cat on the cover.

I requested a copy of this book on Netgalley for two reasons:
I love the concept of hygge and the idea of niksen sounded interesting too
The cute little cartoon kitty on the cover

I was received an early ebook edition.
My comments regarding the pictures in the book might be different in the physical book.

I can definitely support the idea of niksen because I recently realized that I felt guilty when I was doing nothing. I’m a chronic pain sufferer and sometimes it’s very important for me to do nothing, but that’s easier said than done, isn’t it? Can you sit down and watch tv when you have a sink full of dishes? It can be hard to do, even when it’s what you actually should be doing. It took a pain doctor to tell me that. I hope other people can learn that by reading about niksen.

There’s good ideas in this book but the illustrations need work.

By this time of the year we are at the end of our tether after a long year’s work. Add a world-wide pandemic and most of us would embrace the Dutch concept of niksen with open arms. And the beauty of it is that practising niksen takes zero effort – in fact, that’s the whole point – to idle in a low gear, reserve your energy and recharge.

Easier said than done. In our age of always being available thanks to technology, combined with the perception that business equates productivity, the almost unheard of practice of doing nothing will most certainly be frowned upon. Unless, of course, you ignore your inner voice, your guilty conscience, your persistent friends and judgemental family.

Full review here: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.com/2020/11/02/niksen-annette-lavrijsen/

"This sanity-saving book will show you the path to contentment." This book was written in order to help you prioritise yourself and improve your life. It contains extremely helpful information on how to lead a happier and healthier life and several exercises throughout the chapters. It is a must read for all the "The Book of Hygge" fans. The only downside I can find are the illustrations, which don't seem to be very professional. Rating: 4/5 stars.

This is a lovely book about relaxation and taking time for yourself without feeling guilty about it. The illustrations are beautiful, and the advice was spot on for me - I've been in a mental space where I just couldn't let go of work and felt like I had to be productive at every moment of the day, and this book really helped me take a step back from that mentality and reflect on my goals and what makes me feel better in my day to day life. This would make a lovely Christmas gift !

It's OK to do nothing...We are all guilty of filling our time, where it feels impossible to switch off.

This is not just another Mindfulness book, as useful as those are, but an insight into the Dutch way of Niksen or doing nothing.

We need Nikson, the power to switch off, the power to pause, to give us permission to allocate regular time to ourselves without feeling guilty.

This book takes us through ways to recognise what we need, shows us how to dare to be idle. It shows us how to master time management and carve out space for doing nothing leading to a more healthy work life balance and to become a happier person the Dutch way.

An interesting little book about how us Dutch people like to live in the absence of everything at given junctures, I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't, however, particularly fussed on the idea of the doing nothing- considering the nothing was really actually something. The book encourages essentially picking up hobbies, which is delightful, but there's nothing overly Dutch about it. Something that was very Dutch, however, was the segment on people watching, which I found to be an absolute delight and a very realistic reflection of how we live our lives (I come from a family of avid people watchers). The illustrations in this book are also very sweet and cosy, and it makes for an adorable addition to a collection if you have any other books in similar veins, such as any on Hygge.

This book is brilliant, simple but brilliant.. It definitely gave me a light bulb moment to stop always trying to be productive, and to realise that my brain will suffer in the long term if I don't take time to stop and do nothing. In todays society and in the current global situation, everyone needs to read this book.

Since I've read this book I have become more productive at work and have slept better than I have in ages. The book is also lovely to look at with calming colours and some beautiful illustrations. I highly recommend this book.

Even though it’s a pandemic at the moment and I haven’t been to work in 7 months, I still find myself feeling guilty or lazy for just sitting around doing nothing.

Niksen is a book about exactly that, the art of doing nothing and taking time for yourself. The Dutch have clearly figured out exactly how to live life and this book will teach you about what niksen really means.
Hint, it doesn’t mean browsing mindlessly through social media sitting on the couch, or binging the new Netflix series.

Just by reading this I instantly felt more calm and for the first time in a while, I didn’t beat myself up for not being productive.
So grab this book, take some time for yourself, find a comfy area and practice Niksen.