Why Doing Nothing Is Doing Something

In yesterday's post about the art of Niksen, I explained how doing nothing is actually good for you. 

In this short post, let's explore one good reason to make time to do nothing and how that is actually doing something.

Your CPU (brain) has too much to do

Have you ever been frustrated because your computer has slowed down? If you've experienced this then you likely know some of the causes.

One is bottlenecking, which happens when the processor isn't powerful enough to keep up with all the tasks being demanded of it.

Now, I'm not suggesting you need a more powerful brain. Your brain is far more powerful than the most powerful of supercomputers. The comparison isn't even close.

Yet, it is possible to have too many tasks running through your head (brain) at one time. You know when that happens and how you feel. 

You might even refer to it as being frazzled, or you might say things like, "I've got way too much going on up here," as you point to your head.  

The remedy? It's time to slow down so your brain gets a rest. (Yes, your brain needs to rest. It's one of the reasons we need to sleep to be healthy). 

Another common cause of a slow CPU is unnecessary background programs. The remedy is to get rid of the ones you don't need or set specific times when they should be running so that they are not running 24/7. 

Same for your brain. 

There are times when you have too many background programs running in your mind. You might call it multitasking. Multitasking is a myth because no human can concentrate effectively on more than one thing at a time. 

And that's why:

Doing nothing is doing something

When practicing Niksen - the art of doing nothing - you are actually doing a lot for your mental health, creativity, physical health, and more. Again, see my first post on this here. 

Sitting quietly and letting your mind wander is like giving it a rest. It's also like turning off the background programs you would normally have running and not be aware of. 

Another benefit of practicing Niksen is a notable increase in your creativity. Whether you're aware of it or not, you have the ability to be hyper-creative. If you don't believe you're a creative person, it's not because you don't have the power to be, it could be that you have never learned how to develop your creative powers. 

But trust me, you have them, and one of the ways you can power them up is by doing nothing. Once you get into the practice of doing nothing, I guarantee that you'll have all kinds of creative ideas popping into your head.  

In my next post, I'll give you a few suggestions to help stimulate your creative powers. 

In the meantime, practice Niksen today. 

Have a good one. 

5 Reasons You Should Start Practicing Niksen - The Art of Doing Absolutely Nothing

The practice of Niksen is brand new to me, although the idea isn't. 

Niksen is the Dutch concept of doing absolutely nothing, and I found it weird to think that one could practice doing nothing. 

And yet, when you think about it, it's not like highly driven people in a world that glorifies the hustle and the grind to make time to do nothing other than, well, nothing. 

So, it does take practice to do nothing.

But apparently, doing nothing is exactly what a lot of us need. 

Niksen is as simple as sitting in a comfortable chair, looking out of the window, and letting your mind wander. 

Obviously, I'm not practicing Niksen right now, because I am concentrating on writing this blog post. 

But I have begun to work on this practice. 

Here are 5 reasons you should start practicing Niksen.

1) It is a positive, stress-fighting tactic. 

2) It gets your creative juices flowing so you can come up with new ideas. 

3) It prevents burnout, which is on the increase globally.

4) It promotes better physical health because reducing stress strengthens your immune system. 

5) People who regularly practice Niksen are happier overall. It makes sense that if you're less stressed, more creative, and healthier as a result of being less stressed, your overall happiness should improve. 

How you can practice Niksen

It might be best to start slow because most busy professionals, mothers, fathers, are not used to doing nothing. 

I suggest you begin by scheduling 5-minute blocks of time throughout the week to do absolutely nothing. From there you can increase the amount of time you spend doing nothing. 

Ideally, it would be best to block out one evening each week where you have no obligations so you can spend it doing nothing. 

I know this is going to sound like a contradiction, but when you're starting out, practicing Niksen can include taking a walk in nature, knitting, coloring (yes, you can buy coloring books for adults),  or writing a letter of gratitude. 

These kinds of activities will help to ease you into the practice of doing nothing. 

And if you can, try getting to the point where you're able to also sit quietly for a time and just allow your mind to wander. 

Start niksing today. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to leave a comment. And subscribe to the blog so you don't miss any of my posts. 

Want to get in touch with me? Great. Feel free to email me at: mikeallisoncoaching@gmail.com. I will respond. 

Have a great day.