Enjoying Life Without Doing Anything "Niksen" Style

Busy busy. Everything is in a hurry. Stress also affects city residents. Overcome it with "niksen", come on.

SALOMO TOBING

Neli Triana, Kompas journalist

Work targets, lessons, lectures, and school exams line up to be completed after the long Eid al-Fitr holiday is over. However, energy has already been drained from traveling back to hometowns and returning to the "real world" of living as migrant workers. Even during the holiday or returning to hometowns, it seems like there is no end to visiting here and there to meet with family and friends, reunions, going out, culinary adventures, or other tourism activities.

It's no wonder that both physical and mental fatigue are immeasurable. "Jompo", if borrowing the language of contemporary society. Unfortunately, "jompo" cannot be cured even after a vacation.

Various events on Saturdays and Sundays carried out to alleviate stress, boredom, and fatigue apparently add to the burden. Both physical and psychological conditions never fully recover. It's like a device that lacks power, every time it's in the process of recharging, it never reaches 100 percent. Then, it is used actively again.

Also read: House Rental Trends, Between Mortgage Interest and Current Lifestyles

On Mondays, urbanites are often very tired and depressed. The phrase I hate Monday, which reflects hatred or reluctance to face Monday and all the work that must be done, feels very relevant.

That is the dynamic that plagues many urban people. Being productive every day, even on holidays, has become the lifestyle of many people, especially those who work in the city. Time seems to move very quickly.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Office workers walk along the pedestrian path at Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Jakarta, when they are home from work, Wednesday (13/3/2024).

Throughout Monday to Friday, time is dedicated to completing one task so that other tasks can be worked on next, having meetings with clients and colleagues in the office or going from one cafe to another. Saturday and Sunday are the time to take the kids out, exercise with fellow hobbyists, or do household cleaning.

This busyness is accidentally forced to continue because that is how the city's residents declare that they exist, exist and are important. Being busy has become a status and is like an addiction. Until then a satirical joke emerged: "Holidays? I think I've heard that before" or "If you're idle a lot, your body will actually ache."

Currently, technological advancements have made smartphones always within reach, with various information flowing rapidly and further legitimizing anyone to engage in various activities that are not all necessary.

Various knowledge on how to achieve balanced, prosperous, elegant, always appearing happy, and glamorous living - similar to social media celebrities - unconsciously influences our way of thinking. Many of us are driven to continually do something to become like the icons that are embedded in our conscious or subconscious minds.

In reality, writes Olga Mecking in The New York Times, being busy is not an indicator of status and a comfortable, prosperous life. In fact, continuous activity to achieve certain goals has real side effects. The number of cases of burnout, anxiety disorders and stress-related or psychosomatic illnesses continues to increase.

Also read: Dubai Floods, Even the Most Developed City Subject to Climate Crisis

KOMPAS/FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

Residents' activities on Jalan MH Thamrin, Jakarta, during motor vehicle-free day, Sunday (21/4/2024).

Meditation, exercise, or consuming healthy food, although good and important, apparently cannot always overcome the physical and mental fatigue of urban humans.

The solution that is really needed, according to Mecking, is to imitate the Dutch move called niksen. Through his book, Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing, he explains the meaning of niksen, namely doing nothing.

In his work which has been translated into Indonesian with the title Niksen: The Secret to a Happy Life Without Doing Anything (2021), Mecking argues, everyone needs to consciously choose to let go of their burdens. by not getting caught up in doing things for certain purposes.

Is it possible for someone to truly do nothing? Because even when sleeping, sitting, or daydreaming, it still falls under the category of doing something.

Niksen appears as an explanation for what is missing, the absence or emptiness in our lives.

Aim without a goal

According to Mecking, as quoted from The Guardian, many people have difficulty defining niksen. “The definition I use in the book is doing nothing, without a purpose,” he said.

Mecking stated that many people are accustomed to thinking about a result when deciding to do something. When preparing food, we think that this food will help us lose weight or make us healthier. When taking a walk, it must be a part of the target of 10,000 steps for that day.

“As a result, we lose the pleasure of eating food or just walking. Niksen is about letting go of the results of what we do," he said again.

More practically, according to Mecking, the idea of ​​niksen is using time and energy consciously and thoughtfully to carry out activities, such as staring out the window or sitting quietly. Those who don't understand might call the perpetrators lazy or a waste of time.

The woman from Poland who married a German man and now lives in The Hague, Netherlands, and is active in the Smarter Living movement, stated that niksen needs to be included in our routine. At home or work, give yourself permission to take a moment each day to hang out or be quiet.

Also read: Creativity and Humor Behind "Shimmer Dresses" to Rengginang Cans

If you doze off during idle moments, it is a blessing. Taking a nap for a few minutes or a couple of hours is a delightful excursion that replenishes energy and brightens the mind.

It's also possible to let your eyes explore the blue sky and trace the clusters of clouds above the density of city buildings from your desk. Just listening to the rhythm of raindrops on the window can be soothing, especially with a cup of hot coffee or tea as company.

Stimulate creative ideas

For the Dutch themselves, what is niksen like?

”Niksen is a concept,” said Ruut Veenhoven, professor emeritus of social conditions for human happiness at Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to The Guardian.

Veenhoven acknowledged that public interest in the niksen idea was quite large. This cannot be separated from people's habits of feeling happiest when they are active. In modern society, there are many good activities that can be done.

”As a result, we did a lot of things. The level of life satisfaction is also high and continues to increase. As a side effect, we experience stress and dream of more relaxation. Niksen emerged as an explanation for what is missing, the absence or emptiness in our lives,” said Veehoven.

Also read: ”The Nuruls”, between Stereotype and Subculture

In general, the culture formed and practiced by humans anywhere does not encourage sitting still, let alone lying down. Technology, like smartphones, makes it almost impossible to truly disconnect and enjoy laziness or delve into boredom from routine.

Living in a culture that glorifies busyness, people lose the ability to sit still. In fact, when you do nothing or do something without a clear goal, the brain will reorganize. And, this is precisely the great benefit of niksen, reorganizing the way the brain works!

Also read: The Phenomenon of Proust, Homecoming and Nostalgia for Nasi Liwet Solo

Sandi Mann and Rebekah Cadman from the Department of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, England, in their research paper "Does being bored make us more creative?" (2013) states that enjoying boredom is effective in stimulating the brain. When you daydream and let your mind wander without limits, creative ideas that could be solutions to various problems have great potential to emerge.

Mann added that the crowding activity made the perpetrators breathless. Creative thought processes are blocked. Busyness often makes people lulled into achieving false pleasure through material achievements. Taking a break and emptying your mind can stimulate the opening of an out of the box idea that brings someone back on the path to true and essential happiness.

Green lifestyle

Urbanites who are used to being chased by job targets, fulfilling routine needs, competing to achieve comfort like advertising stars or like in films, feel the need to train themselves to practice niksen.

Everyone's Niksen is also different. It takes experimenting to find a way to enjoy emptiness according to each of us.

Several niksen practices are proven to be compatible with a green lifestyle. One of them, someone who allows himself to shower and change clothes just once during the weekend at home is considered more environmentally friendly. He also has extra time to relax.

Treehugger, a site that offers green lifestyle advice and inspiration, states, at the individual and household level, reducing washing and detergent activities, as well as only ironing certain clothes reduces the potential for environmental damage.

This weekend, starting to practice niksen could be a good idea. Sooner or later, we will definitely find a niksen that suits us. And, an even more enjoyable life will follow later. Hmm... come on.

Also read: Urban Notes