Forget Hygge & Embrace Niksen: The Art Of Doing Nothing

These chilly Germanic countries really have their shit together when it comes to dealing with winter.

You're probably familiar with hygge, a Danish term that made the rounds last year as the concept of loving all things simple and cozy. You know, big sweaters and all that. But while hygge will certainly remain in our vocabulary, we have a new favorite term to add to our seasonal mood board.

Introducing niksen, a Dutch idea that encourages stress management by, well, doing nothing. Absolutely nothing. According to Carolien Hamming, an anti-stress expert at CRS Centrum, niksen more specifically involves "doing something without a purpose, like staring out the window, hanging out, or listening to music."

Sure, it sounds simple enough, but try getting a New Yorker to embrace the art of sitting still for a while, putting their phone down, and letting the thought of emails escape their mind. Then again, if the mere daydream of that starts raising your blood pressure, you probably need a break from the hustle more than ever.

If anything, it's definitely a great excuse to skip the gym.

[Photo via @arlohotels]