Niksen at Our Florida Waterways FLORIDA WATERWAYS

In looking back at some old photographs, I found one of me from 1964. I was sitting next to a Turkish stream either fishing or practicing “niksen”: the art of doing nothing. I discovered that the Dutch have the term “niksen” in their language and that at least one whole book has been written about the subject.

By Kevin McCarthy

“Niksen” means just sitting still, for example by a stream, and letting our mind wander wherever it wants to go. Not planning our day or thinking great thoughts or even thinking about the past. Just reveling in the moment. And then I thought of all the places next to Florida waterways where I could practice “niksen”: the Suwannee River, Newnan’s Lake, offshore islands, remote swamps.

It’s not so much laziness or the opposite of being very productive. It’s just staring out the window or watching a river rush by or sitting quietly in a boat or watching the sunset at Cedar Key. It’s not practicing “niksen” all day, every day, but just occasionally. Scientists who study the phenomenon, in fact, say that they can see a correlation between relaxation and happiness and even productivity.

I have found some great places in North Florida to practice the art of doing nothing: the benches on the boardwalk at Hart Springs along the Suwannee, the beach at Cedar Key, even the swamps near our rivers. You can even practice “niksen” while mindlessly gardening or washing the dishes, just not thinking about the task at hand.

Some researchers tell us that “niksen” can help us come up with new ideas, that the mind at ease sometimes solves pending problems or makes us more creative when we are on a solitary walk or even daydreaming. Some friends tell me that they have been able to solve problems when they are sound asleep, that our mind at rest is still working. Research, in fact, says that there is a direct correlation between doing nothing and happiness and productivity. Think of all the painters, musicians, creative writers, even bosses who come up with new, unexpected ideas while supposedly daydreaming.

So, the next time someone reprimands you for “doing nothing,” just tell them that you are practicing “niksen.” Just don’t do it all day or during an important meeting or during dinner with your significant other.

Kevin McCarthy, the author of North Florida Waterways (2013 - available at amazon.com), can be reached at ceyhankevin@gmail.com.