And the idea of doing nothing seems to be catching on. You may have noticed a recent surge in books about “Niksen,” the Dutch word for “intentionally doing nothing.” Olga Mecking’s book Niksen clearly resonated with readers when it was published during the pandemic, and many more have been published since, many of them of the “little hygge book” variety. We seem to love adopting easy-to-follow lifestyle advice from the Nordic countries.
The word “rest” itself has become something of a buzzword. Yoga teacher Octavia Raheem’s 2022 book, Pause, Rest, Be, helps readers slow down and reflect during times of big change or uncertainty. Rather than seeing yoga as a way to sweat out those Instagram-worthy toned abs, it emphasizes what the practice can teach us about self-awareness, peace, and stillness.
Claudia Hammond’s The Art of Rest is also practical, with each chapter highlighting the 10 most relaxing activities identified in a global study and the importance of intentional relaxation: taking a bath, reading, spending time in nature. “Rest is not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” Hammond writes. Meanwhile, Catherine May’s Wintering, subtitled “The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times,” is a lyrical tale of an author learning to embrace the seasonality of life: fallow periods when we need to step back and nurture ourselves, rather than forcing ourselves through it. “Slowing down, having more leisure, getting enough sleep… resting is key.” [is considered] “It’s a radical thing to do right now, but it’s essential,” she wrote.
Certainly, some advocate doing nothing as a means to an end. Alex Soojung Kim Pan’s book “Rest” is subtitled “Why Working Less Leads to More Results” and positions overwork as a productivity issue rather than an existential one. But it may be worth noting that this book was published in 2016, when the value of relaxing in order to get more done still had to be emphasized. Today, we are more likely to advocate taking time off for our mental health, psychological well-being, a sense of work-life balance, and even just for fun.
Not all of these books are the same. Frankly, there are whole other worlds between O’Dell’s radical but often academic theoretical developments (clearly anti-capitalist, and liberal in its use of terms like “phenomenology”) and feel-good, pastel-colored books that encourage you to take a bath and play with crayons. But this is impressive in itself. Situating itself somewhere between TikTok trends, highbrow essay writing, and easily digestible self-help books, surely there must be something going on.
Radical rest
So why has there been such a shift in the Western world from hustle culture, lean-in and girlboss to quiet quitting work, radical rest and slow living? The reason is simple. We all: So tired.
That’s Gannon’s theory, anyway. “Everybody’s really tired. We’re all struggling in some way to keep the ball in the air,” she told the BBC. “We’ve got bodies and minds that need looking after, but I don’t think that’s the case. [that]Really.”
Technology is a big factor. Just because you can now reply to emails on your phone doesn’t mean you’re more efficient. Made us work harderSocial media has led us to document every aspect of our lives, mine content from it, and continually strive to strengthen our personal brands. The rise of tracking appsturns leisure activities, exercise, and even the most basic necessities of life like food and sleep into data that can be compared and improved. You can track your sleep, record your breakfast, time your runs, record the movies you watch, monitor your menstrual cycle, and more.
