Plagued—as we are!—by nonstop pings and notifications, we’ve lost the knack of zoning out. Kicking back. Being bored.

We fill our days with work, Netflix, and doomscrolling. We rarely let ourselves just be: staring out a window, lying on the grass, closing our eyes, listening to music. How can we reclaim our free time to truly rest and reset?The Dutch have it figured out: with niksen.

Perhaps their best-kept lifestyle secret, niksen is the art of doing, well, nothing. It’s the opposite of productivity. It’s the sunny side of boredom.

And it’s incredibly good for your . . .

MIND—it makes you calmer. BODY—it offers rest on hectic days. CREATIVITY—it clears a space for brilliant ideas.

WALLET—it’s free!If you’re waiting for an invitation to go lie down in the sunshine, this book is it. Publisher’s note: How to Be Bored was previously published under the title The Lost Art of Doing Nothing.