Working out how to use our leisure time is becoming just as stressful as the time we spent earning it. Those who see productivity as the most important aim in life might end up neglecting their time off. As a result, they are not able to enjoy it. This badly affects their mental health in the process.
They may seem different, work and leisure, but even our choice of clothes, some work and some supposedly different for leisure, makes it difficult to distinguish between the two. You can sometimes decide that your work and wear options and your leisure apparel can come from the same catalogue or shop shelf. For example, take the cotton blouse or the jogging bottoms. Even more apparent, the number of people now working from home may see their dress codes meet at a similar point. This occurs when working or going to the shops.
How To Spend Leisure Time
Working out how to spend leisure time is becoming something to avoid, due to its potential stress, rather than something to embrace. Work-life balance has never been so important. So, how has our perception changed?
Previously, leisure was seen as an active pursuit where opportunities included learning music theory or debating philosophy. This was not deemed easy, but it was definitely gratifying. Compare the opportunity of learning how to make a new dish at home. Now our decision is disproportionately weighted on the side of going out for a meal instead.
Highly educated people see their well-paid jobs as being inherently a responsibility. This must not be sidelined. Their time off is often seen as a chance to recharge their batteries. This section of society is likely to maximise their leisure time, making every hour count. Dare we say that those lower down the pecking order opt for a more relaxed way of spending their leisure time?
It is seen by some that we are trying to maximise our leisure time to an ever-greater extent. Our ability to purchase goods and services is on the increase. It is rising more rapidly than the amount of time available for us to enjoy them. We therefore want the best of the options available. These include the better hotels or the better sites to watch our chosen movies on.
Building An Experiential CV
Chasing these high-ranking options may leave our expectations unmet when the experience is encountered. Consider those who use previously gained knowledge to choose, say, for example, their holiday destinations. Contrast this against those who see a new or unusual adventure as an option for having a new or reframed experience. We see that some are building their ‘experiential CV’.
In the modern era, we are making some choices in creating this ‘experiential CV’. We do this to signal our status and accomplishments. This is particularly true when announcing them on social media.
Positively, we now, in this era of global travel and involvement, have the option to take a picture of ourselves crossing the finish line in a marathon or reaching the top of Machu Picchu, so, from some perspectives, our experiences are becoming more meaningful. In contrast, previously, it could have been seen as just showing off.
