Health
The Importance of Scheduling Leisure in a Busy World
You might have friends or lecturers who never miss a chance to hit you with a bombastic side-eye, suggesting you should invest your tuition fees and start a business instead of chasing a degree that seems to be slipping away!
Or maybe you’re feeling the heat from friends who’ve snagged dream jobs, married sexy partners, and drive Rovers. At the same time, you’re still unemployed, everlastingly single and searching, CEO of WALKswagen and FEETsubishi Industries, and the reverse-calling culprit you never wished to be!
Maybe you’ve fantasized about having that 3 am David Goggins motivation because “they don’t know you, son,” trying to shed those few tummy tires. You’ve even devoted yourself to daily lemon-infused green tea rituals. But surrendering to Mama Brandon’s irresistible cakes, late-night Netflix marathons & ASMR TikToks that crash your sleep schedule—non-negotiable!
And just maybe, you’ve realized that your quest to chase after the ‘more’ has turned you into a burnout ninja with a black belt in anxiety and depression. As a result, you’ve decided enough with this fast-paced life, let me get the most out of my leisure time. As your subconscious, let me say that you might be onto something…
The Role of Scheduled Leisure in Achieving Happiness
Deep down, we realize that our mental health is in shambles. Yet, we spend our days numbing ourselves with the unconscious effort of searching for the ultimate happiness hack. Therefore, I am not here to provide you with any more philosophical, neurological, or spiritual arguments to this existential question, ‘How Do We Become Happy?’
Instead, let’s try to figure out how important scheduling your leisure time would be in helping you achieve this long-sought happiness. How? By resurrecting the compelling insights of a man with an unpronounceable name—behold, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
So, this guy (RIP Top G) and his buddy Reed Larson did a study [1] to uncover the #1 factor contributing to happiness.
Here’s how it went down:
Top G’s Finding
They found among the study participants that “Freely chosen activities and the company of peers raise the level of happiness, while obligatory activities like schoolwork and the condition of solitude lower it.”
That didn’t mean that watching TV was more fulfilling than working. The key point was that people “ascribe ‘happiness’ to their moods when they are in situations of relative freedom,” leading to the insight that “people who study more are generally happier, likely because they realize that by building psychological capital, their range of opportunities and hence their freedom will increase in the future.”
In essence, it’s not the type of activity that dictates happiness but rather “when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”
Benefits of Scheduling Leisure
#1 factor that contributes to happiness = Intentionality In Pursuing Something Meaningful
Leisure isn’t just a luxury; it’s a meaningful & worthwhile necessity. But let’s not flop onto the couch haphazardly. Treat your ‘me’ time like a VIP meeting you want to attend. Lounge like a pro and relish every moment of your chill time. By mastering the art of the chill pill, you’ll unlock:
- Increased productivity: Consider constant brain refreshment as an antidote to burnout.
- Improved Your Mental Health: A mood-enhancing boost that kicks stress to the curb.
- Stronger Relationships: Quality time for social engagements—because even your friends and family need a piece of your awesome.
- Increased Growth & Fulfilment: Dive into hobbies and interests, savour the moment, and watch yourself bloom like a well-watered houseplant.
Stay Tuned
In VibeYetu’s next thrilling installment, get ready for: