Reframing free-time

If you’re anything like me, you’re good at being “on”, but not great at being “off”. If so, you may also be framing free-time as one mode.

If you see free-time as “time which is free”, you may feel like this space should be preserved with no meaningful activities.

Sometimes it’s nice to do nothing.

But sometimes we need to recharge by doing something. And when this happens, I feel conflicted, because shouldn’t this time be free?

I then get caught in a loop. If I’m doing nothing, I feel like I should be doing more. And if I’m doing something, I feel like I should be doing less.

To help with this problem, I’ve found it easier to frame free-time as either “downtime” or “leisure”.

The literal definition of downtime is when a machine is out-of-action or unavailable for use. For humans, it’s a great expression for when we want to be “off” and just enjoy the space that it brings.

By contrast, leisure is the opportunity afforded by free-time to do something. Think of leisure as “productive enjoyment”. It’s where you pursue an activity or an interest, which may not necessarily have an outcome or a reason, but it’s something you enjoy doing simply for the sake of it.

When you reframe free-time, you are giving yourself permission to be fully present in a manner you feel is best for the moment.

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