Tag: health

Leisure vs. Obligation

“I don’t have time for that.”

I’ve heard this time and again.

It’s cop out, an excuse — and a bold-faced lie.

Truth be told, we generally do indeed have time to satisfy more requests, to add obligations. But we’d rather not, so we make ourselves believe we don’t.

Why do we play this Jedi Mind Trick on ourselves? It all circles back to a misguided perception — one stating that mixing in leisure time with our daily obligations is important for maintaining good health.

Newsflash: It’s not.

***

If we put our minds to it, we could all be more productive. We could do more to expand our knowledge, serve our community, maintain our fitness and build our career. After all, there are 168 hours in a week — and 72 of those remain after you deduct 7 full nights’ sleep and 5 full days of work.

But filling those hours with productive activities is tedious. It’s mundane. It’s not fun.

So we fill much of that time with leisure instead — we watch TV shows, go out to dinner or drop a pretty penny at the mall.

At first, this might not seem so bad. But leisure is like a gateway drug — it sucks you in and clouds your perception of reality. Over time, we find ourselves devoting more and more of our time and money to leisure — and then rationalizing our increasingly reckless behavior by saying it’s necessary for our own well-being.

It’s not how the world works. It’s how we want it to work.

***

The sad reality is that our enthrallment with leisure is actually detrimental to our well-being. Leisure serves both as a mindless distraction and an enabler. It dulls our mental acuity and laughs in the face of responsibility. Worst of all, leisure creates a culture where we’re allowed to spin the narrative without reproach by generating endless excuses in its defense.

Ultimately, leisure serves as a tantalizing roadblock — one that prevents us from reaching our full potential. Its presence also robs the community around us — as it limits the amount of energy we can expend on making the world a better place.

Such a debilitating cycle, all starting with “a little fun.”

***

It’s time to stop the madness.

Let’s claim back our lives, and prevent leisure from running amok. We can do this by treating our leisure time like an obligation — planning for it and fitting it into a finite window — and by continually asking ourselves the tough question: “Is this activity going to make me more productive?”

The way we spend our time matters. It’s high time we regain control over it.

An Exercise in Improvement

Exercise is one of the things I’m most passionate about.

I believe it’s important to devote oneself to it. That’s a key reason why I’ve worked out at least twice a week for the past three years.

Hitting the weight room. Working up a sweat on the treadmill. Walking for miles around the neighborhood on a sunny day — these are all irreplaceable components of my week, no matter if it’s January or July.

Vacations? Holidays? I’ll alter my workout schedule around them to make sure I stay in shape.

Exercise is that crucial to me. And I believe it should be to everyone.

Now, I’m aware of the that this statement might ruffle some feathers. Say the word “gym,” and images of testosterone-laden jocks come to mind. Or maybe the stigmas of appearance and body shaming that poison our society. These are not appealing mental images, and they shoo away people from a workout routine more effectively than garlic deters vampires.

But those are not the reasons why working out is a worthwhile endeavor. For the true benefits of exercise can be found on the inside.

There’s the physical side of things — getting your heart rate up, getting the blood flowing. I’m no doctor, but I know these processes can certainly be beneficial in the long run.

But just as important is the mental side of things. The commitment to a routine. The discipline and focus you must exhibit as a workout warrior. And the immense satisfaction upon completing what you set out to do.

Exercise provides a scenario where you’re in in control of your own improvement. But it provides so much more than that.

  • It provides an outlet. A productive opportunity to unload the mental pressures of stress, and to rectify the detrimental effects of sitting at a desk for hours on end.
  • It provides a rhythm. A pattern of coordinated motions that keeps your body and mind in sync.
  • It provides solace. An escape, a break — no matter what curveballs life throws your way, you can forget about it while working up a sweat.

These are benefits we need. Benefits we deserve.

I know this as well as anyone.

In the time since I started working out regularly, I’ve felt healthier than ever. But this feeling hasn’t come from how many miles I’ve run, or how much I’ve lifted. No, that rejuvenated feeling I carry with me has come from a renewed sense of balance. When times have been good, I have my workout to keep me grounded. When the road has been rough — such as the period after I was laid off of my previous job — exercise has served as a necessary distraction.

In fact, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that I wouldn’t be who I am today without exercise.

So ignore the old standby about exercise being for a six-pack, or to fit into a certain size of jeans. Working out should be about the attributes we strive for — discipline, commitment, perseverance — and less about superficial distractions.

So get out there and get active. Your mind, body and soul stand to benefit.