Leisure Overrated or Underrated
How would you feel if I tell you, you’re losing your soul if you are losing your leisure time?
Situationist international propose that leisure does not evolve from free time, and free time is an illusory concept that is rarely fully ‘free’; economic and social forces appropriate free time from the individual and sell it back to them as the commodity known as “leisure”. Leisure as
experience usually emphasizes dimensions of perceived freedom and choice. It is done for “its own sake”, for the quality of experience and involvement.
Most of us yearn for free time. Time to lean back, relax and do absolutely nothing. Sounds like
paradise, right? Well… maybe. The thing is that when we have lots of leisure time, imagine a
vacation, we often do less with our time. Sometimes this is a good thing. If you have a busy work or home life, you may need every minute of free time you can get. Too much free time can be a motivation killer. Let’s assume you are laid off from work and you have all day to yourself, you believe you may be super productive, no stressful boss looking over your shoulder, plenty of
time to get things done etc. But the truth is, too much free time can lead to procrastination.
One reason free time is so easy to misuse is that it seems endless. Most weekends are like this.
Sometimes we are constantly structured in our daily routine; get up, get ready for work, come
home, eat dinner and clean and go to bed. The weekend is then like a free-for-all. Wake up
whenever, have a leisurely breakfast, do whatever you want to do and by the time you realize,
time’s already passed.
Free time is important to our health in all three aspects: social, mental, and physical. Socially, it
is important because it offers you time with friends and family. In this way, you gain
opportunities to grow closer to the people that are important in your life. Workaholics, for
example, do not have much free time and it has often been observed that their families suffer or
fall apart. Being close with loved ones is important because they are the ones that support
you during hard times. Free time is important mentally because it offers the mind a chance to
relax and refresh itself after working for a longer period of time. The same goes for the body and
thus it belongs to the physical benefits of free time.
Taking breaks as students during hectic study schedules is very ideal. Based on short conversations with students, it has come to light that most students have
been drained physically, emotionally and psychologically. As a result of this observation, when
people are studying or working hard, then it is highly recommended for breaks in between to
relieve the mind and body of the strain. It is often recommended to do something completely
different from the previous activity. This often refreshes the mind so that it can work again.
Without free time, the world could become a place populated by a lot of harried and stressed-out people with no friends.
Business Journal Board
2021/2022