Expanding on ‘free time only works if you steal it’
We often think of free time as something to be desired, we all want free time! That means we get to relax right? Well not alwaysā¦ During the covid pandemic people have had more time on their hands than they know what to do with. Without having to commute to work, go shopping or going out with family and friends we are left with a lot of spare time on our hands, but all that free time hasnāt given people the opportunity to relax and take a breather from the stress of work or school. In fact during the pandemic stress and depression levels have skyrocketed. So why arenāt we able to relax in this forced time of āleisureā? There are some obvious reasons: we are in a global pandemic and have a lot of social injustice and unrest, which can certainly lead to many unwelcome feelings of stress. However I think one of the main reasons why we find difficulty relaxing during our free time is because we feel an obligation to do something useful and productive with this excess time, Such as; learn a new instrument, clean out your closet or workout to name a few. So I began to wonder do we really have free time? A time where we are not expected to do anything by anyone including oneself. Or isĀ āfree timeā simply time wasted?
This questionĀ made me think a lot about the term “free timeāand the many definitions we attach to it. Some say free time is simply time not in school or at work in other words time spent on hobbies, side hustles, or time with your family and friends. In this case free time is not time wasted because it is spent on people or activities that you enjoy and find passion in. Some might think of free time as a chance to sit down and watch a Netflix or scroll through Instagram. In this case, people (myself included) often feel they have wasted their free time. Personally I believe that the best way to explain free time is; simply time for which you have nothing planned, and it is up to you how effectively you use it. Ā
So why do we have to āstealā free time?Ā To tackle this concept I thought about how I usually spend my free time. Unfortunately I found that a sizeable chunk of my free time is spent on Netflix, Youtube, or Instagram. However when I binge a few episodes of my favourite tv show I often donāt feel relaxed afterwards instead I find Iāve wasted time. I think this is where the idea of stealing time comes into play. In order to have free time we need take steal time away from other aspects of our lives. We have to steal time away from other aspects of our lives (like netflix or social media ) and redirect that time into something more useful. Personally Iām always looking to fill my free time with an experience, or by taking part in one of my passions. When I find myself without work or plans, I will go rock climbing, or slacklining or play music. I think this is my way of trying to steal free time, however I wouldnāt use the word āstealingā.Ā Time is a gift and it is up to us how we use it, you can spend it staring at a youtube screen and scrolling through instagram or by going on a walk, learning a new art form, or spending time with loved ones. When I don’t pursue my passions with my free time I will often fall victim to social media and youtube rabbit holes that leave me feeling like I’ve wasted time and energy. The idea of āStealingā implies that we are taking the time from somewhere or someone else, but everyone around the world is gifted the same amount of time in a day. Everyday we have 24 hours to do with as we please, itās up to you whether you waste it or develop life long skills, and create life long memories.
Ted Talk on effectively using free time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3kNlFMXslo&t=524s
Article on the benefits and harms of āfree timeā
https://www.ubyssey.ca/opinion/mind-your-mind-how-to-make-having-too-much-free-time-constructive/
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