Leisure is one of those things that often gets dismissed in our day-to-day life. In between engaging in chores to attending work to raising children, we often lose touch with the things that once brought us internal joy. We start to compromise with our self-care routines to tackle our responsibilities which can create a distance between the true self (the things we truly value) and the self that wants to achieve, meet goals, live up to own expectations and tend to responsibilities. In this fast-paced world, the pressure to get somewhere fast is all time high, and usually comes with a cost. The cost of true happiness where the desire to enhance career and finances increases and the love for self, decreases.
I believe that it is not feasible to live in the world where we must practice one or the other. I believe that leisure and life’s commitments and responsibilities can all have a seat at the table if they are in balance. Balance, although takes work to achieve, promotes an overall wellbeing in all areas of our life where we can become self-aware and connect with our true selves without pressure from the outside world.
When it comes to leisure, it is important to reflect on what meaning it brings to your life and how it could potentially promote better health and mental health outcomes which in turn, can promote internal joy and happiness. Leisure is defined as an activity one is engaged in that is outside of their daily commitments. It is also an activity(s) that brings one just the perfect amount of challenge to enhance skillset where one is also able to lose in touch of time. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes this state as the state of flow (Oppland, 2016).
This state can really help us connect with the activities that once were a vital part of our livelihood and immerse ourselves in it enough that we are able to give ourselves the time to really be present with our true self, engage in reflection, and perfect the skill that we find joy in.
So, whether its hiking, reading, painting, or powerlifting, remember to connect with the meaning that it brings to your life and make it engaging to your skill set. Remember to create a healthy balance in your life space so that you can show up for yourself in a grounding way, connecting with your internal happiness.
Reference
Oppland, M. (2016, Dec 2016). 8 Traits of Flow According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/.