The decline of leisure
Though we work for less hours as compared to our ancestors, we still spend less time enjoying leisure than them. What has eaten up our time ? Using phone ? Or our unending thrive to productivity where we try to 'maximise' leisure time by learning some skills ? Leisure isn't a means to some other end, I think it is the end ! We need to start seeing leisure as not a tool to recharge to be able to work better, but to just enjoy. The old story of a king and cattle farmer about work more so that you earn more so that you relax later, while the farmer is anyway relaxing is more relevant than ever. Thoughts by the productivity geeks ?
TBH we work as much or more than them 1800s were 10 hours a day. Mid 1900s it has flatlined at 8 hours a day. many of us still work 10 hours a day 🫠
But I agree. There is time, but it gets captured by: brands, apps, things that society asks you to do, that you don't really need to do
Also, it's not mindfully enjoying your leisure time. Choosing to be not focused, instead of having a very focused nap time in the afternoon on a Sunday 😊
I don't think we are able to detach from work anymore. Whether it is for the day, over the weekend or on vacation, work related thoughts constantly occupy some
amount of space in your mind.
Where's the scope to rest your mind? Assuming you are even able to disregard the presence of social media and/or access to the world at your fingertips.
People earn money to enjoy leisure like going on foreign trips and still not happy. People have forgotten real leisure is slow mornings, time with family and friends, time for ourselves, time to explore our soul, regular exercise, having home cooked food and peaceful sleep
Although on paper we work equally or less than our ancestors, but in contrary we are more drained mentally. There is a constant pressure to achieve deadline, constant pressure to survive in the market and you can only do that if u have more skills than your competitors, Although official time is less but the constant struggle of leaning and achieving new things have caused widespread unhappiness. I believe we should stop glorifying hustle culture and give more value to work life balance .
Couldn’t agree more. Ancestors did a lot of physical work but modern work is mostly sedentary mental work that puts a tremendous amount of pressure on your little head
Our Ancestors would not work after sunset... Darkness was a show stopper.. Good for them. our work is only half done by Sunset and we work till midnight.
I feel people have lost interest in living. It's like now we have to survive so we have to earn in a loop . That too people with loans are even more affected . Idk about people who have already attained financial independence.
Mom is right its the goddamn mobile phones !!
I totally agree with you !! Am utilising the leisure time to learn something to work better . The only reward you get for doing good work is more work . And on top of that you are being analysed on team bonding parameters . I choose to not indulge in gossip. What wrong am I doing here ??
I can relate with you!!
I too struggle in doing anything relaxed for leisure
Maybe because the definition of leisure has changed over a period of time.
In the past, leisure was simple - time spent relaxing, socializing, or engaging in random activities. People would get together, enjoy meals, or take walks without any pressure to be productive.
Today, leisure has become intertwined with the idea of show off and compulsory entertainment. We often focuses on recording/capturing our experiences for social media, turning genuine enjoyment into a performance. Compulsory entertainment makes us engage in activities just because they’re trending, rather than what truly interests us.
We need to reclaim leisure as a space for authentic experiences, free from the need for validation or achievement.
Very very relevant question!
Short answer: Society has conditioned you in a state where your work is your identity. Combined with the dopamine hit of wealth and fame, you forgot to create other dimensions of your being outside work.
Long answer: above depends on much more nuances like your family background, wealth you were born into, your parents' economic trauma, your childhood trauma, India as a society.
Tremendous unlearning required to find your personal sweet spot between a saint and a hedonist. Society is continually becoming more capitalistic. No space for leisure in profit chasing corporate orgasms. You figure out how much you want to participate but it has appropriate trade-offs.
