Unpackers,
Today, as we approach a period when some are fortunate to take time off, we’re talking about free time.
Emily here. Something I think about a lot is this: How can and should we be using our free time to reach a sort of “equilibrium,” or the contentment that comes with being rested and fulfilled all at once?
It helps to consider that free time takes different shapes and sizes. There’s the slivers of time before, during and after a work day (coffee breaks), recurring days off (weekends), and longer and uninterrupted stretches (vacations). Each of these blocks has a distinct personality.
The snaps of free time before, during and after a work day can feel like a game of 52 pick-up. It’s a messy combination of the routine things we do (letting out the dog, ironing clothes, cooking dinner) and the moments we have to ourselves in between.
Weekends or days off are the wild card. Sometimes they’re restful, sometimes they’re fun, or exhausting, or a mix. Weekends exist in the arena of our day-to-day lives, when we balance time for ourselves with time for our family, friends and chores.
Vacations are the trump cards (trying to reclaim that word) that say, “This time is MINE!” In an ideal world, you get to choose the flavor: a staycation, laying on a beach for “rest and recovery,” or an ambitious road trip for maximized adventure.
To me, these time blocks work best when we think of them as interconnected. When it’s a busier week and my day-to-day windows are fully booked, weekends become times for recharging. If it’s a super fun, adventurous weekend, I need to lay low the next few days.
I think it’s all about being honest about the give and take of how we use our snaps, our wild cards and our trump cards. To reach “equilibrium” requires both developing an understanding of what you want and need, and then using the needs-stating muscle to implement it.
Carrie, how do you think about free time right now?
Carrie: Hmmm…There’s definitely an emphasis on how to use free time well, with a flavor of optimization that might be worth reframing, come to think of it. For my upcoming vacation, I’m trying to preserve a vast expanse of unknown in my Google Calendar. In my mind, it’s like a blanket of quiet snow. So pretty to look at! Then I’m hoping to safeguard the time against humdrum to-do tasks and instead challenge my imagination to do something unique.
Water Cooler Convo
Emily: Carrie, this time last year you gave us an amazing COVID-winter activity idea: hot chocolate, xmas music, driving around at night looking at lights. So I have to ask, what’s your festive activity of choice this year?
Carrie: TBD, Emily! Stay tuned for next week’s newsletter. Relatedly, I am curious: Does anyone still go caroling?
Carrie: Any chance you saw this advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General regarding children and adolescents’ mental health? It strikes me that we’re in need of some new policies, norms and processes for caring for young people today. As a young parent, I’m here for all the ideas.
Emily: I hadn’t seen this, but appreciate their first recommendation: “Recognize that mental health is an essential part of overall health.”
Emily: Yesterday I learned how to play music in Zoom meetings, and I need to share in case you’re ever on the market to spruce up your Zooms. Screen Share → Advanced → Computer Audio. Then hit “play” on your Spotify and voila.
Carrie: Thanks for this pro tip, ER! I love the idea of jamming to holiday music during my remaining work meetings of 2021.
Friends, before we bid you adieu, a question: Do you have any great holiday gift ideas that are eco-friendly, useful, all the things? Please send us a note and let us know!
May your weekend be the perfect mix of rest and flurry,
Your pals,
Carrie and Emily