Mentally and physically, leisure time offers many benefits. However, as much as 30 percent of the population, according to the BBC, believe time off is wasteful and unproductive.
In fact, one study revealed that American workers forfeited more than 662 million vacation days as of 2017. A 2020 study revealed though that a mindset opposed to leisure has a negative effect on one’s happiness.
Finding enjoyment amid life’s to-dos can contribute to an overall improved sense of well-being. Here are some ways to practice enjoying your leisure time:
Release the guilt and give yourself a practical excuse to relax. Everyone needs to take time to refuel in order to take on more later. It may help you relax by considering the health or productivity benefits of an overdue vacation.
Consider practicing mindfulness. Experts say it expands your perception of time and enhances memory, allowing you to savor and remember your leisure time better.
Plan a couple of smaller getaways rather than one grand vacation. Just a day or so might be long enough for you to leave your to-do list and feel refreshed. Or on longer vacations, allow for a short window of daily productivity to avoid anxiety due to unplugging completely.
The holiday season is a great place to test this theory out for yourself.
