“I wish *I* had free time!”
I can’t count how many times a friend or coworker has said this to me. It’s usually their response to my response to their question: What did you do this weekend? I flip through my photo feed to find a photo of my latest crafty creation. But where do I get the time? Like my friends, I’m also binge-watching an entire season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Unbreakable!), but I’m also doodling or sewing or making a notebook or designing notecards or crocheting a hat or sewing a catnip carrot. The idea of sitting idly while watching television does not work for me. You might think I’m not capable of relaxing, but I’d say this is exactly how I relax.
Last week I read an article in Business Insider by Shana Lebowitz, who, in an effort to be more “like Warren Buffett and Marissa Meyer,” tries a series of four hobbies over four weeks. She undertakes this challenge not to enjoy herself, but “to be less boring.” She quotes a life coach, a psychologist, and a time management expert, who all agree on the benefits of having outside interests. Lebowitz tries coloring (“I was delighted.”), letter writing (which results in her reconnecting in real life with an old friend), meditation (which she undertakes with a competitive spirit) and cooking and baking (which her coworkers definitely appreciate). When she’s done, she doesn’t really seem too convinced on the benefits of hobbies; she concludes: “I don’t think you need a hobby to be interesting — but I suspect you need a hobby to feel interesting.” Hmph.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American has roughly 5 hours of leisure time per day, and spends about half of that watching TV. The other two and half hours involved socializing, computer use, reading, sports, and “relaxing and thinking.”
So here’s my challenge: try doing something creative during your TV time. Doodle, color, take up knitting. If your hands are busy making things, it’s harder to grab for those Doritos. It’s a win-win.
this gruntled worker 