Relaxing is NOT a waste of time
The world is not perfect. And relaxing is NOT a waste of time.
At times I feel pressured to constantly be working towards a goal. But at the end of the day, once I am home from work, I have gone to the gym, the family is in bed, my classes are caught up, and I have done what I needed to do in preparation the next day, I should be able to relax. And most of the time I do! I will play PC games for a little bit, journal, watch a hockey game, read, or write a blog post.
But sometimes I feel guilty.
Sometimes I feel as if I havenât done enough that day in some slice of my life. Maybe I could have done more. Maybe I could have run 1 more mile, spent more time with my family, done more around the house, or tried harder at work.
Then I tell myself itâs okay.
Now look, goals are important. However, if I am always looking forward to what I am trying to achieve, how am I supposed to appreciate what I have already achieved? I am not here to say anyoneâs way of living is wrong. I donât care how you live. It has no impact on me at all.
Sometimes, itâs okay for relaxing to be the only goal. The guilt doesnât have to rise up every time I feel excited to âdo nothing.â Because relaxing is not nothing. Relaxing is important.
And when relaxing, donât try to perfect your environment. Did you just sit down and turn on your favorite show, or sport, or grab the book you havenât picked up in two weeks, but notice crumbs on the floor and suddenly you feel you cannot relax? It is okay. The world is not perfect, and relaxing is NOT a waste of time. You donât have to perfect your life before you relax, because even when you try, it will be far from perfect.
The line of when to work vs. play will change from person to person. It changed in me with time alone. Just like most people, I was a completely different person 10 years ago. But I was blowing off responsibilities and seeking ONLY play. I was mediocre at best. Then I swung the pendulum, probably too far the other way, and lived that way for a few more years.
But now, when I reflect on who I want to be, and the example I want to set for my family, I see that a middle ground is what I want to emulate. Sure, living in the middle ground probably doesnât make you a professional athlete, distinguished writer, or heavily influential member of society. But it makes me happy. It makes me productive, long term. And it makes me satisfied.
I can be influential in my social circle. In my family, coworkers, and friends. Thatâs why we're all here on BearBlog isnât it? If our goal was to reach and influence as many people as possible, wouldnât we all just be on more popular blogging platforms? We are here because we understand the importance of reaching the few vs. reaching the many. And if my âmiddle groundâ lifestyle only reaches the few, but helps show them how to be happy, then that is enough for me.
Relaxing CAN be the activity. I donât have to feel guilty for it, and I donât have to fight it. Because I trust that I am strong and wise enough to know when I have done enough. I trust in myself to push when I need to and know when to let off and relax.
Because relaxing is NOT a waste of time.