Productivity and Intentional Free Time
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I mentioned in April that I was trying a new approach to my free time. I actually had very little free time and found that the little time I did have was quickly used up as I’d check emails and social media.
Even the longer breaks at the end of the day weren’t being maximized. I’d be trying to remember what great book I’d heard about and look online for books until I fell asleep in the middle of searching. Or I’d be aimlessly looking for something to watch on Netflix or PBS.org or Amazon Prime movies (we’ve mostly unplugged, so channel surfing doesn’t really happen anymore, but it’s still a long browsing process).
After reading a post by Emily Tjaden called “4 Reasons to Be Intentional With Your Free Time,” I decided to be more thoughtful about my approach to free time. Whenever heard about an interesting title, I’d either buy/download it then, or I’d add it to my wish list on my account at the local library.
I discovered that each month, sites like Digital Trends, Slate, and Vox list the best streaming movies for that month. I’d scroll through, find films that sounded interesting, and add them to my watchlists on Netflix and Amazon (even PBS offers a watchlist now). There’s also a site called Documentary Addict that is, indeed, proving addictive.
For the past few months, I’ve found that I’ve felt a lot more relaxed in my downtime. Checking email and social media just isn’t something restful for me.
What’s more, having more relaxing downtime has resulted in less overall stress. It’s not that my stress is completely eliminated, only that it’s not overwhelming for me.
How has less stress impacted my productivity? I’ve been a lot more focused and have written more and faster. My 21st book is finished early and is with my editor.
Is it easy for you to immediately relax during downtime?
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