Today I took a vacation. With everything happening in the world, I felt like I would benefit from it. And it worked. I felt more relaxed and ready to work towards my goals.
It wasn’t a typical vacation.
I couldn’t exactly go out to some exotic location, or even to the movies. And more importantly, I was still working from home. I didn’t even take a day off of work (I’m currently working from home). Instead, I took a vacation from entertainment.
If that sounds odd, then let me tell you, it felt odd. Life felt like it had been about cramming in more and more entertainment. Every time I had spare time, I grasped for one of my favored activities. I didn’t let a single moment go unclaimed. And that had left me tired and strained. I’d made life about cramming in more books, more movies, more outings.
I didn’t give myself a chance to relax. Funnily enough, trying to fill my time with entertainment was actually more stressful than my job. I tried to make myself happy through consuming media. And if I wasn’t happy? Consume more media! That fed on itself until it ate every spare minute.
But it didn’t make me happy. It was taking all of my time on some days. So I couldn’t watch any more shows. Aha! So I needed to watch better movies, or read better books. I tried that a few times.
And came up short. The movies were not the problem. I was expecting too much from entertainment. I couldn’t build a life around it. And that’s what I was trying to do.
So what did I do instead?
I worked. On my job. Towards my goals. I took care of myself, and my apartment. Spent time relaxing or taking a walk. Talked with others.
But the real change wasn’t about what I did. Instead it was about how I did it. I didn’t cram in my mundane task. Instead I was present. I allowed myself to experience everything that I did in its entirety.
In short, I dropped that constant nagging to do something else. That my life needed to be happier, or more fulfilling. And that what I was currently doing could not possibly get me there. Or even if it could, that would be far too slow.
So what about you?
Is there anything you are constantly telling yourself that prevents you from experiencing what life has to offer? How often do you slow down and be present in the things that you do?