Thoughts: Societies discrimination agains spare time

The glorification of ‘busy’ and discrimination of those with time.

Learning to slow down and be okay with having spare time is something that I’ve always struggled with. To me, if I’m not moving forward, I’m going backwards. I have an overly busy mind which likes to be occupied so I’m used to juggling lots of things at once – in this way I almost feel bad if I have spare time, and usually try to occupy it with some kind of activity.

Since leaving my job and having absolutely no plan of what to do next, I’ve been rethinking my stance on being occupied. So often people have asked me what I’m doing, and I’ve found myself fumbling with my words and feeling BAD for not having anything to say; so bad that I almost feel I have to invent activities which have been taking up my time… Why do I feel the need to do this – because if you give the simple and truthful answer ‘nothing’, you get the most unusual, confused, and almost sympathetic yet degrading responses from almost everyone.

I don’t fully believe in the ‘glorification of busy’ as busy is now the norm, I’ve definitely noticed the way people look down on you if you have ‘spare time’.

It’s a common perception that only bums without jobs who are on the benefit have ‘spare time’ in today’s fast paced world, so in saying I’m not doing anything I’m classed as a ‘bum’. Which is great! It means I have time to think, breathe, create, imagine, and catch up on life.

Having time means I can think deeper and more purposefully about my life, where I want it to go, and what I believe in rather than focusing solely on the jobs and tasks which occupy my day. It means that when I do go to do a task, I can put my whole, refreshed self into the job and get it done properly rather than half-assed because I have somewhere to be or am tired from all the things I’ve just done.

Having an abundance of time means I can re-evaluate what I WANT to spend my time on, rather than filling it with activities which don’t necessarily give me much benefit.

In my mind, having time when you need it shouldn’t be a luxury and certainly shouldn’t be looked down on. If you need time to re-set and re-evaluate, you will make it happen and I promise it will be hugely beneficial.

I know that I won’t always have as much spare time as I have now, but I’ll always work ‘nothingness time’ into my schedule, as contrary to expectations, nothingness time means I’m far more creative, productive, and happy.