use your time off wisely

We work hard and fulfill our important obligations day in and day out. And yes, it’s important we take vacations as well, we deserve them after all. We definitely need time for some R&R. But we also have to make sure that we make the most of our time off too. 

Going on a vacation does not mean that we become completely passive and spend our time either binge-watching Netflix shows and movies, or frantically run from one tourist spot to another crossing them off from our checklist. We need to become active in our time off as well — by soaking in new sights and sounds, by going through deep enriched experiences, by understanding the ways of the world, by becoming curious about our origins (here’s a suggestion to get started) and by becoming conscious overall.

Whether you are hopping a plane to go visit an exotic place, heading to a beach or a campsite, or simply lounging around your home, make sure you have access to a book or an audiobook to feed your mind. Stay away from being stagnant even in your time off. 

We need breaks that are stimulating and worthwhile. Sitting around and doing nothing, killing time at a shopping mall, watching television or playing video games for endless hours — these things don’t enrich our life. Living like this is not freedom, it’s quite the opposite.

Taking time off from our work does not mean we need to take time off from learning and self-education as well. Use your vacation as an opportunity to enhance your knowledge and wisdom. Let go of the distractions and read or listen to books (the ones that inform, educate or enlighten you, not the silly ones). Visit museums, watch documentaries, learn a new language, sign up for an online course or take a class. Use your time off wisely by educating yourself, and you may just take your life to a whole new level. As Seneca pointed out, “Leisure without study is death–a tomb for the living person.”