You've been craving a quiet evening with your new puzzle. But last night you had a work event. The night before that you watched the neighbor kids. And tonight is the homeowners association meeting. So the puzzle continues to wait — and stress continues to build.
It's common for people to get busy and put aside activities they like to do in favor of things they need to do. But leisure activities are an important part of living a balanced life, says Rachel Fuhrmeister, C.T.R.S., a recreation therapist at Mayo Clinic.
A balanced life includes some productive work, some leisure activities and self-care. And while work can be fulfilling, it's often the things people do outside of work that are refreshing.
Sometimes people are waiting for their moods to improve or their lives to become less hectic to get back into leisure activities, Fuhrmeister says. But instead of waiting for your mood to change, you might find that taking time for recreation can change your mood.
Fuhrmeister offers these tips for using leisure to live a more balanced life.
Make leisure part of your day
Fuhrmeister recommends spending some time each day engaged in leisure activities. Skipping enjoyable downtime can lead to a bad mood or low energy. Taking a break for recreation might even make it easier to finish work or other tasks.
"By making sure we take time for leisure, we can actually be more productive," says Fuhrmeister. "Giving yourself this downtime can increase your energy and the focus or motivation to get back to some of those productive things," she adds.
Making recreation activities part of your daily life also could:
- Reduce the frequency of smoking and alcohol use.
- Help you cope with stressful situations.
- Improve self-esteem and life satisfaction.
- Reduce signs of depression.
Choose your activity
There's no one "right" leisure activity to reap these health benefits. Choose an activity that feels good to you.
Someone looking for stress relief might prefer a relaxing activity over a potentially frustrating one like putting together a model airplane. An introvert might prefer woodworking over playing basketball with a group.
The recreation therapy team at Mayo Clinic recommends hands-on, nonscreen activities, like:
- Painting.
- Fishing.
- Playing games.
- Cooking.
- Knitting.
- Woodworking.
Make it intentional
Recreation therapy is more than simply doing an activity you want to do — though there's nothing wrong with that. But to make the activity more meaningful, recreation therapy acknowledges the intention behind it.
"You could say, 'I'm going to do this activity because it provides relaxation or it provides physical activity or connection,' " Fuhrmeister says. "Realizing what it provides for you can give it more meaning and purpose."
Your intentions may include:
- Finding relaxation.
- Reducing stress.
- Improving mood.
- Socializing.
Take a minute to reflect
After your activity, take a moment to reflect. Did your leisure time make you feel more relaxed or energized? Did it help you release stress and tension or feelings of irritability or frustration? It's OK if it didn't. That's just information you can use to choose an activity that might be a better fit next time.
After all, a high quality of life should include the activities you love. Board game night, anyone?