There’s a major difference between leisure time and a life of leisure.  Leisure time is vital for setting up and keeping rhythms and routines of rest and life balance. However, seeking to live a life of leisure is not at all what we should be pursuing.

There are those who think time off or down time is wasted time or a sign of laziness. Many grind themselves into the ground working 50,60,70+ hours a week toward some supposed magical time in the future when they can slow down and enjoy the fruit of their labor. Of course, this path leads to physical and mental exhaustion, stress, poor health, damaged and neglected relationships, and living to work instead of working to live.

For others, the goal is trying to “hit it big”, retire by age 40 or even sooner, so that they can spend the rest of their lives living a life of leisure, in the lap of luxury. Really? Is that the end game, a perpetual vacation devoid of purpose? How mis-guided and wasteful is that. If this is your current trajectory, may I invite you to recalibrate and reconsider?

We live in an increasingly entertainment centered culture. In 2017 Americans spent $56 billion dollars attending professional sporting events. $56 billion dollars sitting in stadiums and sporting venues watching athletes throw, kick, hit or run for baskets, goals, homeruns and touchdowns!

U.S. consumer video game spending totaled $60.4 Billion dollars in 2021. You don’t even want to know the top 20 selling and top grossing mobile games.  In 2021, 75% of Americans spent time playing video games. It is reported the average person spent 16.5 hours per week on gaming consoles, computers or mobile phones. It won’t come as a shock or surprise the amount of time young people are playing video games. What is highly disturbing though is the biggest growth in gaming is with adults ages 45-54.

Add to this, the countless hours spent on social media platforms mindlessly scrolling through various feeds, and I think I’ve made the case that we are an entertainment obsessed culture squandering away huge chunks of time – TikTok, TikTok. Instead of sending your IG followers a picture of your food, why not invite someone over for dinner and spend time cultivating friendships and having real conversations, “face to face – no book”. 

Now don’t get me wrong I like sporting events. I cheer for the Miami Hurricanes – The U (don’t judge me), attended a Carolina hockey game, and have been known on occasion to get totally humiliated playing Mario Kart 8 with my two grandsons.  The issue is not the activity, it’s the amount of time spent on those activities. Leisurely walks in the park, enjoying a day at the beach, gardening, hobbies, a picnic, hiking, playing or learning an instrument, spending time with family and friends, are all examples of leisure time.  Practicing Sabbath rest, down time, simply relaxing and recuperating, replenishing and restoring our bodies, minds, and souls, is essential if you want to achieve healthy routines and rhythms for your life.

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