Work vs. Leisure
Work vs. Leisure
Is leisure really just a waste of time or is that simply what the government wants you to believe? For years, leisure time has slowly but surely lost its importance within the mind of society. In the classic dystopian novel Brave New World, Huxley feared that the US government would begin to implement restrictions within free time. A protagonist in the book, Bernard, explains the distribution of a drug everyone takes, Soma. Each level of a caste system receives different quantities at different times, based on how much they contribute to society. A lower class, Deltas “get it after their work’s over. Four half-gramme tablets. Six on Saturdays” (Huxley 164). In the end, chaos prevails because the government tries to control too much. Brave New World presents a possible outcome of restricted leisure time in the real world. The public has begun to eliminate the emphasis on leisure time and if left unchecked, the sole focus of the government and the citizens of the United States will become work.
Now, this in no way implies that occupational responsibilities aren’t extremely important, but without a stronger sense of urgency on leisure time, work simply won't get done and employees everywhere will lose all motivation. Overworking employees is not the answer, but rather a diversion from the reality that people need free time to make their own decisions in order to keep mental stability in check. Creative thought thrives most during these vulnerable moments when people receive the opportunity to spend their time however they please.
An argument could be presented that leisure time is not necessary and that work is far more important since it makes you money while leisure doesn't. While this is most definitely the blatant truth, think of it this way: in order to work, you need leisure, but the contrary does not apply. Maintaining a living is crucial to survival, but in order to do so, time must be set aside solely for yourself. In other words, people need freedom and breaks from work to sustain their intellect and emotional state of mind. Mental health must alway come above anything else, which is a very difficult concept for many people to grasp.
Leisure time can be a crucial part of improving one’s mental health, no matter the situation. Think about it, doing things you enjoy puts you in a better mood, does it not? Joy is often associated with these instances for a reason. Although people may think that “having fun” simply creates a temporary state of happiness, leisure can actually have a long-lasting impact on a person’s mental health. An experiment conducted within Ohio State University, Harvard, and Rutgers proved this assertion. The study tested what happens when people solely focus on productivity as the ultimate goal, and enjoying themselves as a waste of time. The subjects (students from each university) were given tests with questions specifically designed to measure their current levels of happiness, anxiety, stress, and depression; one question asked if they believed leisure time was a waste. The experiment concluded that, “Those who saw leisure as wasteful were less happy and more depressed, anxious and stressed” (Murez). In other words, the more you allow yourself to ease up, the happier and healthier you will become. Leisure should never be viewed as a waste since it is one of the major factors in becoming an overall more joyful person. Furthermore, a healthy work-life balance is a step to becoming the happiest and strongest person you can be; this applies to everyone. An article titled “7 Ways to Improve Your Work-Life Balance as a Firm Owner and Accountant” illustrates this idea. The author explains that “Creating more balance in your life can help you take control of your future and your happiness” (Hayden). Evidently, every member of society deserves to feel happy without work controlling their entire existence. Business administrators are supposed to help their employees manage their lives but often forget to think about themselves. The reality is, balancing a strong work presence with a family life, social life and free time for yourself is no easy feat. Stress and anxiety are almost always a byproduct of this attempt at perfect harmony. Everyone experiences these feelings differently, but the one thing in common among all is that at some point or another, they will be encountered. “Leisure activities help combat these feelings by relieving stress and providing a sense of purpose and accomplishment” (Siegenthaler). Consequently, participating in activities that you enjoy will boost your mood, while simultaneously making you feel productive and fulfilled. People work best when they feel good about themselves, and therefore leisure also helps contribute to your motivation within the workplace.
Leisure time is also the breeding ground for creative thinking and intellectual discoveries. Insightful ideas are often formed when someone is having fun rather than during stressful work-filled moments. A study was conducted by ninth grade General Education teachers in which they examined the link between leisure activities and creative thought regarding mathematical topics. Students were given the same test, before and after participating in leisure activities regarding the exam topics. The teachers concluded that “Individuals motivated by leisure activities presented better imaginary delineation of the proposed mathematical problem” (Tumbaco Castro, et al). To elaborate, the students who participated in these activities prior to taking the exam, did significantly better than those who didn’t. This experiment creates a direct link between creative thinking and leisure time. People of all ages become significantly more motivated after experiencing something they find entertaining. This concept can easily be applied to many different situations, including that of high school students having to juggle a variety of assignments all at once. Many teenagers attempt to get all of their work done without giving themselves any time to rest. A study conducted by Stanford University concluded that while students did homework, “output increased with hours worked only to a certain threshold past which output steadily decreased” (Kerkezis). In other words, after students worked for a certain amount of time, their productivity actually diminished. The human body is not capable of working for a prolonged period of time at once. The brain needs time to rest and recharge in order to regroup and begin to think straight again. While this study was specifically conducted with highschool students, it’s applicable among everyone. People need to learn to pace themselves correctly, taking occasional breaks, in order to work at their prime level of intellectual thinking. Working for too long at once can lead to burnout which causes many other unwanted byproducts.
Recent studies have shown that employees are being overworked, causing an increase in burnout within the workplace. A viral phenomenon, Quiet Quitting: doing the bare minimum within one's workplace and nothing more, has become the social norm among people experiencing burnout. Quiet Quitting relates back to the idea that many people are in need of a healthier work-life balance because they are being overworked and don’t know how to handle everything all at once. In order to aid in their employees’ needs, businesses must begin to “[give] employees greater autonomy over work completion, [have] flexible schedules, [increase] access to paid leave, and [set] and [respect] appropriate work-life boundaries” (Skelton). Once employees are granted these benefits, the hope is that the prevalence of Quiet Quitting starts to diminish and this viral “trend” ceases to exist. In order for this idea to completely dissipate, the other end of the spectrum must be addressed: many employees refuse to give themself free time. The herd has decided that granting yourself the ability to have fun, aside from work responsibilities, is unnecessary and not worth the expended time and energy that doing so takes from a person. Clearly, this false assumption has been proven to have no validity to it. This said, it’s not so easy to shift a person’s beliefs regarding this topic. Once someone has formed their opinion with respect to leisure being wasteful, it is almost impossible to switch their viewpoint unless they want it to change. Many individuals’ minds are set on productivity over enjoyment, and consequently they may never give themselves a moment to breathe. In order to combat this, Gabriela Tonietto, an assistant professor of marketing at Rutgers Business School, believes, “If you view leisure as wasteful, think about the productive ways that individual leisure activities can serve your long-term goals'' (Murez). In layman's terms, you shouldn’t try to change your opinion, but rather shift your motivation within it. People can learn that leisure activities can be helpful to their overall well-being, which in turn increases their ability to succeed and persevere. In any case, accepting leisure time as a necessary means to succeed will give you the best of both worlds: enjoyment within your life while also reaching your productivity climax.
To finalize, leisure time needs to be stressed significantly more often than it is currently in the United States. Free time increases mental stability, improves creation of creative thought and intellect, and eliminates the prevalence of burnout and Quiet Quitting. Once this issue is addressed, there is serious hope for the future path of this country.
Works Cited
Castro, Angelica Mercedes Tumbaco, et al. “Leisure Activities for the Development of Creative Intelligence in Mathematical Problem Solving.” Journal of Technology and Science Education, OmniaScience, 2018, https://www.jotse.org/index.php/jotse/article/view/412/303.
Hayden, Chris. “7 Ways to Improve Your Work-Life Balance as a Firm Owner and Accountant.” CPA Practice Advisor, 29 June 2022, https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2022/05/09/7-ways-to-improve-your-work-life-balance-as-a-firm-owner-and-accountant/49457/.
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. Harper Perennial, 2006.
Kerkezis, Georgia. “Students Must Find a Balance between Schoolwork and Leisure Time.” Pipe Dream, Pipe Dream, 22 Aug. 2018, https://www.bupipedream.com/opinions/96246/students-must-find-a-balance-between-schoolwork-and-leisure-time/.
Murez, Cara. “Leisure Time Is Good for Your Mental Health, Productivity.” WebMD, WebMD, 26 Aug. 2021, https://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20210826/leisure-time-is-good-for-your-mental-health.
Siegenthaler, K.L. "Health benefits of leisure." Parks & Recreation, vol. 32, no. 1, Jan. 1997, pp. 24+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A19066896/ITOF?u=nysl_li_harb&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6f522337. Accessed 21 Dec. 2022.
Skelton, Gardner. “Battling Employee Burnout: Quiet Quitting and the Great Resignation.” Gardner Skelton Attorneys At Law, Gardner Skelton, 3 Nov. 2022, https://www.gardnerskelton.com/news/battling-employee-burnout-quiet-quitting-and-the-great-resignation/.