Why spending time at leisure is important

The roads during the Vesak weekend were chock-a-block with crowds.

Some carrying infants, others riding pillion in law-breaking fashion and yet others, happily crowded in small spaces; many crammed into spaces meant for a few. Spending four hours stuck in traffic on our way home from dinner made me realize just how much Sri Lankans needed - no, craved leisure. Vesak is one such season they looked forward to - the entertainment factor was there, in addition to paying homage to Buddhist sites and enjoying the pandals and the lanterns. People need to spend time doing the things they like to do, with family and friends. Leisure is an important pursuit that nourishes the soul. Where there is no leisure, there is no peace and stress abounds.

Going on a trip, going to the cinema or simply taking a drive around town or even a walk - spending time away from chores and work is considered a vital factor for every society. In the developed world, vacations are a must and people habitually spend time away from all work when they take a break. There are also avenues that encourage individuals to pursue hobbies and other leisure driven activities in those societies. They understand the importance of engaging in leisurely pursuits towards the total well-being.

New hobbies

In Sri Lanka too, just as elsewhere, people thrive on leisure activities. Long weekends find most people travelling - ours being a diversely beautiful country, it is easier to get from one place to another in a relatively less time. And there are new hobbies coming up everyday. From canoeing to sky diving, sky is the limit for those in search of a fulfilling hobby.

Leisurely time is counted as productive - we are made as human beings to spend time away from work, from stress in order to ‘re-charge’ our batteries and empower us to get more done. Our brain is designed to benefit from a break and is likely to function better and more refreshed when time is spent doing nothing or doing the things we like to do.

Adults and children alike benefit from spending leisurely time - it is an important concept to be passed on to children. In today’s stress filled work driven environment, the entire family benefits from leisure. Leisurely pursuits foster greater companionship between husband and wife and encourage children to belong to a loving, close family that spends time engaged in things they like to do.

Leisurely time does not always have to involve travelling; it can even be at home, spending time engaged in a hobby or a pastime. Stamp collecting used to be one such hobby along with bird watching and fishing. Sadly, for the young generation today, the X Box and other gaming consoles or computers have become the only leisurely pursuits they know. That’s why it is important for parents to encourage and involve children in leisure times spent involved with nature and natural surroundings.

Older generations

Children are also stressed out today - with numerous classes, there is so much pressure on them to perform well in studies. They do definitely need a break or else they will not grasp the importance of spending time doing nothing, at least once a week. In the city, where there is generally no garden space and greenery is limited, children benefit from watching the sunset or just the birds in the sky - which in itself is a leisurely pursuit that stills the soul.

The older generations always had access and time for the wonderful pursuit of leisure.

They engaged in so many activities outdoors, had minimum stress levels and knew how to bond with nature. We on the other hand, lead complex lives and find stress ever present in our lives. With each passing generation, time spent in leisure becomes more significant.

For those of us housebound, the Internet is a wonderful place to discover new hobbies and do reading. There are chat rooms and so many topics of interest available. Of course, caution must be exercised in making cyber friends and discovering internet hobbies. Yet the technologically advanced Internet presents one of the best tools in making leisure time more meaningful and easy to engage in.

We need to learn to enjoy and actively pursue our leisure. Always.