Why do we feel guilty on our free time?

Hi everyone! It’s AM.

First of all, I just want to say this is my first time writing a newsletter and I hope my journey will be just as fruitful and as fascinating as it looks and feel for me, so here goes nothing.

You know that feeling when you feel so stuck, but you know that you are meant for greater things? It is just so conflicting for me to feel like I should be doing something productive but at the same time I also think I deserve the rest time or free time that I am having for myself. When you’re just resting but you can’t actually rest because you keep feeling guilty about resting?

I know. Sounds complicated as fuck. But as the days go by, the realizations also keep coming in. “Oh, the feeling of guilt is there because there is actually something I should be feeling guilty about in the first place”. Those time that I indulged myself, took advantage of my free time doing absolutely unproductive, useless things. These can take in the form of mindlessly scrolling in the social media, consuming particularly trash social media content, watching entertainment videos for the sake of watching it because I’m bored, all these do not even contribute to my overall wellbeing.

What I have come to realize is that we can actually have ourselves the free time that we want without having to feel guilty by doing fun, entertaining and achievement-inducing things. You know, just basically mixing up fun and productivity. That instead of aimlessly consuming everything we see in social media, why don’t we consume those that actually provide value? Provide insights? Provide just something that gives learning? Particularly that we find fun.

There are many things we can do that will allow us to accomplish things without feeling bored. Here are some:

1. Reading school materials such as books, study notes, references.

   It is normal to have little motivation to none at all. A friend of mine has asked me what drives me to read all these materials, only for me to realize that I just put importance to education itself. Ever since, I believe that learning is a default of every human being. The curiosity is what will lead us to betterment, not just as an individual but as a society as a whole. That’s why I put it upon myself that reading, is a need. I need to do this. Regardless of how I feel at the moment. Maybe this is one of the reasons why reading school materials have been an easy task for me.

2. Taking up a course from an institute that offers certification title in your field.

   This may seem time-consuming, but it is a hundred percent better than taking the time doing unproductive and brain-stagnating things. It will not only give you a deeper knowledge about your career field, but it will also give you something of value which you can use in your job-hunting journey due to the fact that it certifies your knowledge and skill, and it shows how committed you are in pursuing your career choice.

3. Taking the time to learn investment. Particularly stocks.

   Now, we are at the most exciting part. I am sure everyone of us is familiar to the word stock and the world of stock market. It is just so fascinating to know how one could be as financially stable by being risk-takers. The combination to rationally think while investing and the fearlessness it takes to forego a particular type of resource in hopes of receiving a return in the future is astounding, not to mention, stunning. This has been the most exciting new thing that I am currently doing right now. Hope I get to write a newsletter where I share my investment activities.

4. Taking time to learn a side hustle such as web designing, writing newsletters, etc.

   Doing new things is the reason why I am here on Beehiiv so I am deeply grateful for the inspiration behind this hobby. Honestly speaking, I am here to share my thoughts and learnings I get brought about by the day-to-day tasks and experiences. With hopes of providing some to the readers.

5. Learning a new language.

   Because of the ever-growing technology and the world of business, I have put it upon me that learning another language aside from the one I speak right now would greatly help me as I thrive and strive for my future career. As someone who would love to experience working at another country, this would be a good step in achieving these goals.

Remembering that we only get to live life once, allows us to live it to the fullest. Without constraints but also knowing of the limitations, nothing is impossible. By being aware of our own habits, we can change it to become the better version of ourselves. We can start by doing the littlest things. By becoming aware and becoming the change.

PS. Love what you do, and you’ll do what you love. Make your free time fun AND productive. Peace out.