Do We Need Leisure Time?

What activities have you done in the past month - just for the fun of it?

Make a list.

Review it.

Do you use your leisure time to refresh and rejuvenate yourself or to "just kill time?" Do you take leisure time naturally or is it something that you have to force yourself to do? Can you carve out at least half an hour a day for fun? Why not? What are your excuses? Leisure time is proven to increase your energy, improve your concentration, refresh your attitude, and make you more productive when you return to work. Wouldn't that be a valuable use of your time even though it might seem as though you're doing 'nothing?'

Here's a list to get you started:

• Lay in a hammock and stare up at the sky (one of my personal favorites!)
• Play with your dog or cat - borrow a neighbor's pet if you don't have one of your own
• Go for a bike ride or rollerblading with a friend
• Blow bubbles - the kind you played with as a kid
• Buy a box of crayons and color a picture
• Get a facial, massage, or pedicure
• Read a book at the park
• Work a crossword puzzle
• Watch people walk by in a public place
• Put on some upbeat music and dance all by yourself
• Visit a local museum and spend all your time at just one or two exhibits
• Practice some yoga positions - stretch and get the kinks out
• Meet your spouse for middle of the day lovemaking
• Flip through a magazine or other reading material unrelated to work
• Go to a matinee - all alone if you've never done that before
• Read the funny cards in a cardshop and let yourself laugh
• Write a poem or a handwritten note to a long-distance friend
• Make a list of the 100 things you want to do before you die
• Visit a neighborhood of garage sales
• Browse in a library or book store
• Scrapbook or start a stamp collection
• Draw a floor plan of your dream retirment home
• Rearrange your furniture or clean out a junk drawer
• Sew on a button - be conscious of your breathing
• Weed your garden - be mindful of the sights and sounds around you
• Browse in an antique mall - imagine the people that once used these items
• Relax in a bubble bath and listen to relaxing music

Share your favorite leisure time activities!