Learn Flow Leisure

Balancing focused work and leisure time.

We occupy ourselves by doing so many things and keep ourselves busy/engaged. But at the same time, we really do not enjoy what we do, we are always in some hurry to complete what we are doing.

We do not ever bother to question — why this hurry, when, and where are we going to find peace and calmness, when will the waves calm down, etc.

We get up, make tea and all our attention will be over the thought of quickly getting the tea making process over, and to start drinking it. And when the tea is prepared and ready to drink, we will be reading the newspaper and won’t be enjoying the tea fully.

And while reading the newspaper we could be looking at the watch/clock, if we can get through all pages and get ready for to job etc. And once we reach the job place, then we would be waiting for the office hours to be over or be fantasizing or procrastinating about something else.

And the day will end and we would be discontent with ourselves, miserable with ourselves, no joy, no satisfaction, nothing. Either we need to indulge and lose ourselves in television drama, sports, or other pleasure activities to feel little good temporarily, all the while our brain is totally wasted for all unwanted activities of mind and unnecessary pressures.

We might even go to the gym to prove to ourselves that we are not lazy or we push ourselves unwillingly to the gym out of having to face our own regret and guilty thoughts. And at the gym, we would somehow rush ourselves into all exercises halfheartedly, but quickly and along with other noisy thoughts on comparisons with people there. These all just add more burden to the brain.

So can we look into the possibility of living our daily life less miserable and more enjoyable and whether it is actually doable. Can the before-mentioned activities that form one’s daily routine actually provide one joy, calmness, contentment, and serenity without a single moment of boredom, anxiety, and feeling of discontent with oneself.

Can the above activities in a person’s life be more fulfilling for the brain and less pressured? We are talking about a state in which the brain is fully involved with all tasks and also at the same time its vitality is not lost throughout the day, not stagnated, so to speak.

A daily life in which each of the activities is done for its own sake, where happiness is a side-effect for being completely in flow with each daily task. Each task is done with total attention and carefulness and fully engaged with the task for its own sake and not for any motive. As soon as a motive thought arises, we add more pressure to the task, thus losing all joy of the task itself, as we are concerned with some future motive which may or may not happen.

A daily life where harmful/waste pleasure activities arising from discontent is replaced with simple leisure out of satisfaction. A leisure time utilized for its own sake which brings quietness and a time to unhook from the concentrated functioning of the brain; which in turn can inspire one for the next action.

We are afraid of existing without any motive like money, social status, etc. We rarely notice any moments in the day while we were able to fully engage in our tasks/activities, where thoughts were functioning as part of the task at hand, instead of procrastinating or motivating thoughts.

We could call the thoughts that are unrelated to the task at hand as ‘lazy-thoughts/lazy-thinking’. Whereas the thoughts arising as part of the task, not necessarily any motivational thoughts, but thoughts that cannot be separated from the current activity.

Here the brain is engaged in clear thinking and thoughtful process. This is where there is the possibility of learning, developing skills, challenging, growing, etc happens. Here there is no need for any external stimulant/motivation etc. These moments can be called as being in the flow, or moments we lose ourself, but not asleep as in pleasure.

Thank You.