Making Space For Unstructured Free Time

Written By Colēgia

Structure is an element of school that can help us be more organized with what we do and how we do things. Sometimes there are moments when we want to incorporate more flexibility into our routine. One way to do this is to make space for unstructured free time. Today we want to talk about both the importance of this and how to do it.

Start From The Beginning

Oftentimes it may feel impossible to find ways to integrate new things into your schedule but one helpful approach is to start from the beginning. Many activities that we do are things that are mandatory such as school or work which means we have to schedule things around those. Having something already there to work with can make things easier to plan as things have a specific start and end time. School for example usually begins in the early morning and ends in the afternoon. Afterward, we usually have some time for ourselves from the afternoon to evening, depending on our responsibilities of course. Working from the beginning helps our perspective in that it is more linear and cohesive. Knowing where we'll be at the end of the day allows us to plan the mandatory activities with ease.

“Working from the beginning helps our perspective in that it is more linear and cohesive.”

Understand The Purpose of Unstructured Time

Unstructured time is fundamentally different in many ways. Instead of needing a specific purpose, one of the important aspects of this is that it can fuel discovery. Everyone deserves to have time to themselves as it can help fuel creativity and allow us to have a new perspective. While structure can offer organization and a sense of direction, it can also be limiting at times and not tailored to an individual. One area in our lives that doesn't require structure is leisure activities. When we try to treat these as a responsibility is when we encounter issues such as planning stress, or anxiety. Tempering our expectations with each activity is good as we want to be mindful that these are ultimately things we are doing for fun and enjoyment.

“While structure can offer organization and a sense of direction, it can also be limiting at times and not tailored to an individual.”

It Provides a Different Kind of Value

Finding ways to manage our time can be a lifelong challenge. Seeing the correlation between time where we do things that are enjoyable versus productive can be difficult. In many environments, we are trained to view our individual accomplishments and achievements as the primary metric for self-worth. This is dangerous as it can affect our mental health when we are only focused on productivity. There are many things we may want to do but we may experience the pressures of having to rise up to expectations. Unstructured free time is one way to help us see the value we have within. Similar to freewriting, when we make the space to truly be ourselves is when we can see our self-worth and the value we provide. Having this time that is free of judgment allows us to grow and to see who we are as an individual.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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