Do You Forget to Enjoy Life When Not Being a Productive Machine?

Being productive took over me and my entire being for the longest time. I wanted nothing but to optimize my productivity. I wanted nothing more than to create more output possible when I was awake. But a funny thing happened when the pandemic hit: I learned that I need to take time to enjoy life like many people like myself.

This didn't hit home until I took a nature walk at a nearby park. Walking away from everything with no agenda or goal other than being there was a revelation.

When the weather broke, and it was deemed safe to venture out to the parks while wearing a mask and maintaining the required distance, I decided to take a small trek to a favorite park.

Before the pandemic going to the park for a hike was something, I did on rare occasions. Pre-pandemic life included eating out or trying to find an excellent spot not too far away. When not doing those things on the weekend, I spent most of my time working myself to the bone.

This seemed to work but wasn't working for me. I avoided the inevitable burnout I was undergoing but could somehow ignore the chaos of pre-pandemic life.

I realized I needed a well-deserved break when I was face-to-face with what I had wrought. This was a break from work and from chores, errands, and planned activities.

When hiking, all I am doing is walking and following the trail. There is nothing else to do but get to the trail's end. There are spots to sit and enjoy the scenery, depending on the park where one is hiking. And most often, the reception in these kinds of parks is so poor it's better to leave the phone in one's pocket unless using it to take the occasional snapshot.

I remember being swarmed with so many thoughts during my first hike. It wasn't until I was thirty minutes in that I found a spot to sit. I took out some breakfast I had brought and stored it in my backpack. I ate it and sipped my coffee from my thermos. As I exhaled, I felt a peaceful moment of clarity wherein many thoughts seemed to fade into nothing. And there I was, not thinking but only listening to the babbling water below the large rock I had decided to sit on.

This first moment of clarity did not last long. When it happened, I immediately wanted it to happen again.

My first pandemic hike inspired many more. Whenever the weather was decent, I ventured out to different parks in the early hours of a Saturday morning, packing breakfast, coffee, and water. I began to appreciate these walks more and more. Each one helped me remember to enjoy those moments outside of the need to be productive.

It doesn't matter how productive we are if we never allow ourselves time to rest and relax. That is an important lesson I knew but didn't understand until I tried to practice it myself.

I hope others will find ways to rest and relax helpfully and enjoyably.