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Back when I worked six/seven days a week and had no life and no hobbies, I didn’t understand the benefit of taking time off.
I saw only what it would cost me; I didn’t know that, in addition to the obvious pleasures of rest and relaxation, time away would actually make me more effective in my work.
Now, I marvel at how taking an afternoon or a day or a week to completely disconnect from work will result in a surge in productivity, creativity, and satisfaction when I return.
Read MoreTeaching music lessons is the perfect side gig!
You can spend a few hours on a Saturday morning or Tuesday afternoon, make some music, hang out with some adorable kids, and walk away with a hundred bucks or so. It’s a delightful hobby that you can get paid for.
On the other hand…teaching music lessons full time is a nightmare.
Read MoreA teenage friend revealed — in front of his mother! — that sometimes, he doesn’t want to play video games.
I suppose three months of being on lockdown will do that to even the most devoted gamer.
“Sometimes, I just feel like…why am I playing?” And when this thought occurs to him, he might get up to eat or use the bathroom. Maybe he’ll even go outside.
Read MoreIt’s difficult for many of us to make behavior changes that will benefit us in the long term.
From sticking to an exercise routine to keeping a healthy diet to saving money, we must prioritize the future ahead of our immediate circumstances in order to follow through. This can be very uncomfortable and unnatural, but the payoff becomes evident down the line.
After awhile, we’ve built a new habit and gotten used to this cycle. We learn to associate eating healthy food with feeling good. We come to enjoy the feeling of virtue that comes with following our budget or our exercise plan.
Read MoreI have always enjoyed card games and board games, from the long summer afternoons spent playing Spit and Spite & Malice with my siblings and cousins to the more recent winter evenings engaging in Euro-style games like Dominion, Catan, and 7 Wonders (again with siblings and cousins, plus friends and in-laws!). Within a game, you create a little world that is continually subjected to outside forces you must reckon with — a cozy version of actual life.
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