Everyone craves time off to slow down, to have those perfectly curated, sweet, cozy morning routines portrayed on one of the many reels calculated by my Instagram and TikTok algorithm. It is presented with such ease, through a luscious spread of food, an assortment of coffee, and a very specific plan related to the gym, or some form of online work, or extracurricular activity, which looks incredibly enticing.
Whilst I also feel indifferent to having this kind of morning, it doesn’t pan out this way for me most of the time.
A typical morning in my time off usually looks like double-checking my calendar to ensure the next 5 months catch up with a close friend, who is indeed not clashing with another plan I picked out through the air just days before. It is losing myself in threads of conversations, and remembering how much time and ‘slow moments’ I missed already with my loved ones.
Even moments sharing memories of family traditions, feels off as I am not always there experiencing as much. Inside jokes are not shared with me because I missed the memo. When your normal life is built on constant movement, switching off feels so unnatural and forced. You forgot what complete silence feels like.
But there is something quietly radical about switching off during the holiday season, more so than the act of just switching off the phone to the constant hum and ping of notifications. It feels great to let go of yourself in the reachable, constantly updating, and pressure to document a perfect day, especially those days that are so simple. Just existing somewhere fully without the demand.
I think we forget how easy carrying the weight of everyday feels like, unless you work a 9-to-5, living to see the weekend again. Switching off from the pressure of having a rigid schedule is super relaxing and reassuring that simply existing feels so damn good. Sometimes even rest feels productive, like it needs to be earned.
I like the feeling of not being rushed for time. The never-ending to-do list that never feels finished, with something else to add on to it.
It feels nice to notice the little things I didn’t notice before, like the conversations that flow from nothing. The food that tastes better because you don’t need to rush. The pure sense of joy and excitement to choose the next activity for the day, because the day is totally mine.
I feel like the holiday season has a way of showing how truly exhausted we all are. It is the world we are living in, and the way we are portraying it online, as if it were something out of a simulation. The world rarely tells us to rest completely. It praises productivity, availability, and constant connectivity. There is so much value in being a bit more invisible and less involved than you normally would want to.
In protecting the peace without having to explain yourself. Memories existing for you, and not the online presence you have made for yourself.
I think that’s why I love my time to myself the most. To disconnect when I already feel disconnected, but on my own terms. I can see myself again and reconnect with the special and memorable things in life again.
This was written by our contributing writer, Megan Evans.
Image Source: Unsplash, iam_os
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