By Appointment Only

When organizing a schedule, especially for those whose schedules are more than averagely full, one commonly thinks of meetings, parties, appointments, birthdays, or familial obligations making up the majority of the open time slots. For those of us who prefer to have our day mapped out to the exact hour, there may even be time blocked off for the gym or the yoga class that one may or may not attend depending on other, more pressing occasions. Often, the day is packed full of reminders and obligations until late in the evening, when the only thing left to is fall into bed and start the process over again in the morning. Which is why it should be relatively unsurprising that one who is so devoted to the upkeep of their plan book will eventually have to make time to do something as trivial as absolutely nothing at all.

For those determined to maintain optimal efficiency in all that they do, there is no greater taboo than free time. It's a waste, an open slot where something useful could be occurring but isn't, often creating nothing but self deprecation and anxiety over a potentially missed event. These overachievers and workaholics can often be seen thoroughly scanning through calendars and double checking with coworkers or friends, ensuring that everything in their day runs smoothly, one engagement transitioning into the next without any gaps. Free time is often not a feasible option. Why do nothing when something can be done to be ahead of the game?

It is this type of thinking that drives these determined perfectionists into a wall of exhaustion. With a "no break" mentality it's only a matter of time before there's no energy left and the body demands to sleep, shutting down for longer than normal, backing up the schedule that was previously so meticulously organized. With this consequence in mind, the idea of free time may become less ghastly and more logical, especially when bringing into account precious productivity. The last thing overly productive people want to hear is that their lifestyle is in actuality less efficient.

Using this hook, this threat upon a seemingly perfect system, the door for free time begins to edge open. Thinking logically, the idea of taking systematic time off to recharge the batteries seems more and more beneficial. Setting aside scheduled time a few times a week, whether it be an hour of pleasure reading or forty five minutes of meditation, results in long term heightened efficiency with more energy and a lower likelihood of feeling negative emotions. Rather than going until a crash, ensuring that there are periods of rest in a normal work week create a healthier life style that will allow for  more opportunity to live successfully.

The problem with this, however, is implementing it into a way of living that has always neglected rest and free time. Looking at this issue personally, as someone who writes everything into a schedule and rarely agrees to take time off for reasons other than illness, there never seems to be any time to simply not do anything. Something always requires my attention, there is always something I could be doing to better my education or my chances for a successful future. However, after four years of running endlessly, crashing, and starting over, the need for a change, especially before college, is necessary. That being said, it has proved more than difficult to carry out this way of life after years of free time neglect.

As a result, I have resorted to putting these break periods as actual events in my complex and ever filling planner. As basic and trivial as it sounds, by putting the activity (or rather, lack thereof) in its own designated time slot two or three times a week, I find it much easier to let go of the itch to do something stereo-typically productive, and to take time off. By accepting that it is not only beneficial to have these periods of rest, but mandatory, I find it easier to give these moments their own appointment, something that I usually would not miss.

I hope to find that these "appointments" with myself eventually do evolve into something that doesn't need to be specifically written down, and that for other people who feel the compulsion to work until they drop, the idea of free time becomes less taboo. Until then, I will embrace the transition, and ensure that I begin getting the extra beneficial rest that I need to be the best I can be, even if it is by appointment only.