Day off? The relationship between Work and Leisure

What is our perspective on Work and Leisure? I have a chance to reflect this as I took off from my ministerial work for three days. Sometimes, when we work too hard in a year it feels like a "sin" to take a day off. Isn't it? But fishily, after we took a day off. we suddenly realize, why do not I take my day off longer? However, I realize we as homo faber deserve a day off, a total break from routine so to speak. It is an act of appreciation to ourselves, it is also a form of self-care. Yet Interestingly, I found out even in my work off day, I am still on working. But of course, I am not working like usual. This is different kind of work. I work for fun in my own time without any "deadline" pressure. And it is feel great and refreshing! I can focus on my writing and reading, and many other things, including hanging out with my lovely wife. So can I say that working and leisure are apparently not opposing each other?

Actually, its is immensely difficult to separate those elements in life. What Leland Ryken has put in his book resonates with me very well, "Work and Leisure are God's gifts to human race." Therefore, the question is not whether work is a curse or leisure is evil (Both are good in its own place, its a gift from the good God!) but how we able to manage between our work and leisure in a proper "balance"?  But speaking of "balance" I believe there is no such thing as "perfect-balance", balance is always related to what is best in our context. So I concur with philosopher who says that there is no such thing as work-life balance (Alain De Botton) and agree also with business executive Jack Welch who propose work-life choice. Thus, we need wisdom to choice the portion of each section in our lives and time rightly.

The problem between work and leisure is when we discard/diminish the importance of the other. As one author says, "Maximum human development in both work and leisure spheres requires that they are complementary." In my daily interaction I have found people who is always working and see leisure as unnecessary (probably because of the wrong application of the theology of suffering/cross or probably they are infected by hustle culture). Here I cannot judge much for it is possible as well that people like this gain more energy when they do something. Doing nothing is could waste their energy more than they are working (reverse-effect). However, just important note, whatever it is, if our "working-speed" is already affecting the life of the people around, let say loved one, then we better adjust our tempo. Otherwise our loved one will feel that they are not really matters and unimportant. Just simple practical advice, try to breath slowly and slow down our movements by 30%, and see the good result afterwards!

On the other hand, the other extreme is when we always take the time for leisure without have any appetite to work anymore. This is problematic. Leisure is actually like a charging machine that charge our energy, not so that we can have a greater leisure but for work and maximize our potentials. Leland Ryken put a good framework on how we can see the relationship between leisure and work. The left spectrum is work (obligation), the center is semi-leisure (obligation & leisure) and the right is leisure (freedom). Base on this spectrum, now I know that in my three days off, my mode of being is more into the semi-leisure with sometimes moving more into the right or leisure. Movement and "choice" (Work-leisure choice) is vital here. Problem comes when we stay on the right or left for a long time without flexibly and actively moving across the spectrum for a time being. The key is to know and set the limit of our work and leisure. If we work until we cannot be grateful anymore then its the sign that we need to stop and start to "choice" leisure. And if our leisure has already make us lazy to start a work again, then it is a sign that our leisure is been taken too much, and it is time to "choice" work.

A great mind by the name of James V Schall has pointed out that the meaning of leisure was becoming the foundational word for School in Greek. This connection for me is very interesting. Many people has been thinking that school or study is actually working hard up to the point we need to sacrifice our leisure time, but for philosopher studying is indeed a leisure activity. To think deep and gain happiness from it is the main reason why people philosophizing, as Augustine once mentioned. I think, even if there is no root word connection of work and school, the idea of school can also be generally applicable to the dimension work as well. We work at best is not for anything than learning. Learn to be better self, learn to develop and be fulfilled through and in our work-place. That is why, we often listen to this advice, you can consider to quit your job when you feel that you are not "growing" as a person. So here I could say that both work and leisure can be seen in the light of school-framework. In other words, work and leisure is inseparable-dual process of learning that can transformed us to be a better person. 

The famous dictum that can balance the tension is this, "work hard-play hard." If we work to hard, try to balance it with playing hard. If we already playing hard then try to work hard after that. In handling the balance between work and leisure, last but not least is to ask God for grace. Grace of God is the only thing that we need in our work and also our leisure time. Grace to enjoy the leisure time and grace to be grateful in our work. Without grace of God, our work and leisure will only depraved us without we ever notice it, and we will become just like the rest of people in the world. Addicted to work or Addicted to leisure. Without the grace of God that holds, either we will be sluggish or workhorse in no time, and there is no middle ground. The grace is the divine glue that holds together work and leisure, for essentially, they are belong together. I quoted Ryken again as he wrote, "together (work & leisure) they make our daily lives. They are complementary parts of the single whole of our existence."

If we put emphasis on one aspect either work or leisure for a long run, our mental and spirituality will be disturbed. We will getting far away from the "well-being" of life and to this, I can say, we are also not living a health lifestyle as what God intended us to be. Therefore, we need to embrace the holistic approach of life then segmentalism. I believe, by God's grace, we hope we will live a life of the garden as written in Genesis 2. The perfect imaginary of how work and leisure come together in balance whereby Adam and Eve were working to cultivate the garden yet at the same time they were enjoying and refreshed by the beauty of the garden!