Paralyzed by too much of free time: 3 ways to make to cope up with its effects

 Change is an unavoidable fact. When I moved out of home for the first time, changed cities, got married, or switched jobs. I handled it quite well. But this time, it is challenging. It's been two months now since we moved to the new place, London! It has been a thrilling experience so far - 14 days isolation, Airbnbs, house hunting, job interviews, celebrations away from home etc. All said and done, taken everything in a stride. And trust me, this can be hard but not challenging. Rather, the challenge for me is to manage my time specially when I am out of job currently. 

With ample of time at my disposal and for a freak like me who can't think of wasting time doing a nonsensical thing, this is challenging! I never had this much of free time ( except for when I attended Vipassana but there I was devoting my time for meditation). I know some of you may be rolling your eyes because this is what exactly most of us wants when we are tired our jobs. Free time. But free time with no plan - this is not good; maybe good for 10-15 days but not beyond.  

"Too much free time is certainly a monkey's paw in disguise. Most people can't handle a structureless life." ~ Douglas Coupland

Image by DigiPD

Thanks to my partner who noticed that I am feeling a little out of place and not being myself at times. As we discussed, I realized how I am obsessed with a set routine. But somehow, my routine has gone for a toss because situations have changed altogether. I was feeling overwhelmed and didn't know what I need to do and how can I better utilize time. Towards the end of our conversation I accepted that I need to mend my ways to accommodate and  embrace this change in my day-to-day life and find value-added activities to indulge in. 

It's ironic, that in my profession I help clients to embrace change. I discuss the change management plans for them to adopt the changes in their day-to-day operations. But in real-life I totally missed it. Phew! Lesson learnt :-) 

Here are three things that I am following to prepare my mind to embrace this change and use my free time effectively. These activities help me to face my daily dilemma and keep me away from procrastination and anxiety:

1. 5 minutes meditation whenever stuck: An year and a half back, I attended Vipassana wherein I learnt to focus on present. And I try to practice it now more often than before. I find it to be the best way to calm my senses whenever I realize myself to be torn between past and present. The constant comparison in mind between my past routine in India and present often drifts me away from making the best of available time. Five minutes of quick meditation and stillness helps me to bring my focus on present and value it. It allows me to think what matters to me the most.   

2. Journaling: Thanks to my father who suggested that I should journal, a practice I had long forgotten. So now, every morning, I write my thoughts and also note down 5 things that I want to accomplish today. It could be as simple as preparing meals to listening audio book. Knowing what I want to do makes things easy for me and helps me to manage my daily errands. At the end of the day, when I reflect, it gives me a sense of satisfaction that I have done something valuable and made some additions to my wisdom and knowledge. 

3. Trying something new: This was a suggestion by my partner. Why? Because now is the time to explore what I really like. Or may be something that scares me. For example, he suggested to look out for part time jobs to understand what an average person does for living in this city and gain new perspectives. It will also help me to have a set routine :-)  Or learn a new language as I really get anxious about learning something on my own through my own means ( yes, I am an old school person, still like taking classes rather than exploring through freely available knowledge in DIY style). Learning something new always excites me. And apart from excitement, it helps me to take my mind off from daily stress and gives me a sense of satisfaction of learning a new skill. 

Well, these may not be full-proof techniques to help overcome such anxieties. But certainly, these are helping me to keep myself active, boost my mental health and add meaning to my every day life. I am trying to take one day at a time and see what best I can do to make the most of it. 

In case you are a freak like me and have been in a similar situation, please do share your thoughts in the comments section. Even if you are not and have suggestions for me that I can try, please share them with me. Nevertheless, if you enjoyed reading this and have any suggestions for my blogging, please do share your thoughts. 

Enjoy your day!