📘 Part 3: Free time activity

This episode's vocabulary

Posture (noun) - the way in which someone usually holds their shoulders, neck, and back, or a particular position in which someone stands, sits, etc.

Fatigue (noun) - extreme tiredness.

Burnout (noun) - the state of having no energy or enthusiasm because of working too hard, or someone who shows the effects of this state.

Work-life balance (noun) - the amount of time you spend doing your job compared with the amount of time you spend with your family and doing things you enjoy.

To disengage (verb) - to stop being involved in something, or to stop someone being involved in something.

Obligation (noun) - something that you must do.

Fast-paced (adj.) - happening very quickly.

Vicious circle (noun) - a continuing unpleasant situation, created when one problem causes another problem that then makes the first problem worse.

Sedate (adj.) - avoiding excitement or great activity and usually calm and relaxed.

Vigorous (adj.) - very forceful or energetic.

Setting (noun) - the surroundings or place in which something is put.

Youth club (noun) - a place where older children can go to meet other children, play sports, and do other social activities.

To shift (verb) - to (cause something or someone to) move or change from one position or direction to another, especially slightly.

Sedentary (adj.) - involving little exercise or physical activity.

To bombard (verb) - to attack a place with continuous shooting or bombs.

Scarcity (noun) - a situation in which something is not easy to find or get.

To attend (verb) - to go to an event, place, etc.

To overwhelm (verb) - to cause someone to feel sudden strong emotion.

Time-poor (adj.) - not having enough time to do things.

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Questions and Answers

M: Is it important to have a break during work or study?

R: Absolutely, you need it for a whole lot of reasons like avoiding back pain and poor posture if you're sitting too long. It can prevent mental fatigue and burnout and promote creativity just by providing time to relax and think about problems from different angles. And it could lead to a better work-life balance. In fact, it will lead to a better work-life balance since taking breaks allows disengaging from work even just for a moment.

M: Do people have enough time for leisure activities today?

R: In general, many people today probably feel like they have less time for them because of the increased demands on their time from work, and family responsibilities, and other obligations. The fast-paced nature of modern society and the constant connectivity provided by technology probably also contribute to this. In fact, certainly also contribute to this. It's like there's a constant need to work in order to have things. But so often people are owned by their things. So at least to the sort of vicious circle.

M: Are there more activities for young people now than 20 years ago?

R: In absolute terms, I would say so. We've invented new sports and new materials to enable these and people can go abroad and participate in local cultural events. Online it's a similar story. In relative terms, though, the lives of young people are filled with so much nonsense, they probably don't really have the chance to take advantage of these opportunities. At least they can't take advantage of them as they should do.

M: What sports do young people like to do now?

R: It depends on the location and culture. But generally speaking, young people enjoy what they probably always have. Contact sports like rugby and football. Though, eSports, or at least the ones that are quite competitive, are becoming a thing now.

M: And what leisure activities do older and young people prefer?

R: Other than the ones I've just mentioned? It's a bit of a cliche, but old people do seem to prefer a lot of... Or at least to play a lot of card games. And do more sedate activities like balls. Whereas young people probably prefer something more vigorous, since they have all that useful energy to expand.

M: How do people spend their leisure time in your country?

R: I have absolutely no idea. Though, if I were to guess, I'd say they probably take advantage of the open countryside more than elsewhere. So there's lots of hill walking and hiking going on. Of course, it's also a developed Western country. So activities like video gaming are also becoming increasingly popular.

M: And what's the difference in the ways young people spend their free time today, and 20 or 30 years ago?

R: Well, in the past, youngsters probably spent more of their free time outdoors and participating in physical activities like playing sports or with their friends. They also spent more time in social settings like community centres and libraries and youth clubs. Meanwhile, today, they spend more of their free time indoors, and on digital devices. Like social media and instant messaging have become increasingly popular ways for young people to stay connected with their friends and family. So overall, while young people still engage in physical activity, the balance has definitely shifted towards more sedentary digital ones.

M: Why do people say there aren't enough hours in a day?

R: Probably because they feel they have too much to do and not enough time to do it. They might have a lot of responsibilities and personal goals while being bombarded with constant notifications, emails and messages. Which can make it pretty difficult to focus. Also, people have this tendency to overestimate how much they can accomplish in a short amount of time and underestimate the time required for certain tasks. So it sort of leads to the sense of time scarcity.

M: Is not having enough time a feature of our modern world?

R: Well, like I've said before, the pace of life has definitely accelerated in recent years. And this has resulted in an increasing number of tasks and responsibilities that people feel they need to attend to, as well as the pressure to do so. Moreover, modern society promotes this idea that one should always be productive and busy. And that can lead to a constant feeling of needing to do more and not having enough time for rest and relaxation. The constant stimulation from screens and social media and the news can also make it difficult for people to disconnect and relax. And in turn that leads to a sense of being overwhelmed and time-poor. But it doesn't have to be. You can choose not to be owned by what you own and take a more relaxed approach to life. It's not difficult.

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