Latest news with #leisure
Globe and Mail
8 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Protect the sacred space of leisure from being contaminated by work
Interested in more careers-related content? Check out our new weekly Work Life newsletter. Sent every Monday afternoon. Gloria Mark, a leading researcher on attention and distraction and University of California informatics professor, warns us to beware of leisure contamination: The tendency while taking a break to still be wrestling with work and family responsibilities. It's a mental spillover of stress into those rare moments that are meant to be restful. 'Psychological detachment – fully detaching from stressors during leisure time – is crucial for recovery from stress. But achieving it in our always-connected, always-on, busy culture is getting harder and harder to do,' she writes on her Substack blog. Most of us believe leisure time has been shrinking. But she says the quantity has remained constant over the past 20 years; what has changed is how we spend it, with an extra two hours spent watching screens – smartphones, other personal devices and television. Despite leisure time remaining consistent, however, stress levels have risen sharply. 'Even when we set aside time to relax, we often don't take full advantage of it, allowing our minds to remain tethered to screens, work or other responsibilities. It's like a faucet that never fully turns off – a steady drip, drip, drip of stress that contaminates our leisure time. All kinds of external pressures like demanding jobs, financial concerns, social expectations and disturbing world events in the news intrude on our rest, preventing the mental and emotional recovery that leisure time is meant to provide,' she says. To reduce leisure contamination, she advises us to consciously separate work from leisure. That means no emails or messages and no thinking about your next report during downtime. 'Leisure must be protected as a distinct and sacred space,' she says. Approach leisure time with intention. Consider it a valuable resource, not just filler time. Choose activities that rejuvenate you. 'Despite having the time to unwind, many of us squander it – not by choice, but because of ingrained habits and external intrusions,' she writes. For many people, the biggest block of continuous leisure time is our vacations. It can be hard to avoid contamination and in some cases nearly impossible. Maybe you're a sole entrepreneur or a lawyer prepping for a big trial or someone else with an important, upcoming critical deadline. It may be even more important in those situations to ensure refreshing time away, in essence avoiding contamination in the part of the vacation that must be contaminated. Time management coach Elizabeth Grace Saunders says that delicate balance starts with telling people you are away – on vacation. Your instinct may be the opposite but an out-of-office responder reduces your worry about what others are thinking when you don't react quickly to them. You also want to avoid compulsively checking your messages to ensure no emergency is occurring. 'For any days where you're not working the full day, have a designated person who can field most items and contact you if a true emergency comes up. Prep them on exactly when you want to be contacted,' she writes in Harvard Business Review. Don't leave your work hours undefined on the break. To the extent that you can, determine your work start and stop times in advance for your own sake and those of people travelling with you. 'I recommend frontloading any longer stretches of work while you have momentum from having just left the office, then tapering down so you feel like you can get more and more relaxed throughout your travels,' she says. If you need to commit to fixed meeting times, arrange them for the start of the day because you will have less control of what happens as the day unfolds and delays occur or plans change with the weather or impulse. Finally, resist opening messages on non-urgent, non-critical items. 'To have space in your schedule to relax, you need to do less than you would if you were in the office. If you're travelling but still doing some work, it's tempting to answer a random question, help someone out or otherwise participate in non-urgent work items 'real quick.' But if you want to feel like you took some real time off, you can't engage in everything you typically would in the office,' she warns. Quick Hits Harvey Schachter is a Kingston-based writer specializing in management issues. He, along with Sheelagh Whittaker, former CEO of both EDS Canada and Cancom, are the authors of When Harvey Didn't Meet Sheelagh: Emails on Leadership.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Five affordable ways to take the plunge and get into swimming
WITH temperatures rising, you may fancy a cooling dip. Swimmers are 4.3 per cent happier than the rest of us, according to a study by Swim England. 7 Here's tips for affordable ways to take the plunge . . . KIT HITS: If you really want to reap the exercise benefits of swimming, you need a proper swimming costume or trunks. has a range of big-brand discounted kit, with Speedo swimsuits RRP £31.99, starting at £12. Or try for Nabaiji men's swimming trunks reduced from £16.99 to £14.99. MEMBERSHIP MAGIC: Check if your local leisure centre offers off-peak memberships, which are often around 30 per cent less than full-price peak memberships. Many leisure centres also now offer 'swim only' memberships. At Active4today centres, over-60s can get an unlimited swimming membership from £20 per month. At selected Better Leisure centres across the UK, there are also budget options such as flex memberships for £10 per month which offer one free swim (or fitness session) per month plus 30 per cent off any other activities. TIME IT RIGHT: Look out for early-bird booking slots at your local pool throughout the week, typically before 4pm on weekdays, where swimming sessions can be up to half price. Weekend prices tend to be higher as this is when family swim rates apply. GO WILD: Wild or outdoor swimming is a great way to blow away the cobwebs now the warmer weather is here. You can find a full list of outdoor swimming pools and venues at — and pay-as-you-go pricing means you can try it before committing to a big monthly spend. SMART THINKING: Avoid costly extras by making sure you bring your own locker padlock and your own shampoo and conditioner. Nationwide £100 Bonus, Tesco Clubcard Voucher Deadline, and EDF Free Energy Returns – Money News Today It's also a good idea to invest in a waterproof phone case if you're going to leave your bag poolside. You can snap up two best-selling Yosh ones for £7.64 at All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability Deal of the day REPLACE your old toothbrush with the Oral-B Vitality Pro electric one – usually £50, is now £25 at Cheap treat SCOOP up a deal at Asda – tubs of Ben & Jerry's ice cream were £5.74, now £3.74 for a limited time. Top swap 7 FAKE a summer glow with the cult Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Shimmering Multi-Purpose Dry Oil 50ml, £22, from Or try the Sunkissed Body Shimmer Highlighter 100ml, £3.99 at Savers. Shop & save FANS of Disney's Frozen need to head to Home Bargains to get the Disney Frozen Elsa doll, usually £10.99 and now £6.99. Hot right now GET 50 per cent off a huge range of womenswear at Matalan, with summer dresses reduced to as little as £5. PLAY NOW TO WIN £200 7 JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle. Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered. Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Fears leisure centre closure plan pits 'town against town'
A council has been accused of "setting town against town" as a consultation begins on the future of sport, leisure and cultural facilities in the Scottish Borders. Dozens of sites run by charitable trust Live Borders on the local authority's behalf have been recommended for closure in a report by consultants. Scottish Borders Council leader Euan Jardine stressed that no decisions had been made and they were seeking "constructive input". However, Gill Cooper of Abbey Quilters - a community groups which use the Abbey Row centre in Kelso - said it felt like they were pitting towns and villages against one another in order to see which facilities were retained. Speaking after a meeting with other concerned groups at the site which consultants recommended for closure, she said: "We're absolutely disgusted at the questions they're asking on the consultation to be honest. "All they're asking about is individual spaces and numbers - all they're trying to do is set the hall in Earlston against the hall in Kelso, against the hall in Jedburgh." She said the council should be looking to invest in the cultural life of the region and places like Abbey Row were the "bedrock of that Borders life". "Don't be setting town against town, village against village," she added. "Instead, ask what we need in the Borders - what are we trying to achieve in our communities? "Abbey Row has lots of activity every day, which support disability, mental health, dexterity, the loneliness index – I could go on and on. But they're not interested in that." She said that the council had its priorities wrong if it was not prepared to invest in community life and suggested it could use the money from a 10% increase in council tax. More stories from South Scotland Listen to news for the Scottish Borders on BBC Sounds However, Mr Jardine said they wanted to give everyone a chance to have their say on the way forward. "No decisions have been made, and our conversations with communities, stakeholders and colleagues over the coming months will be vital in building a full picture of priorities, how services and facilities are used, where alternatives exist, and what the impacts of different options might be," he said. "Change is essential to bring Live Borders into a sustainable financial position, but the specific details around services and properties are still up for discussion. "Live Borders is already progressing other actions that could deliver significant savings and when combined with some service and property changes, these will help safeguard the future of sport, leisure, and cultural provision across the region." He said it was important to emphasise any changes would not save the council money but would help Live Borders operate within its budget and make that budget go further. Council to consult on closing libraries and pools
BBC News
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- BBC News
Borders leisure site consultation sets 'town against town'
A council has been accused of "setting town against town" as a consultation begins on the future of sport, leisure and cultural facilities in the Scottish of sites run by charitable trust Live Borders on the local authority's behalf have been recommended for closure in a report by Borders Council leader Euan Jardine stressed that no decisions had been made and they were seeking "constructive input".However, Gill Cooper of Abbey Quilters - a community groups which use the Abbey Row centre in Kelso - said it felt like they were pitting towns and villages against one another in order to see which facilities were retained. Speaking after a meeting with other concerned groups at the site which consultants recommended for closure, she said: "We're absolutely disgusted at the questions they're asking on the consultation to be honest."All they're asking about is individual spaces and numbers - all they're trying to do is set the hall in Earlston against the hall in Kelso, against the hall in Jedburgh."She said the council should be looking to invest in the cultural life of the region and places like Abbey Row were the "bedrock of that Borders life"."Don't be setting town against town, village against village," she added."Instead, ask what we need in the Borders - what are we trying to achieve in our communities?"Abbey Row has lots of activity every day, which support disability, mental health, dexterity, the loneliness index – I could go on and on. But they're not interested in that."She said that the council had its priorities wrong if it was not prepared to invest in community life and suggested it could use the money from a 10% increase in council tax. However, Mr Jardine said they wanted to give everyone a chance to have their say on the way forward."No decisions have been made, and our conversations with communities, stakeholders and colleagues over the coming months will be vital in building a full picture of priorities, how services and facilities are used, where alternatives exist, and what the impacts of different options might be," he said."Change is essential to bring Live Borders into a sustainable financial position, but the specific details around services and properties are still up for discussion."Live Borders is already progressing other actions that could deliver significant savings and when combined with some service and property changes, these will help safeguard the future of sport, leisure, and cultural provision across the region."He said it was important to emphasise any changes would not save the council money but would help Live Borders operate within its budget and make that budget go further.
CNA
6 days ago
- Health
- CNA
Why your brain can't let go of unfinished tasks, even something as minor as a half-written email
Sometimes when I'm not working, I find that I still am – in my head. I could be at home, chilling on the sofa while watching an episode of The White Lotus, a TV series on HBO Max. But somewhere in the background of my brain, some quiet thoughts are gnawing at me: I haven't finished the legwork for my upcoming article. There are emails I need to reply to, and ideas I should jot down lest I forget about them before my next meeting. And it's not just work. The undone chores around my home sometimes whisper, too: the laundry that hasn't been folded, the dishes still in the sink, the text messages from friends I meant to reply to this morning. None of these tasks would be categorised as extremely urgent. Some aren't even that important. But in those pockets of rest, they surface again and again, making it hard to truly disengage from brain from my responsibilities and enjoy my leisure activity. It's as if my brain doesn't fully trust the idea of doing nothing or getting a complete rest. It seems that many of us carry the weight of unfinished tasks like invisible backpacks, even in our downtime. So why can't we let go of undone things, no matter how small they are? Why do work tasks cling to our minds long after we've logged off? Curious about whether something like this has been explored in psychology, I did some research and found that psychologists have a name for this – the Zeigarnik effect. It is our brain's tendency to keep reminding us about unfinished tasks more than those we've completed. That's why some things stay 'rent-free' in your mind, because they're not done yet. HOW DOES THE ZEIGARNIK EFFECT WORK? Elaborating on the Zeigarnik effect, psychologists I spoke to said that the human brain is like a tab-hoarding browser, so the moment something is unfinished, it keeps that tab open and blinking until something is done about it. This was first observed by Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik in the 1920s, after she noticed that waiters could remember complex orders only while they were in progress, but forgot them after the bills were paid. Dr Geraldine Tan, director and principal psychologist of The Therapy Room, said the effect itself is not a huge issue, and it manifests even in everyday situations. 'Let's say you have a pot of water on the stove and you need to wait for it to boil before adding in the pasta. If you forget the water is boiling, it could be disastrous,' she said. 'So sometimes, these thoughts linger because there's an element of risk or consequence involved.' Even if it's not dangerous, Dr Tan said the brain 'parks' the thought, keeps it there until it is done, though some mental effort is required. "Like when you go to the supermarket, and you hear an aunty saying, 'Oh I haven't done this, I need to go home. I need to do this, I need to do that'. Often times, this sounds like a complaint, but it's just something she's repeating to herself so she can complete her unfinished tasks." However, with how fast-paced urban life is, these 'parked' thoughts sometimes get pushed aside by other priorities. Dr Tan explained that they do not disappear – they are just displaced, until something might trigger the memory again, forcing you to get back to the task eventually. Dr Ong Mian Li, founder and principal clinical psychologist of Lightfull Psychology and Consulting Practice, said one theory behind the Zeigarnik effect is that our brains evolved from prehistoric times to prioritise potential threats or risks, also known as loss aversion. Back then, unfinished business could mean danger, such as forgetting where a predator was, he added. 'So even today, your brain throws a mental tantrum when something's unresolved, even if it's just a half-written email ... it throws up a yellow or red light.' WHILE HELPFUL FOR LEARNING, IT CAN BE DRAINING With that lingering mental itch nudging you towards completing tasks, the psychologists said that the effect has upsides in learning and working, as it functions like a built-in reminder system to help us finish what we started. Dr Tan said this is especially helpful in learning, such as how young children learning to tell time often get stuck on how the minute and hour hands relate, so the information feels incomplete. "That sense of 'I still don't get this' drives you to revise, and that's productive. If the task feels incomplete, the brain pushes you to go back to it and complete the learning." In the workplace, Dr Tan said the same effect can drive preparation, like mentally rehearsing what to say in a meeting or revisiting a task list before work. 'It's useful, but only as long as you act on it. If you don't, the weight compounds. The effect lingers in the background, draining your energy.' Ms Eunice Lim, clinical psychologist at Heartscape Psychology, said that when this happens, it could contribute to fatigue, burnout, and negative self-beliefs around competence, especially in individuals with perfectionistic tendencies. People juggling multiple roles – work, caregiving, financial stress – often feel the Zeigarnik effect more intensely, she added. Tasks start to bleed into rest time and even joyful moments can feel muted because the mind is still stuck in 'unfinished' mode, Ms Lim explained. 'The mental strain of chronic incompletion can mimic hypervigilance, where the body stays on alert because it doesn't feel safe to rest. 'For some, this shows up as difficulty falling asleep, as their minds replay what they haven't completed, what they should've done, or what still hasn't been started,' she said, adding that in some cases, it may even lead to depersonalisation, where one feels numb or emotionally disconnected as a way to cope. Dr Tan added that this effect extends beyond short-term tasks, as long-term unmet goals, such as a dream or a goal you haven't moved on from for years, can also be problematic when they loop in your head. "This can go in a few directions: You resign yourself to thinking, 'I'll never do it', or you feel like you've failed, which can cause you to spiral downward. "Or, you finally decide, 'Okay, when am I going to do this?' Then you make a plan, even if it's for later," she said, adding that the bigger the goal, the more mental space it takes up. COPING MECHANISMS AND HOW TO USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE The good news is, there are simple tips and strategies you can adopt to mentally close the loop on tasks you are unable to finish right away. The psychologists advised getting things out of your head and onto a list, which will help declutter the mind, even if you're not acting on it yet. But lists alone aren't enough. Dr Tan of The Therapy Room said that you also need to convert thoughts into behaviour, which means acting on at least one item on your list. 'Start by reprioritising. Do the things you can do. Put a clear timeline to them – once they're done, they're done,' she said. 'After that, you'll realise that things aren't so bad. And for the rest, you can throw it out if it's unnecessary, resource yourself by getting help from others, or just get started on the task.' Heartscape Psychology's Ms Lim mentioned the 'one-minute rule': if a task takes under a minute to complete, do it immediately, as this helps close small loops and prevents build-up. She also said breaking big goals into small, actionable steps goes a long way, as a single goal can sometimes feel massive and overwhelming, thus leading to avoidance. 'For example, if you have a goal of switching out of a career you are unhappy in, try 'Listing three companies I am curious about on LinkedIn' or 'Speak to a friend in that industry I am interested in'.' Dr Ong from Lightfull Psychology also noted that the Zeigarnik effect can be used to our advantage – one simple way is to start a task and intentionally leave it midway before taking a break. 'That little tension pull? It'll motivate you to come back and finish it. Writers and creatives do this all the time,' he said, adding that this is the same psychological trick behind TV cliffhangers.' Another mindhack: Just tell yourself you're going to begin a task to gently nudge yourself into action, said Dr Ong. "Chances are, your brain won't let you rest until you come back to it. This is really helpful for procrastinators." Dr Ong noted that the Zeigarnik effect is more pronounced today than it was 10 to 15 years ago. Back then, most people had just one email inbox to manage. Now, he said: 'We have six inboxes, three messaging apps, and a smartwatch reminding you that you've only done 5,000 steps.' "It's not just about how many inboxes we have, it's the sense that we're never quite done. There's always one more notification, one more ping, one more thing we could be optimising. "The modern challenge isn't just about finishing things. It's about deciding what's worth finishing. And sometimes, the healthiest thing you can do is close a mental tab with a shrug and say, 'Not today, and that's okay'."
