lack of free time essay

Americans work less than ever before but still feel like there's no free time — and there's a simple explanation

• S creen-based devices eat up what precious free time we have left.
• For a lot of people time not spent working feels like a waste.

The number of hours Americans work has  gone down over the last several decades, according to data from the OECD, while leisure time has gone up. But that's hardly the perception for many working people.

The psychologist Adam Alter offered one reason in his 2017 TED talk "Why our screens make us less happy."  He says that screen-based devices eat up what precious free time we have left.

But that may only be part of the story when it comes to the lack of leisure time. Here's why it feels like you have no free time anymore.

Our view of free time has changed.

Now that Americans have left the Industrial Age for the Information Age, the way people think about the value of time has changed.

Psychologists have found people do actually equate time with its monetary value (i.e. "Time is money."). At the same time, people have more opportunities than ever for multi-tasking. The result is time not spent working feels like a waste.

"Multi-tasking is what makes us feel pressed for time," Elizabeth Dunn, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia, told the Economist .

People are working from home more often.

A 2017 Gallup survey of 15,000 American workers found that 43% of people spent at least some of their time working remotely — an increase of four percentage points since 2012.

They're also doing it more often: While the share of people who said they work remotely one day a week or less has fallen since 2012, the share of people who do it four or five times a week has risen, from 24% to 31%.

On the one hand, more flexibility in where to work has made it easier for parents and people who travel a lot to get their work done. But it's also had the side effect of getting people comfortable with working at home, at times they'd normally be relaxing.

We are spending longer hours in the office.

A 2011 survey of more than 300 companies in the US and Canada found nearly two-thirds of employers were demanding longer hours of their employees than they did three years prior.

Roughly half said they expected the longer hours to get even longer over the next three years.

According to additional survey results, the attitude may be due to the fact employers weren't aware that workers felt their mental health had suffered due to the longer hours.

People are spending their weekends working.

Another consequence of having constant access to mobile technology is that industries can work round-the-clock, which includes Saturday and Sunday. Americans, more than any residents of any other country, spend their weekends working,  according to OECD data, 

The 2014 data show 29% of American employees had worked over the weekend at some point during the past year. Fewer than 25% of people in Germany and 10% of people in Spain reported the same.

Flexibility to work remotely has also contributed to the ease of working weekends.

What free time people do have, they spend it on their devices.

Finally, once people do get free time, they tend to squander the opportunity by retreating to their phones or tablets.

NYU psychologist Adam Alter has found in his research that screen time has increased dramatically over the last decade. In 2007, people spent only a fraction of their free time on devices. By 2017, the ratio had flipped: People now spend a fraction of their time  not  on devices.

"That's where your humanity lives," Alter told the TED audience, referring to the portion of time where you are undistracted by technology. "And right now it's in a very small box."

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Why is free time still so elusive?

Distinguished Professor of Modern History, Penn State

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Gary Cross does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Penn State provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation US.

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There have been massive gains in productivity over the past century.

So why are people still working so hard for so long?

Output per worker increased by almost 300% between 1950 and 2018 in the U.S. The standard American workweek, meanwhile, has remained unchanged, at about 40 hours.

This paradox is especially notable in the U.S., where the average work year is 1,767 hours compared with 1,354 in Germany , a difference largely due to Americans’ lack of vacation time .

Some might argue that Americans are just more hardworking. But shouldn’t more productive work be rewarded with more time free from work?

This is the central theme of my new book, “ Free Time: The History of an Elusive Ideal .”

Keynes misses the mark

Many economists see the status quo mostly as a choice : People would simply rather have more money. So they prioritize work over free time.

However, in the past, many economists assumed that people’s need for more stuff would eventually be met. At that point, they would choose more free time.

In fact, one of the most famous economists of the 20th century, John Maynard Keynes, confidently predicted in 1930 that within a century, the normal workweek would decrease to 15 hours. Yet Americans in their prime working age are still on the job 41.7 hours per week.

Why was Keynes wrong?

Obviously, people’s needs or wants were not fully met. In the first half of the 20th century, advertising shifted in ways that emphasized emotions over utility, making consumers feel like they needed to buy more stuff; planned obsolescence shortened how long products remained functional or fashionable, spurring more frequent purchases; and new, exciting – but costly – goods and services kept consumerism churning.

So workers continued to labor for long hours to earn enough money to spend.

Furthermore, as wages rose, the opportunity cost of time spent away from work also grew. This made more free time less economically appealing. In a consumption-saturated society, time spent neither producing nor consuming goods increasingly appeared as wasted time.

Interest in slower, cheaper activities – reading a book, meeting a friend to catch up over coffee – started to seem less important than buying a pickup truck or spending an hour at the casino, pursuits that demand disposable income.

Forced labor

It’s still important to consider whether there’s even any choice to be made.

Almost everyone who works 40 hours a week or more does so because they have to. There are bills to pay, health insurance coverage to maintain and retirement to squirrel away money for. Some jobs are more precarious than others, and many workers even forego earned vacation time for fear of losing promotions .

This hardly makes for a free choice.

But the 40-hour week isn’t the result of a personal calculation of costs and benefits. Rather, it’s the result of a hard-fought political battle that culminated in the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 , which established the standard 40-hour workweek, along with a minimum wage.

Pressed by a labor movement that was far more powerful than today’s , the government implemented a range of progressive economic policies during the 1930s to help the nation emerge from the Great Depression.

Many government officials viewed setting a standard workweek as a way to curtail exploitation and unfair competition among employers, who would otherwise be motivated to push their employees to work for as long as possible. It was an emergency measure, not a choice of more time over more personal income. Nor was it a step toward the progressive reduction of hours worked, as Keynes had envisioned.

In fact, it was hardly a radical measure.

Labor leaders had initially proposed a 30-hour week, which government officials resoundingly rejected. Even New Deal liberals saw a shortening of working hours as a potential threat to economic growth .

So the 40-hour week ended up as the compromise, and the standard hasn’t been updated since.

For most Americans, this was an acceptable trade-off. They might be working long hours, but they could afford television sets, cars and homes in the suburbs. Many families could live on the wages of the full-time work of the father, making the 40-hour week seem reasonable, since the mother had time to care for the family and home.

But this consensus has long since been undermined. Since the 1970s, inflation-adjusted wages haven’t risen with economic growth . In many households that include married or partnered couples, a single wage earner has been replaced by two earners, both of whom find themselves working at least 40 hours per week.

It’s almost as if the 40-hour week has been replaced by an 80-hour week – at least in terms of hours worked per household .

Who has time to raise kids? Who can afford them? It’s no wonder the birth rate has declined .

Separating economic growth from well-being

For decades, the amount of work we do has been talked about as “just the way things are” – an inevitability, almost. It doesn’t seem possible for society to take a different tack and, like flipping a switch, work less.

To me, this resignation points to a need to reconsider the social contracts of the past. Most Americans will not abandon their work ethic and their insistence that most people work. Fair enough.

Many people prefer working over having vast stores of free time, and that’s OK. And there’s still immense value in work that doesn’t produce a paycheck – caregiving and volunteering, for example.

But reducing the standard workweek, perhaps by transitioning to a four-day week, could ease stress for overworked families.

These changes require political action, not just individuals making the personal choice to arrive at a better work-life balance. And yet a national reduction in the standard workweek seems almost impossible. Congress can’t even pass legislation for paid family leave or guaranteed vacation time.

It doesn’t help that elected leaders continue to insist that well-being be measured mostly by economic growth, and when the U.S. media breathlessly reports quarterly economic growth data, with increases deemed “good” and decreases deemed “bad.”

Why shouldn’t free time and its benefits be included in the equation? Why aren’t figures on the social costs of unlimited growth publicized? Does it even matter that the Dow Jones Industrial Average has doubled in less than a decade when economic security is so fragile and so many people are overstressed ?

The idea that stratospheric increases in productivity can allow for more time for life is not simply a romantic or sentimental idea. Keynes viewed it as entirely reasonable.

Opportunities like the one that led to the 40-hour workweek in the 1930s rarely appear. But some sort of paradigm shift is urgently needed.

Something has to give.

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Too much free time may be almost as bad as too little

• Personality

Using excess discretionary time on productive activities can help bolster well-being, study says

Read the journal article

• Having Too Little or Too Much Time Is Linked to Lower Subjective Well-Being (PDF, 1MB)

WASHINGTON — As an individual’s free time increases, so does that person’s sense of well-being—but only up to a point. Too much free time can also be a bad thing, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

“People often complain about being too busy and express wanting more time. But is more time actually linked to greater happiness? We found that having a dearth of discretionary hours in one’s day results in greater stress and lower subjective well-being,” said Marissa Sharif, PhD, an assistant professor of marketing at The Wharton School and lead author of the paper. “However, while too little time is bad, having more time is not always better.”

The research was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology .

Researchers analyzed the data from 21,736 Americans who participated in the American Time Use Survey between 2012 and 2013. Participants provided a detailed account of what they did during the prior 24 hours—indicating the time of day and duration of each activity—and reported their sense of well-being. The researchers found that as free time increased, so did well-being, but it leveled off at about two hours and began to decline after five. Correlations in both directions were statistically significant.

The researchers also analyzed data from 13,639 working Americans who participated in the National Study of the Changing Workforce between 1992 and 2008. Among the survey’s many questions, participants were asked about their amount of discretionary time (e.g., “On average, on days when you’re working, about how many hours [minutes] do you spend on your own free-time activities?”) and their subjective well-being, which was measured as life satisfaction (e.g., “All things considered, how do you feel about your life these days? Would you say you feel 1=very satisfied, 2=somewhat satisfied, 3=somewhat dissatisfied, or 4=very dissatisfied?”)

Once again, the researchers found that higher levels of free time were significantly associated with higher levels of well-being, but only up to a point. After that, excess free time was not associated with greater well-being.

To further investigate the phenomenon, the researchers conducted two online experiments involving more than 6,000 participants. In the first experiment, participants were asked to imagine having a given amount of discretionary time every day for at least six months. Participants were randomly assigned to have a low (15 minutes per day), moderate (3.5 hours per day), or high (7 hours per day) amount of discretionary time. Participants were asked to report the extent to which they would experience enjoyment, happiness and satisfaction.

Participants in both the low and high discretionary time groups reported lower well-being than the moderate discretionary time group. The researchers found that those with low discretionary time felt more stressed than those with a moderate amount, contributing to lower well-being, but those with high levels of free time felt less productive than those in the moderate group, leading them to also have lower well-being. 

In the second experiment, researchers looked at the potential role of productivity. Participants were asked to imagine having either a moderate (3.5 hours) or high (7 hours) amount of free time per day, but were also asked to imagine spending that time in either productive (e.g., working out, hobbies or running) or unproductive activities (e.g., watching television or using the computer). The researchers found participants with more free time reported lower levels of well-being when engaging in unproductive activities. However, when engaging in productive activities, those with more free time felt similar to those with a moderate amount of free time.   

“Though our investigation centered on the relationship between amount of discretionary time and subjective well-being, our additional exploration into how individuals spend their discretionary time proved revealing,” said Sharif. “Our findings suggest that ending up with entire days free to fill at one’s discretion may leave one similarly unhappy. People should instead strive for having a moderate amount of free time to spend how they want. In cases when people do find themselves with excessive amounts of discretionary time, such as retirement or having left a job, our results suggest these individuals would benefit from spending their newfound time with purpose.” 

Article: “Having Too Little or Too Much Time is Linked to Lower Subjective Well-Being,” by Marissa Sharif, PhD, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School; and Cassie Mogilner, PhD; and Hal Hershfield, PhD, University of California Los Angeles. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , published online Sept. 9, 2021.

Marissa Sharif, PhD, can be contacted via email .

Jim Sliwa (202) 336-5707

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Adolescence

How Teens Use Downtime to Connect, Distract or Reflect

Different choices for how young people use free time lead to different kinds of relief.

By Lisa Damour

When pandemic-weary adolescents get to take a break, what should they do with themselves? The main aim, of course, should be to feel better after the break than before it. But different downtime choices lead to different kinds of relief. Adolescents (and adults) might want to reflect on the options for how they spend their free time — whether they’ve got 20 spare minutes today or can anticipate more unscheduled time in the weeks ahead.

Here’s a look at three ways teenagers tend to spend their downtime, and the particular benefits and challenges that come with each.

Connecting With the World Digitally

Young people often use their downtime to text with friends or check their social media accounts — and with good reason. Particularly under the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic, teenagers rely on these platforms to connect with peers and to keep up with headlines . Spending time online might deliver the boost of an amusing exchange with a friend, a clever meme or good news about a favorite sports team. If it does, that makes for a restorative break.

But, of course, it can go another way.

Checking in on social media or the 24-hour news cycle is the psychological equivalent of sidling up to a slot machine. Hitting the jackpot — receiving digital love from a friend or finding an encouraging update about a vaccine — feels good. Pulling the lever and losing — whether that’s your messages being “left on read,” meaning the recipient doesn’t respond, or catching a depressing headline — is pretty much bound to happen from time to time.

For teenagers, especially in the context of the pandemic, turning to social media as a way to recharge can be a high-stakes gamble. Jill Walsh, a Boston University sociologist who studies technology use among adolescents, finds that having fewer in-person interactions has left many teenagers feeling “incredibly uncertain about their friendships.” Previously tolerable ambiguity in communications can now be highly distressing. Dr. Walsh notes that “getting a text that simply reads ‘k,’” — shorthand for OK that can be read as friendly, curt or angry — “can create a huge amount of emotional labor as a kid tries to figure out what it means.”

Before defaulting to downtime scrolling, teens might weigh the possibility of seeing a mood-lifting post against the chance that they’ll run into something distressing. A well-spent break should help to ease the mind; it shouldn’t open new tabs to worry over in our mental browsers.

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Can You Ever Have Too Much Free Time?

New research sheds light on the relationship between spare time and happiness..

Posted September 29, 2021 | Reviewed by Gary Drevitch

• What Is Time Management?
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• Having a scarcity or a surplus of free time is linked to less happiness.
• The relationship between free time and happiness applies regardless of whether someone has paid employment.
• Time spent socially engaging or pursuing interests that feel rewarding and beneficial aren't linked to less happiness even after five hours.

Imagine that you could take exactly the amount of time each day to do what you really wanted to do. How much time would you grab for yourself? Now ask yourself something else: If you actually could have that time in your life, starting today, would you be happier? Or, just maybe, would your temporal gift leave you dissatisfied?

In a new research paper (September, 2021), a team of researchers essentially asked these same questions. They examined the link between how much discretionary time people have and their contentment in life. The researchers defined discretionary time as “time spent on leisure activities or other pursuits where the primary function is the use of time for pleasure or some other intrinsically worthwhile purpose.” They surveyed a group of people to make sure that they were capturing acts that the vast majority of folks (over 90%) saw as fitting under the umbrella of discretionary time. Examples included doing nothing, watching television, playing games, spending time with family or friends, going to an art gallery or a comedy club, having sex , watching sports, running, golfing, and doing other forms of exercise. Importantly, not only did the researchers clarify what qualifies as being discretionary time, they also took into account what discretionary time is not . For example, the absence of discretionary time isn’t solely when people are collecting a paycheck; it involves other tasks such as childcare, household maintenance, or going to a doctor’s appointment. Fittingly, they included people in their research whether or not they had a paying job.

The team assessed how discretionary time and contentment are connected in two ways. First, they surveyed people and found out how they spent their discretionary time along with how happy they were with their lives. Second, they ran two experiments asking people to, in the first iteration, carefully and thoroughly picture having varying amounts of discretionary time and, in the second experiment, to also envision that time as either being constructive or not.

The results of their research revealed a few points:

First, insufficient free time (i.e., less than two hours) is related to reduced contentment, and the opportunity to have more discretionary time is linked to feeling better. But this is only true up to a point.

Second, a person can have too much spare time. In this case, the team found that more than five hours of leisure time is connected to less satisfaction.

Third, how people spend five or more hours of free time appears to be important. When it comes to spending time socially engaging with others or pursuing leisure interests that feel constructive, fruitful, rewarding, or beneficial, more time wasn’t related to diminished wellness. Instead, it seems to be time spent alone or doing something that just feels empty or of no real value where more time is linked with lower contentment.

Fourth, it didn’t matter whether they were talking about the weekend or a weekday, or looking at people who have paid employment or not; the results were the same.

What can we draw from this? That depends on our circumstances. As the research team suggested, individuals who just don’t seem to have a free moment in the day might want to try to open up a couple of hours to do as they please. And people who have loads of free time might want to be mindful of how they spend it so that it feels social or valuable. Either way, this research suggests that we can cultivate and fine-tune our relationship with time and leisure in ways that may better serve us.

Sharif, M. A., Mogilner, C., & Hershfield, H. E. (2021, September 9). Having too little or too much time is linked to lower subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Personality Processes and Individual Differences . Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000391

Holly Parker, Ph.D. is a lecturer at Harvard University and a psychologist in private practice.

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Why You Never Seem to Have Enough Time

Right now, I can feel the tight squeeze of stress in my stomach. This morning, I got a call from a close friend needing support, which prevented me from starting this article. At any moment, I expect one of my coworkers to email me asking for help with a last-minute assignment. And I’m set to leave my desk early for a dentist appointment, after which I’ll rush home to cook a late dinner.

I’m under time pressure—and I know I’m not alone. If you’re a woman , or a single parent , or practically anyone living in today’s go-go-go American society, you probably are, too. When researchers surveyed Americans before 2011, about half said they almost never had time on their hands and two-thirds said they sometimes or always felt rushed (though a more recent study suggests things may be improving a bit).

As researcher Cassie Mogilner and her colleagues write in a 2012 paper, “With waking hours largely consumed by work, precious minutes remain for the daily list of to-dos, including exercise, cleaning, and socializing with friends and family.”

At first glance, the issue seems straightforward. Time pressure comes down to a lack of time, right? Well, partly. It’s the feeling that we don’t have enough time to do what we want to do—but it turns out that feelings and enough and wants are somewhat subjective.

From 1965 to 2003, the average American workweek actually declined by three hours, while leisure time increased. And in many places in the developed world, the workweek has gotten even shorter since then. In one study of more than 7,000 working Australians, researchers declared that time pressure is an “illusion.” They estimated how much time is necessary for basic living—hours of paid work, housework, and personal care—and compared it to how much free time people had in their actual schedules. It turns out there was a big discrepancy, which was most extreme for households without children and smallest for single parents.

“Those who feel most overworked—those who have least ‘free time’—largely do it to themselves,” the researchers wrote. In other words, we could theoretically spend fewer hours making money, vacuuming and washing dishes, or cooking and eating, and we’d get by without getting overwhelmed.

Although you may not want to subsist just above the poverty line or give your kids as little attention as possible, the broader point is important: Tight-squeezy time stress has to do with the things we value and the time we devote to them. And, other research suggests, it also relates to our attitudes and mindsets about time. Rather than always blaming the clock, we can find some roots of the time crunch deep in our own psychology. Here are some scientific insights to help you make a distinction between real stopwatch pressure and the unnecessary pressure you might be putting on yourself.

1. Enjoyment and passion

In a 2004 study of nearly 800 working people in Ohio, researchers were confronted with a puzzle.

When women did more than 10 hours of housework a week, they felt more pressed for time and in turn more depressed. But when men did the same amount of housework, they didn’t. A similar pattern appeared for volunteering: Men who volunteered more were less depressed, but women got time stressed and didn’t seem to experience as much benefit.

The explanation that the researchers came up with, bolstered by people’s accounts of how they spent their time, was that men tend to do more enjoyable housework and volunteering. They cut the grass and coach soccer teams; they get into flow and feel a sense of accomplishment. Women, on the other hand, are often occupied with small, repetitive daily chores and service work: less cheering and high-fiving and more trying not to fall asleep at school meetings.

Unsurprisingly, a day packed with somewhat engaging activities feels less busy and stressful than a day of drudgery. If time flies (in a good way) when you’re having fun, it also seems to fly (in a bad way) when you’re not. This subjective element might have created more of a sense of time pressure in women who participated in the study, even if men’s activities equaled or exceeded theirs in hours.

A similar effect takes place at work. In one study , researchers surveyed more than 2,500 employees at a technology company and a financial services company. They found that people who are more passionate, who aspire to do things that matter to them at work, aren’t as rushed and harried as others.

If you feel short on time, you might simply not be enjoying the activities that fill up your schedule. Life can be like that sometimes, but if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, it might help to add one more thing to your day—something that keeps you engaged.

2. Inner conflict

Why does passion seem to free up our time? The researchers who observed this phenomenon wanted to discover what was really going on.

They found a clue when they asked employees about how conflicted or aligned their goals were. Employees lacking in passion said that their goals were competing with each other, fighting for time and attention; for example, the drive to do well at work might make it hard to get home for dinner with the family. But passionate employees were different: They saw their goals as supporting each other. After all, healthy home cooking and family bonding might give them more energy and motivation tomorrow.

Gift of Time

Spend quality time with people you care about

So, time pressure isn’t just about how enjoyable our activities are, but also how well they fit together in our heads. One study found that people who simply think about conflicting goals—like saving money vs. buying nice things, or being healthy vs. eating tasty foods—feel more stressed and anxious, and in turn shorter on time.

Knox College professor Tim Kasser , an expert on materialism who coauthored a seminal paper on time scarcity, once joked, “If every research project that I’m currently working on right now was a cat living in my house, it would be very clear that I had a problem.” If your to-do list feels like a herd of hungry felines, all in competition for your one can of food, it’s no wonder you’re overwhelmed.

While we may freely choose some tasks on our plate, others are largely the product of our society or culture, says Australian National University professor Lyndall Strazdins , who has spent the last decade trying to show how time scarcity matters for individual and public health. For example, being a good suburban mom today seems to include chauffeuring your kids around the neighborhood to countless sports and hobbies.

“If you don’t do that, then you feel you’re not living up to one set of norms, but if you don’t do [something else], you’re also not living up to another set of norms,” says Strazdins. “You’ve got 24 hours…and you get to a point where you just can’t expand your day.” If you feel a lot of inner conflict about a task, then you might consider just letting it go.

3. A sense of control

Often when we’re caught in a time conflict, it’s because of some external obligation: Daycare pickup runs up against an important meeting; your work shift starts at 9, but the bus is late. Time pressure goes hand in hand with feeling you’re not in control of your own schedule.

In one 2007 study , researchers interviewed 35 low-income working mothers who were caring for at least one child. They asked the moms to talk about how they spent the previous day, and how they manage to feed their families when it’s hectic.

The researchers were able to pinpoint different ways of managing time—some of which were more successful than others.

The least successful was the “reactive” style, where mothers didn’t feel in control of their days. All those mothers felt time-scarce, beholden to the clock, unable to accomplish everything they wanted to. In contrast, mothers who had an “active” time-style had some success at scheduling, managing, and structuring their days. They felt slightly more in control of their own time and a bit less time-stressed than the reactive group.

“People often complain of being in a time bind not only because they are objectively busy, but also because they perceive a lack of control over their time,” researcher Ashley V. Whillans and her colleagues write . That perception may be based on our life circumstances—because we have non-negotiable work hours or babies who aren’t fond of sleeping through the night—but it can also be part of our psychology. 

According to research, rather than experiencing life as masters of their own fate, some people tend to feel like they’re at the mercy of external forces (and thus less resilient to stress and more depressed ). If this describes you, it may be harder for you to seize back a sense of control over your schedule.

In that case, try to keep your eyes on the prize and do what you can to gain a sense of control over your time. Take little steps, like optimizing your to-do list or practicing saying “no” to people who ask for favors.

4. The value of your time

One last piece of the time-pressure puzzle is money, and that one is complicated. If you work multiple jobs or can’t pay for a babysitter, you’re bound to feel short on time. But some research has found that people with high incomes feel particularly short on time—and people who get richer become even more harried than they were before. Even just feeling rich—when your savings is on the higher end of the scale on a form you’re filling out— can make you feel more rushed .

“In a society like ours, the go-to answer [for happiness] is make more money, buy more stuff,” says Kasser. “What we’re trying to say is, well, no; what people actually need is more time.”

Why would an abundance of money feel like a scarcity of time ? One possibility is that rich people have so much they could do with their money but only a handful of hours outside work to do it, suggest researchers Daniel Hamermesh and Jungmin Lee. So many expensive hobbies to pursue, so little time!

“Those who feel most overworked—those who have least ‘free time’—largely do it to themselves”

But another possibility is that they simply put more value on their time. If each hour they’re not working is $100 they could have earned, they better use that hour well.

As economists would remind us, when something is scarce, its value goes up—but the opposite is also true. When something is valuable (like time), we perceive it to be scarcer. In one experiment , researchers asked 67 students to engage in some mock consulting work, for which they would “charge” $1.50 or $0.15 per minute. The students who were charging $1.50 felt more pressed for time—even though they weren’t actually going to earn that money! In another experiment, when people were asked to calculate their hourly wage, high earners felt even more time-starved.

“Feelings of time pressure are not just a function of individual differences, the quantitative amount of time spent working, or even people’s working conditions, although these factors are obviously important,” write researchers Sanford E. DeVoe and Jeffrey Pfeffer. “Time pressure is at least partly a result of psychological processes and the perception of time’s value.”

This is all good news and bad news. It means that our efforts to optimize and schedule, plan and streamline, might not be getting to the heart of the problem. But it also means that we may have more leverage than we think, even if we can’t manufacture spare hours to call a friend or get to the dentist. Time pressure is the uncomfortable gap between how we wish we spent our time—and how we think that would make us feel—and how we’re spending it and feeling now. With that in mind, we just might be able to find some room to breathe.

About the Author

Kira M. Newman

Kira M. Newman is the managing editor of Greater Good . Her work has been published in outlets including the Washington Post , Mindful magazine, Social Media Monthly , and Tech.co, and she is the co-editor of The Gratitude Project . Follow her on Twitter!

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Essays About Time: Top 5 Examples and 8 Prompts

Essays about time involve looking into human existence and other intangible concepts. Check out our top examples and prompts to write an engaging piece about this subject.

Time entails many concepts that can be hard to explain. In its simplest sense, time is the period between the past, present, and future. It also encompasses every action or progression of events within those measures. Time never stops. It consistently ticks away, making it both a cruel teacher and an apt healer. It inspires many writers to write pieces about it, discussing time as a notion or an element in emotionally-driven compositions that both describe euphoric and heart-rending episodes. 

To aid you in writing a compelling piece, below are our top picks for great essays about time:

1. Time is Precious Essay by Anonymous on AreSearchGuide.com

2. an essay on time by david pincus, 3. time is money by supriya, 4. time waster by anonymous on exampleessays.com, 5. time management: using the less time to do more by anonymous on edubirdie.com, 1. how i spend my time, 2. what is time, 3. time and technology, 4. time management and procrastination, 5. if time doesn’t exist, 6. time as a currency, 7. the value of time, 8. time and productivity.

“Make most of your time and you will be rewarded ten folds of it, waste it and the little you have will be taken away, just like in the parable of talents.”

The essay begins with a convincing statement reminding the readers of the average life expectancy of a person to assert the importance of time. Then, in the later sections, the author answers why time is precious. Some reasons include time is always in motion, is priceless, and can never be borrowed. The piece also mentions why many “wait for the right opportunity,” not realizing they must plan first to get to the “right time.” Finally, at the end of the essay, the writer reminds us that balancing and planning how to spend time in all areas of life are critical to having a meaningful existence.

“I don’t know what time is, beyond a mysterious self-similar backdrop upon which we lead our lives. It is intricately woven across the scales of observation – from the quantum level to the phenomenological time of cultural revolutions.”

Pincus begins the essay with questions about time and then proceeds to answer them. Then, he focuses on time psychologically, relating it to traumas, disorders, and lack of meaning. In the next section, he discusses how psychotherapists use the concept of time to treat patients. 

In the last part of his essay, Pincus admits that he doesn’t know what time is but notes it’s akin to a thread that stitches moments together and anchors us through a complex world.

“Knowing how precious time is, we should never waste time, but make good use of it.”

Supriya’s essay is straightforward. After claiming that someone’s success depends on how they use their time, she gives an example of a student who studied well and passed an exam quickly. She follows it with more examples, referring to office workers and the famous and wealthy.

“Time is something you can’t have back, and should not be used to simply watch a computer screen for hours upon end.”

The writer shares one of his vices that leads him to waste time – technology, specifically, instant messaging. They mention how unproductive it is to just stare at a computer screen to wait for their friends to go online. They know many others have the same problem and hope to overcome the bad habit soon.

“I should strive for good time management skills which are essential to be learned and mastered in order to have a better personal and professional life… it can also help us learn more about self-discipline which is a crucial pillar for stable success… time management is a concept of balance and moderation of the things that are important to us.”

The essay affirms people need to protect time, as it’s a non-renewable resource. A great way to do it is by tracking your time, also known as time management. The writer shared their experience when they were a college student and how challenging it was to allocate their time between deadlines and other life demands. The following parts of the piece explain what time management is in detail, even recommending a tool to help individuals label their activities based on urgency. The following paragraphs focus on what the author learned about time management throughout their life and how they missed opportunities while continuously being stressed. Then, the last part of the essay suggests tips to conquer time management problems. 

Did you know that readability is critical to readers finishing your whole essay? See our article on how to improve your readability score to learn more. 

8 Writing Prompts For Essays About Time

Go through our recommended prompts on essays about time for writing:

In this essay, share how you use your time on a typical day. Then, decide if you want to keep spending your time doing the same things in the future. If not, tell your readers the reason. For instance, if you’re devoting most of your time studying now, you can say that you intend to use your future time doing other invaluable things, such as working hard to help your family.

Because there are many definitions of time, use this essay to define your interpretation of time. You can use creative writing and personify time to make your essay easy to understand. For example, you can think of time as a personal tutor who always reminds you of the things you should be able to finish within the day. For an engaging essay, use descriptive language to emphasize your points.

List technologies that help people save time, such as smartphones, computers, and the internet. Delve into how these devices help individuals complete their tasks faster. On the other hand, you can also talk about how modernization negatively affects people’s time management. Like when they distract students and workers from completing their assignments.

Discuss reasons why people procrastinate. First, ensure to pick common causes so your readers can easily relate to your piece. Then, add tips on how individuals can battle dilly-dallying by recommending influential time management theories and models. You can even try some of these theories or models and tell your readers how they worked for you. 

Open a discussion about what can happen if there is no concept of time. Include what matters you think will be affected if time is abolished. You can also debate that time does not exist, that it’s just created by people to keep track of whatever they need to monitor. Finally, add your thoughts on the notion that “we only exist within an ever-changing now.”

Share your ideas of what can take place if we use “time” to buy food, pay rent, etc. You can also analyze that when we use our time to work, get paid for it, and then purchase our necessities, we’re technically exchanging our time to be able to buy what we need. A movie that used this theory is In Time , starring Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, and Cillian Murphy. You can write a review of this movie and add your opinions on it.

Everyone’s aware of the importance of time. For this prompt, delve into why time is precious. Write this essay from your perspective and probe how time, such as managing or wasting it, affects your life. You can also interpret this prompt by calculating the non-monetary or opportunity costs of spending time. 

Examine the direct relationship between time and productivity. Then, list productivity strategies schools and businesses use. You can also open a discourse about the number of hours workers are supposed to work in a week. For example, debate if you think a 40-hour full-time work week in America, results in more productive employees. Then, add other schedules from other countries and how it affects productivity, such as Denmark, Germany, and Norway, with less than 30 hours of the work week. 

Do you want to know how to convince your readers effectively? Read our guide on how to write an argumentative essay . Improve your writing skills; check out our guide packed full of transition words for essays .

Importance of Free Time for Students

It’s a typical Monday morning at AMS . A group of students are riding skateboards on the school courtyard. Another group are climbing an apple tree and talking excitedly. One student sits on the grass reading to themselves while some other students play a board game at a picnic table. These students are not being rewarded. They did not earn this free time by finishing their work early or getting a test done. It’s just 10:30 and that means they all have a half hour of free time before heading on to their next class. If they don’t finish their conversations or games, it’s not a problem. They will another free period later today. At AMS, our middle schoolers get lots of free time. We believe in the importance of free time for students so much that we make it a part of our daily schedule.

Planning a school week is no easy task. Finding time for every class to sufficiently meet while also providing opportunities for art , music, physical activity, and advising requires many schools to set up confusing schedules in which single half hour chunks attempt to satisfy a middle schooler’s need for artistic expression or adult mentorship. AMS is no different. Students sometime spend months trying to remember that the All School Game only occurs on Thursday afternoons. One area we don’t try to cram into a small available slot though is free time. Students need down time. Making it a regular part of their day helps them remember to take care of themselves, to prioritize their needs and interests. It doesn’t matter what they do during that time, just that they have freedom in how they spend it. Providing them that time helps makes them better students.

The Pedagogy of Breaks

Maria Montessori believed in free time. She understood that students need free time to process and practice the lessons they learned during academic periods. Free time gives students the opportunity to play and experiment. It gives them a break from their daily pressures and allows them to incorporate what they learned into their everyday activities and social connections.

Using free time as an educational tool might seem a bit counter intuitive. Our culture tends to prioritize utility and busyness . We are taught to see down time as wasteful and a loss of potential growth. Why allow a kid to skateboard when they could be spending more time understanding math?

Nothing could be further from the truth.  Free time actually promotes growth. By providing space for play and open experimentation, the students end up internalizing their education and be more conscious in their actions. We often witness our middle schoolers spending their free time processing what they just learned in class, or applying their knowledge by joking with  each other about a topic they just learned. If they just moved from one class to the next, so much of this knowledge would be lost as they became overwhelmed by information overload .

Finding the Time and Space for Free Time

The two biggest hurdles many school face when trying to provide middle schoolers with free time is finding enough time and providing adequate space. School days can feel so short and tightly packed with classes and activities that it’s hard to justify setting aside time to “do nothing.”  Additionally, it’s hard to give students the space to feel like their time is actually free. Telling students to do whatever they want in a small classroom doesn’t really allow for the freedom necessary to make scheduled free time feel worth it, but allowing them free roam of the entire school offers supervision challenges.

We also include long periods of free time at the end of the school day. AMS’s school day goes from 8:30 to 5:30 many days. Extending the school day may not be a popular decision with your teachers, but there are ways to supervise these times without taxing your staff. At AMS, only two staff members oversee the whole school during free time periods. Students check in with them and communicate where they will be. The staff walk around, providing supervision while also giving students space to explore freely. The middle schoolers feel trusted and recognize the responsibility and privilege being bestowed upon them.

Excited for your student to understand the importance of free time and how to use it effectively? Learn more about it by talking to our admissions coordinator!

During free time periods, our students get free use of the campus. They can go walks, use our art studios , visit the library or just hang out in classrooms. Sometimes our students opt to use free time to practice concepts they are learning. They try to apply a lesson to their real life by building something for themselves. Having many opportunities to use their body freely and express themselves is key to making free time successful and worth it. The students are taught to use the school spaces responsibly and clean up after themselves. They enjoy having so many spaces open to them, and as a result, feel ownership over the school.

While scheduled free time in the school day can be challenging to accommodate, finding the time to make it happen is worth it. Free times provides students with a sense that they are trusted, responsible members of your school community. It gives them the time they need to process and recuperate between classes. As a result they will be more engaged in their classes and more excited to come to school every day!

-by Nicholas Maldonado

Essay on What Do You Do in Your Free Time

Students are often asked to write an essay on What Do You Do in Your Free Time in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on What Do You Do in Your Free Time

Introduction.

Free time is when you can indulge in activities that you love. It’s a time to relax, explore, and grow.

Reading Books

I love reading books in my free time. They take me to different worlds and help me learn new things.

Playing Sports

Playing sports is another activity I enjoy. It keeps me fit and teaches me teamwork.

Free time is precious. It’s important to spend it on activities that make you happy and help you grow as a person.

250 Words Essay on What Do You Do in Your Free Time

Reading and learning.

One of the ways I spend my free time is through reading. Books offer a wealth of knowledge, insights, and perspectives that can be transformative. They serve as a window to different cultures, philosophies, and scientific advancements, fostering intellectual growth.

Physical Activity

Physical activity is another essential aspect of my leisure time. Engaging in regular exercise, whether it’s a brisk walk, yoga, or a gym workout, helps maintain physical health and boosts mental well-being. It’s a great way to de-stress and rejuvenate.

Creative Pursuits

Creativity also plays a significant role in my free time. Whether it’s painting, writing, or playing a musical instrument, these activities provide an outlet for self-expression and innovation. They can be therapeutic, fulfilling, and contribute to personal development.

Social Engagement

Lastly, I value social interactions. Spending quality time with family and friends, participating in community activities, or volunteering for a cause can foster a sense of belonging, enhance interpersonal skills, and contribute to societal well-being.

In conclusion, the manner in which we spend our free time can greatly influence our overall quality of life. For me, a balance between intellectual stimulation, physical activity, creative expression, and social engagement serves as an ideal way to utilize this precious time.

500 Words Essay on What Do You Do in Your Free Time

The power of reading.

One of my favorite pastimes is reading. Whether it’s a classic novel, a scientific paper, or a thought-provoking article, reading is an activity that stimulates my mind and broadens my understanding of the world. It is an escape from the routine and a journey into the minds of others. Reading allows me to explore different perspectives, improving my empathy and understanding of diverse cultures and ideologies.

Engaging in Physical Activities

Physical activity is another essential component of my leisure time. Whether it’s jogging in the park, participating in a yoga class, or playing a game of soccer with friends, physical activity provides a much-needed break from the sedentary nature of academic life. It not only keeps me physically fit but also improves my mental health by reducing stress and anxiety. Physical activity is a form of active relaxation that allows me to rejuvenate and prepare for the next bout of focused work.

Volunteering and Social Engagement

Volunteering is another activity that occupies my free time. By helping others, I not only contribute to my community but also gain a sense of fulfillment and purpose. Whether it’s tutoring underprivileged children, participating in a neighborhood cleanup, or supporting a local charity, volunteering fosters a sense of community and interconnectedness.

In conclusion, free time is a valuable resource that offers a respite from the demands of academic life. It provides an opportunity to engage in activities that enrich our lives, broaden our perspectives, and contribute to our well-being. Whether it’s reading, physical activity, creative pursuits, or volunteering, what we do in our free time shapes our identity, values, and character. It’s important to use this time wisely, pursuing activities that bring joy, fulfillment, and personal growth.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Free time essay 7 models

Free time essay  contains many important information about how to use leisure time and the importance of time and things that we can accomplish in leisure time to get the most out of it. All that information you’ll find here in free time essay.

Free time essay

There is no doubt that everyone has a free time daily, weekly or monthly, but we must use this time to develop ourselves and do not waste it in vain. All this will be found here in free time essay .

Leisure time

D uring life, man needs to spend many times in carrying out the necessary tasks required of him to implement them. After completing these works, he has leisure time, ranging from one person to another depending on the different situations and actions that people do in their day and night.

Leisure is a real blessing for those who use it well.  It is a vengeance for those who live in a messy life, filled with illiteracy, a life that destroys the man and makes him live into misery.

The first step in investing leisure time in the right way is to define a goal or a set of clearly defined goals that a person seeks to achieve during his life.

These goals are the main motive that drives the person to set priorities to build his character, organize his time, exploit his abilities, and so on, Which ultimately makes it possible to view leisure as a blessing, not just a time to be filled with any activity.

Man must also use his free time to practice his hobbies and set a schedule for these hobbies at this time. The hobbies keep people away from bad companions, and the different kinds of deviations that may destroy the human, and hinder him from completing his life, and wasting his time in vain.

Taking care of the spiritual aspects, and trying to use leisure time to develop these aspects is the best way to exploit leisure time.

Attention to these aspects helps the human to rise and achieve the highest human grades. It is also necessary to pay attention in leisure time to the social aspects that need to be followed, especially that man is a social being by nature.

Free Time Essay in English

I like to use my spare time to do the work and the planned goals. I always use the method of writing, whether for my future desires, or the goals I expect to achieve. This helps me a lot in progressing and getting good results, whether in personal life or in studies.

When I set plans and goals, I cannot be easily distracted, and all that is required is to see my goals and strive to achieve them, according to the time period required to achieve this goal. I can say that I plan my free time in three stages.

The first stage

Setting quick goals, such as cleaning my room, buying clothes, going to the library, in the first stage I put everything that is simple and requires a short time such as hours or only one day.

The second stage

In the second stage, I set goals that require me more time, such as participating in a competition that requires work for a week or a month, or participating in a social activity that requires a long time.

The third stage

In the third stage I set my big goals such as saving money to buy a car, working to save money first, looking for opportunities for self-development and self-improvement such as learning a new foreign language, participating in hobbies that require continuous work such as theater art, or playing an instrument.

Therefore, I always spend my free time as planned and rarely improvise and deviate from the system that I love to live through.

My free time essay

Of course, my free time at this age has become more important, and I am organizing my time, setting goals and plans, and making a short, medium and long study of how to spend my free time, so that I can enjoy beside learning some new things.

So that I can return to study stronger and more experienced. I have an ambition to become a doctor, and in order to achieve this dream, I must strive and struggle and organize my spare time, whether to learn some new lessons or to learn some manual skills that may benefit me in the future.

So I put in my short goals to visit relatives, go out for a walk and do some sports to release negative energy. And in the medium goals I put going to the library at the end of the week to retrieve a book and get a new book, participate in a one-month educational course, learn a new language or focus on learning some quick skills

In long missions, I put training in the use of sensitive and precise tools, such as sharp tools used in surgeries. I like to practice using the scalpel in slicing the thin layer on the grapes. This helps me a lot in practicing the accuracy of my hand.

Of course, this dream did not come true, and I will not become a doctor now, but any dream begins with believing in it. So I devote my free time to benefit from it and learn useful things that may benefit me in the future.

Essay about free time

Leisure time is a favorite of many people, and it can be said that each person has his own nature to spend free time as he likes.

There are those who like to go out and celebrate or share some activities with their friends, or sit at home and sleep or do some quiet and simple things.

After long days of effort in studying, each person needs some requirements that make him regain his energy and feel better.

Activities I do in my spare time

1- Take a little walk alone in the early morning, jog a little, sit in the garden and watch the birds and the life that goes by and walks around me.

2- Touring the shops and seeing some new goods that I might want to buy.

3- Walking around in the evening with my friends, eating meals and soft drinks, talking and having a little fun.

In the event that any volunteer work appears in the area, I would very much like to participate in it and get to know some new people and talk to them, such as simple work cleaning gardens, cleaning the neighborhood in which we live, going to a nursing home for the elderly, going to the children’s hospital.

Such activities I like to do very much beside my normal life that I live so that I can appreciate life and know the blessings that I have and appreciate them and thank God for them.

Free time and hobbies essay

Free time is one of the favorite times for all students and they love to spend happy times and do some hobbies, whether sports or entertainment. Where the free time in the holidays comes after a long semester, it requires them to focus and diligence, prepare a lot of homework, and undergo many tests that stress and make them anxious for a long time.

Therefore, the student’s free time represents the opportunity to rejuvenate his activity, charge his body with energy, and release all the negative energy inside him. It is a good opportunity to relax and spend some time practicing hobbies.

Personally, I like to jog and play soccer. All the games that require long-distance running and the release of great energy. This helps me release the negative energy inside me and renews my activity and vitality.

I also like to go out in the evening, take a walk, and play electronic games with my friends, in order to relieve myself a little and feel a little relaxation that takes me away from stress and tension.

This is how I spend my free time and this helps me a lot. There may be other people who prefer different types of mathematics, but this is my favorite and I like to practice it a lot.

Free time paragraph in English

It is wonderful that there is free time away from study and constant mental effort. I often feel that the holidays and the free time I spend playing sports, or playing some electronic games have come in their time, and that I need to relax and stop thinking, even for a little bit.

It also allows us to return to society, mingle and learn some things away from constant study, go out for a walk and smell some fresh air, make friends, and live normally for some time before returning to study and strive for self-realization in this aspect.

So I enjoy a lot when my free time comes, whether in sports or outing and making new friends, or just playing electronic games, that’s how I spend my free time.

What do you do in your free time essay

In my spare time, I like to organize my day from morning to evening. In the morning, after waking up and having breakfast with my family members, I like to sit a little in the living room with my family members and watch any series or morning program, and talk to each other a little bit until the afternoon period comes.

Then, I get ready to go out to play football, I like to play this sport a lot with my team and friends, we keep playing and training until the early evening.

After that I go home and sit for a little while until 8 in the evening and then I go out for a walk with my friends. I am very happy with that because I learn from them many things that help me increase my confidence in myself, and I also learn things that help define my identity.

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Model Essay 1

In contemporary society, a common debate is whether it is preferable to earn a higher income at the expense of personal leisure or to accept lesser earnings for more free time. I contend that while financial stability is crucial, the excessive pursuit of wealth at the expense of free time can diminish life quality. This essay will explore the value of balanced time management and the impact of excessive work on personal and societal well-being.

The first point to consider is the importance of balance between work and leisure. Economic stability, achieved through work, undeniably plays a vital role in accessing life's necessities and comforts. However, the pursuit of wealth should not lead to a lifestyle where free time becomes non-existent. Studies have shown that individuals with adequate leisure time exhibit lower stress levels and higher satisfaction in life. For instance, Scandinavian countries, which emphasize work-life balance, consistently rank highest in global happiness indexes. These examples underscore the principle that time dedicated to personal growth, family, and hobbies is invaluable and contributes significantly to overall happiness and health. Importantly, this balance enables individuals to recover and recharge, thereby enhancing productivity when they do work.

Moreover, excessive work can lead to detrimental social and personal consequences. In high-pressure work environments, where long hours are the norm, there are increased incidences of health issues such as hypertension and mental burnout. This is exemplified by the rising number of professionals in corporate sectors seeking mental health support. Additionally, when individuals lack free time, societal bonds weaken as community engagement dwindles. Therefore, while increased income might provide material satisfaction, it often comes at an invisible cost that can affect both individual and communal well-being. Over time, the strain of overwork not only impacts personal health but also deteriorates relationships and community participation, which are essential for a fulfilling life.

In conclusion, securing financial stability is vital, yet must not compromise valuable leisure time. This essay emphasized the critical balance needed between work and personal life for maintaining individual happiness and societal health. Embracing this equilibrium not only enhances personal contentment but also strengthens community bonds.

Model Essay 2

The debate between prioritizing income over leisure time is complex, rooted in individual values and societal norms. I assert that having more money at the cost of less free time is advantageous, primarily due to enhanced financial security and opportunities for personal growth. This essay will explore the benefits of higher income in relation to quality of life enhancements and societal contributions, alongside the potential sacrifices involved.

Primarily, increased financial resources enable individuals to elevate their living standards and secure their future. Higher income not only facilitates access to better healthcare, education, and housing but also provides a safety net against unforeseen adversities. For example, in affluent societies, individuals who prioritize earnings can invest in premium health services and advanced educational opportunities, thereby extending their life expectancy and enhancing their intellectual capacity. Furthermore, the ability to save and invest money creates a compounding effect, where wealth generates more wealth, allowing for a more comfortable and potentially earlier retirement.

Moreover, higher earnings contribute to societal well-being by enabling philanthropy and economic growth. Wealthier individuals often have the means to donate to charities, fund scholarships, and support community projects, which in turn uplifts the broader society. Additionally, by consuming and investing, they drive demand in the economy, leading to job creation and innovation. For instance, tech entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley who have amassed significant wealth not only innovate but also significantly impact local and global economies through job creation and technological advancements. This cyclical benefit underscores the value of prioritizing income over leisure.

In conclusion, while the sacrifice of free time is significant, the benefits of a higher income—enhanced living standards, societal contributions, and economic stimulation—justify this trade-off. The advantages of financial abundance ultimately contribute to personal and communal prosperity, reaffirming the value of prioritizing earnings.

Model Essay 3

Some argue that having more money at the expense of free time is preferable to earning less but enjoying more leisure. I completely disagree with this perspective. This essay will argue that the value of free time for mental health and personal fulfillment far outweighs the benefits of increased income, emphasizing the importance of work-life balance and quality of life.

Firstly, ample free time is crucial for maintaining mental health and well-being. Chronic stress from overworking can lead to serious health issues such as anxiety, depression, and burnout. For instance, individuals with more leisure time can engage in activities that promote relaxation and joy, such as hobbies, exercise, and socializing with loved ones. These activities are essential for recharging and maintaining a healthy, balanced life. Moreover, time spent away from work fosters creativity and productivity, as it allows the mind to rest and rejuvenate. This balance ultimately leads to better performance at work and a more satisfying life overall, showcasing the irreplaceable value of free time.

Additionally, personal fulfillment and happiness often derive from experiences and relationships rather than material wealth. People with more free time can invest in meaningful relationships and pursue passions that bring joy and satisfaction. For example, parents who have more time to spend with their children contribute significantly to their emotional and psychological development. Moreover, engaging in community activities and volunteer work fosters a sense of belonging and purpose. These experiences enrich life far beyond what financial gains can provide. Prioritizing free time over excessive work ensures a well-rounded, fulfilling life, emphasizing the importance of experiences over earnings.

In conclusion, prioritizing free time over higher income is essential for mental health, personal fulfillment, and meaningful experiences. While financial stability is important, the benefits of ample leisure time significantly enhance overall quality of life, proving that a balanced approach leads to greater long-term happiness and well-being.

Model Essay 4

The debate over whether having more money and less free time outweighs earning less and having more free time is ongoing. I firmly agree that a higher income with less leisure time is preferable. This essay will discuss how financial stability brings greater opportunities and how the advantages of wealth outweigh the drawbacks of limited free time.

First and foremost, financial stability ensures a higher quality of life. With a greater income, individuals can afford better healthcare, education, and living conditions, leading to an overall improved lifestyle. For example, access to top-tier medical facilities and educational institutions can significantly impact long-term well-being and professional success. Furthermore, financial security reduces stress related to financial uncertainty, providing peace of mind and a more stable future. The ability to save and invest also offers long-term benefits, such as preparing for retirement or unexpected expenses, thus ensuring continuous financial comfort.

Additionally, a higher income facilitates personal and professional growth. With more financial resources, individuals can invest in self-improvement, such as attending advanced courses or purchasing tools to enhance their skills. This continuous development can lead to better career prospects and personal fulfillment. Moreover, the societal impact of higher earnings cannot be overlooked. Wealthier individuals contribute significantly to the economy through taxes and spending, fostering economic growth and creating jobs. For instance, high-income earners often support various industries, from luxury goods to real estate, further stimulating economic activity and benefiting society as a whole.

In conclusion, prioritizing a higher income over more free time is beneficial due to the substantial improvements in quality of life, personal development, and societal contributions. While limited leisure time is a drawback, the advantages of financial security and opportunities for growth make this trade-off worthwhile, underscoring the value of prioritizing earnings.

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There’s No Such Thing as Free Will

But we’re better off believing in it anyway.

F or centuries , philosophers and theologians have almost unanimously held that civilization as we know it depends on a widespread belief in free will—and that losing this belief could be calamitous. Our codes of ethics, for example, assume that we can freely choose between right and wrong. In the Christian tradition, this is known as “moral liberty”—the capacity to discern and pursue the good, instead of merely being compelled by appetites and desires. The great Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant reaffirmed this link between freedom and goodness. If we are not free to choose, he argued, then it would make no sense to say we ought to choose the path of righteousness.

Today, the assumption of free will runs through every aspect of American politics, from welfare provision to criminal law. It permeates the popular culture and underpins the American dream—the belief that anyone can make something of themselves no matter what their start in life. As Barack Obama wrote in The Audacity of Hope , American “values are rooted in a basic optimism about life and a faith in free will.”

So what happens if this faith erodes?

The sciences have grown steadily bolder in their claim that all human behavior can be explained through the clockwork laws of cause and effect. This shift in perception is the continuation of an intellectual revolution that began about 150 years ago, when Charles Darwin first published On the Origin of Species . Shortly after Darwin put forth his theory of evolution, his cousin Sir Francis Galton began to draw out the implications: If we have evolved, then mental faculties like intelligence must be hereditary. But we use those faculties—which some people have to a greater degree than others—to make decisions. So our ability to choose our fate is not free, but depends on our biological inheritance.

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Galton launched a debate that raged throughout the 20th century over nature versus nurture. Are our actions the unfolding effect of our genetics? Or the outcome of what has been imprinted on us by the environment? Impressive evidence accumulated for the importance of each factor. Whether scientists supported one, the other, or a mix of both, they increasingly assumed that our deeds must be determined by something .

In recent decades, research on the inner workings of the brain has helped to resolve the nature-nurture debate—and has dealt a further blow to the idea of free will. Brain scanners have enabled us to peer inside a living person’s skull, revealing intricate networks of neurons and allowing scientists to reach broad agreement that these networks are shaped by both genes and environment. But there is also agreement in the scientific community that the firing of neurons determines not just some or most but all of our thoughts, hopes, memories, and dreams.

We know that changes to brain chemistry can alter behavior—otherwise neither alcohol nor antipsychotics would have their desired effects. The same holds true for brain structure: Cases of ordinary adults becoming murderers or pedophiles after developing a brain tumor demonstrate how dependent we are on the physical properties of our gray stuff.

Many scientists say that the American physiologist Benjamin Libet demonstrated in the 1980s that we have no free will. It was already known that electrical activity builds up in a person’s brain before she, for example, moves her hand; Libet showed that this buildup occurs before the person consciously makes a decision to move. The conscious experience of deciding to act, which we usually associate with free will, appears to be an add-on, a post hoc reconstruction of events that occurs after the brain has already set the act in motion.

The 20th-century nature-nurture debate prepared us to think of ourselves as shaped by influences beyond our control. But it left some room, at least in the popular imagination, for the possibility that we could overcome our circumstances or our genes to become the author of our own destiny. The challenge posed by neuroscience is more radical: It describes the brain as a physical system like any other, and suggests that we no more will it to operate in a particular way than we will our heart to beat. The contemporary scientific image of human behavior is one of neurons firing, causing other neurons to fire, causing our thoughts and deeds, in an unbroken chain that stretches back to our birth and beyond. In principle, we are therefore completely predictable. If we could understand any individual’s brain architecture and chemistry well enough, we could, in theory, predict that individual’s response to any given stimulus with 100 percent accuracy.

This research and its implications are not new. What is new, though, is the spread of free-will skepticism beyond the laboratories and into the mainstream. The number of court cases, for example, that use evidence from neuroscience has more than doubled in the past decade—mostly in the context of defendants arguing that their brain made them do it. And many people are absorbing this message in other contexts, too, at least judging by the number of books and articles purporting to explain “your brain on” everything from music to magic. Determinism, to one degree or another, is gaining popular currency. The skeptics are in ascendance.

This development raises uncomfortable—and increasingly nontheoretical—questions: If moral responsibility depends on faith in our own agency, then as belief in determinism spreads, will we become morally irresponsible? And if we increasingly see belief in free will as a delusion, what will happen to all those institutions that are based on it?

In 2002, two psychologists had a simple but brilliant idea: Instead of speculating about what might happen if people lost belief in their capacity to choose, they could run an experiment to find out. Kathleen Vohs, then at the University of Utah, and Jonathan Schooler, of the University of Pittsburgh, asked one group of participants to read a passage arguing that free will was an illusion, and another group to read a passage that was neutral on the topic. Then they subjected the members of each group to a variety of temptations and observed their behavior. Would differences in abstract philosophical beliefs influence people’s decisions?

Yes, indeed. When asked to take a math test, with cheating made easy, the group primed to see free will as illusory proved more likely to take an illicit peek at the answers. When given an opportunity to steal—to take more money than they were due from an envelope of $1 coins—those whose belief in free will had been undermined pilfered more. On a range of measures, Vohs told me, she and Schooler found that “people who are induced to believe less in free will are more likely to behave immorally.”

It seems that when people stop believing they are free agents, they stop seeing themselves as blameworthy for their actions. Consequently, they act less responsibly and give in to their baser instincts. Vohs emphasized that this result is not limited to the contrived conditions of a lab experiment. “You see the same effects with people who naturally believe more or less in free will,” she said.

In another study, for instance, Vohs and colleagues measured the extent to which a group of day laborers believed in free will, then examined their performance on the job by looking at their supervisor’s ratings. Those who believed more strongly that they were in control of their own actions showed up on time for work more frequently and were rated by supervisors as more capable. In fact, belief in free will turned out to be a better predictor of job performance than established measures such as self-professed work ethic.

Another pioneer of research into the psychology of free will, Roy Baumeister of Florida State University, has extended these findings. For example, he and colleagues found that students with a weaker belief in free will were less likely to volunteer their time to help a classmate than were those whose belief in free will was stronger. Likewise, those primed to hold a deterministic view by reading statements like “Science has demonstrated that free will is an illusion” were less likely to give money to a homeless person or lend someone a cellphone.

Further studies by Baumeister and colleagues have linked a diminished belief in free will to stress, unhappiness, and a lesser commitment to relationships. They found that when subjects were induced to believe that “all human actions follow from prior events and ultimately can be understood in terms of the movement of molecules,” those subjects came away with a lower sense of life’s meaningfulness. Early this year, other researchers published a study showing that a weaker belief in free will correlates with poor academic performance.

The list goes on: Believing that free will is an illusion has been shown to make people less creative, more likely to conform, less willing to learn from their mistakes, and less grateful toward one another. In every regard, it seems, when we embrace determinism, we indulge our dark side.

Few scholars are comfortable suggesting that people ought to believe an outright lie. Advocating the perpetuation of untruths would breach their integrity and violate a principle that philosophers have long held dear: the Platonic hope that the true and the good go hand in hand. Saul Smilansky, a philosophy professor at the University of Haifa, in Israel, has wrestled with this dilemma throughout his career and come to a painful conclusion: “We cannot afford for people to internalize the truth” about free will.

Smilansky is convinced that free will does not exist in the traditional sense—and that it would be very bad if most people realized this. “Imagine,” he told me, “that I’m deliberating whether to do my duty, such as to parachute into enemy territory, or something more mundane like to risk my job by reporting on some wrongdoing. If everyone accepts that there is no free will, then I’ll know that people will say, ‘Whatever he did, he had no choice—we can’t blame him.’ So I know I’m not going to be condemned for taking the selfish option.” This, he believes, is very dangerous for society, and “the more people accept the determinist picture, the worse things will get.”

Determinism not only undermines blame, Smilansky argues; it also undermines praise. Imagine I do risk my life by jumping into enemy territory to perform a daring mission. Afterward, people will say that I had no choice, that my feats were merely, in Smilansky’s phrase, “an unfolding of the given,” and therefore hardly praiseworthy. And just as undermining blame would remove an obstacle to acting wickedly, so undermining praise would remove an incentive to do good. Our heroes would seem less inspiring, he argues, our achievements less noteworthy, and soon we would sink into decadence and despondency.

Smilansky advocates a view he calls illusionism—the belief that free will is indeed an illusion, but one that society must defend. The idea of determinism, and the facts supporting it, must be kept confined within the ivory tower. Only the initiated, behind those walls, should dare to, as he put it to me, “look the dark truth in the face.” Smilansky says he realizes that there is something drastic, even terrible, about this idea—but if the choice is between the true and the good, then for the sake of society, the true must go.

Smilansky’s arguments may sound odd at first, given his contention that the world is devoid of free will: If we are not really deciding anything, who cares what information is let loose? But new information, of course, is a sensory input like any other; it can change our behavior, even if we are not the conscious agents of that change. In the language of cause and effect, a belief in free will may not inspire us to make the best of ourselves, but it does stimulate us to do so.

Illusionism is a minority position among academic philosophers, most of whom still hope that the good and the true can be reconciled. But it represents an ancient strand of thought among intellectual elites. Nietzsche called free will “a theologians’ artifice” that permits us to “judge and punish.” And many thinkers have believed, as Smilansky does, that institutions of judgment and punishment are necessary if we are to avoid a fall into barbarism.

Smilansky is not advocating policies of Orwellian thought control . Luckily, he argues, we don’t need them. Belief in free will comes naturally to us. Scientists and commentators merely need to exercise some self-restraint, instead of gleefully disabusing people of the illusions that undergird all they hold dear. Most scientists “don’t realize what effect these ideas can have,” Smilansky told me. “Promoting determinism is complacent and dangerous.”

Yet not all scholars who argue publicly against free will are blind to the social and psychological consequences. Some simply don’t agree that these consequences might include the collapse of civilization. One of the most prominent is the neuroscientist and writer Sam Harris, who, in his 2012 book, Free Will , set out to bring down the fantasy of conscious choice. Like Smilansky, he believes that there is no such thing as free will. But Harris thinks we are better off without the whole notion of it.

“We need our beliefs to track what is true,” Harris told me. Illusions, no matter how well intentioned, will always hold us back. For example, we currently use the threat of imprisonment as a crude tool to persuade people not to do bad things. But if we instead accept that “human behavior arises from neurophysiology,” he argued, then we can better understand what is really causing people to do bad things despite this threat of punishment—and how to stop them. “We need,” Harris told me, “to know what are the levers we can pull as a society to encourage people to be the best version of themselves they can be.”

According to Harris, we should acknowledge that even the worst criminals—murderous psychopaths, for example—are in a sense unlucky. “They didn’t pick their genes. They didn’t pick their parents. They didn’t make their brains, yet their brains are the source of their intentions and actions.” In a deep sense, their crimes are not their fault. Recognizing this, we can dispassionately consider how to manage offenders in order to rehabilitate them, protect society, and reduce future offending. Harris thinks that, in time, “it might be possible to cure something like psychopathy,” but only if we accept that the brain, and not some airy-fairy free will, is the source of the deviancy.

Accepting this would also free us from hatred. Holding people responsible for their actions might sound like a keystone of civilized life, but we pay a high price for it: Blaming people makes us angry and vengeful, and that clouds our judgment.

“Compare the response to Hurricane Katrina,” Harris suggested, with “the response to the 9/11 act of terrorism.” For many Americans, the men who hijacked those planes are the embodiment of criminals who freely choose to do evil. But if we give up our notion of free will, then their behavior must be viewed like any other natural phenomenon—and this, Harris believes, would make us much more rational in our response.

Although the scale of the two catastrophes was similar, the reactions were wildly different. Nobody was striving to exact revenge on tropical storms or declare a War on Weather, so responses to Katrina could simply focus on rebuilding and preventing future disasters. The response to 9/11 , Harris argues, was clouded by outrage and the desire for vengeance, and has led to the unnecessary loss of countless more lives. Harris is not saying that we shouldn’t have reacted at all to 9/11, only that a coolheaded response would have looked very different and likely been much less wasteful. “Hatred is toxic,” he told me, “and can destabilize individual lives and whole societies. Losing belief in free will undercuts the rationale for ever hating anyone.”

Whereas the evidence from Kathleen Vohs and her colleagues suggests that social problems may arise from seeing our own actions as determined by forces beyond our control—weakening our morals, our motivation, and our sense of the meaningfulness of life—Harris thinks that social benefits will result from seeing other people’s behavior in the very same light. From that vantage point, the moral implications of determinism look very different, and quite a lot better.

What’s more, Harris argues, as ordinary people come to better understand how their brains work, many of the problems documented by Vohs and others will dissipate. Determinism, he writes in his book, does not mean “that conscious awareness and deliberative thinking serve no purpose.” Certain kinds of action require us to become conscious of a choice—to weigh arguments and appraise evidence. True, if we were put in exactly the same situation again, then 100 times out of 100 we would make the same decision, “just like rewinding a movie and playing it again.” But the act of deliberation—the wrestling with facts and emotions that we feel is essential to our nature—is nonetheless real.

The big problem, in Harris’s view, is that people often confuse determinism with fatalism. Determinism is the belief that our decisions are part of an unbreakable chain of cause and effect. Fatalism, on the other hand, is the belief that our decisions don’t really matter, because whatever is destined to happen will happen—like Oedipus’s marriage to his mother, despite his efforts to avoid that fate.

When people hear there is no free will, they wrongly become fatalistic; they think their efforts will make no difference. But this is a mistake. People are not moving toward an inevitable destiny; given a different stimulus (like a different idea about free will), they will behave differently and so have different lives. If people better understood these fine distinctions, Harris believes, the consequences of losing faith in free will would be much less negative than Vohs’s and Baumeister’s experiments suggest.

Can one go further still? Is there a way forward that preserves both the inspiring power of belief in free will and the compassionate understanding that comes with determinism?

Philosophers and theologians are used to talking about free will as if it is either on or off; as if our consciousness floats, like a ghost, entirely above the causal chain, or as if we roll through life like a rock down a hill. But there might be another way of looking at human agency.

Some scholars argue that we should think about freedom of choice in terms of our very real and sophisticated abilities to map out multiple potential responses to a particular situation. One of these is Bruce Waller, a philosophy professor at Youngstown State University. In his new book, Restorative Free Will , he writes that we should focus on our ability, in any given setting, to generate a wide range of options for ourselves, and to decide among them without external constraint.

For Waller, it simply doesn’t matter that these processes are underpinned by a causal chain of firing neurons. In his view, free will and determinism are not the opposites they are often taken to be; they simply describe our behavior at different levels.

Waller believes his account fits with a scientific understanding of how we evolved: Foraging animals—humans, but also mice, or bears, or crows—need to be able to generate options for themselves and make decisions in a complex and changing environment. Humans, with our massive brains, are much better at thinking up and weighing options than other animals are. Our range of options is much wider, and we are, in a meaningful way, freer as a result.

Waller’s definition of free will is in keeping with how a lot of ordinary people see it. One 2010 study found that people mostly thought of free will in terms of following their desires, free of coercion (such as someone holding a gun to your head). As long as we continue to believe in this kind of practical free will, that should be enough to preserve the sorts of ideals and ethical standards examined by Vohs and Baumeister.

Yet Waller’s account of free will still leads to a very different view of justice and responsibility than most people hold today. No one has caused himself: No one chose his genes or the environment into which he was born. Therefore no one bears ultimate responsibility for who he is and what he does. Waller told me he supported the sentiment of Barack Obama’s 2012 “You didn’t build that” speech, in which the president called attention to the external factors that help bring about success. He was also not surprised that it drew such a sharp reaction from those who want to believe that they were the sole architects of their achievements. But he argues that we must accept that life outcomes are determined by disparities in nature and nurture, “so we can take practical measures to remedy misfortune and help everyone to fulfill their potential.”

Understanding how will be the work of decades, as we slowly unravel the nature of our own minds. In many areas, that work will likely yield more compassion: offering more (and more precise) help to those who find themselves in a bad place. And when the threat of punishment is necessary as a deterrent, it will in many cases be balanced with efforts to strengthen, rather than undermine, the capacities for autonomy that are essential for anyone to lead a decent life. The kind of will that leads to success—seeing positive options for oneself, making good decisions and sticking to them—can be cultivated, and those at the bottom of society are most in need of that cultivation.

To some people, this may sound like a gratuitous attempt to have one’s cake and eat it too. And in a way it is. It is an attempt to retain the best parts of the free-will belief system while ditching the worst. President Obama—who has both defended “a faith in free will” and argued that we are not the sole architects of our fortune—has had to learn what a fine line this is to tread. Yet it might be what we need to rescue the American dream—and indeed, many of our ideas about civilization, the world over—in the scientific age.

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Productivity

12 reasons why you feel like there’s not enough time in a day.

Do you feel like you’re overwhelmingly busy? Like there is not enough time in the day, and your schedule is ever growing?

Most people today feel that way and constantly lament the lack of time.

It is not healthy if you barely have time to do simple tasks like cooking a meal or completing your daily to-do list. Let’s explore the reasons why you feel a lack of time and the potential solutions that can help you clear your schedule in a day.

Reasons Why There Is Not Enough Time In The Day

1. not rising early.

The modern world we live in runs largely on a 9-to-5 schedule. Waking up early gives you an advantage over people who sleep in.

Numerous studies have correlated waking up early with success. [1] Analyze the lives of the most successful men and women, and you will find that almost every one of them starts their day early.

If you don’t rise early in the day, you are most likely to complain that there is not enough time to accomplish everything you want to do.

2. Not Getting Enough Sleep At Night

One prime reason you find yourself constantly occupied with insufficient time to rest is that you do not get adequate sleep at night.

Getting a good night’s sleep  is a simple yet brilliant way of improving your time management skills.

Studies have found that people who get an average of seven to eight hours of sleep are more productive, happier, and work at a higher quality than those who get less than seven hours of sleep a night. [2]

Getting plenty of sleep also ensures you’ll be in a much more positive mood in the morning, increasing your chances of getting more work done.

Making the most of your 24 hours might not seem conducive to getting a full eight hours, but many famous prolific achievers such as Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Thomas Mann all had full and healthy sleep.

This suggests that time management is best conquered by having an adequate night’s sleep.

3. Multitasking a Lot

You might think that you are getting more done and saving time by multitasking, but studies show we’re not the brilliant multitaskers we think we are.

Research conducted at Stanford University found that people who multitask are less productive and waste more time switching between tasks than if they had been stuck with one task until they finished. [3]

Moreover, multitasking damages the brain. [4] The human brain is not capable of focusing on multiple tasks at once.

If you still think you can multitask, here’s why you should think about it again.

4. Not Tracking or Budgeting Your Time

A litany of productivity experts agrees that tracking and budgeting your time is vital to taking control of your day. [5] .

Record all your appointments, deadlines, and everything in-between. Analyze the time you spend on each activity and what you think is the best amount for each.

You will discover how much time you’re frittering away and get a chance to reevaluate, budget, and monitor your time.

People who don’t budget and track their time are the ones who wonder where time has gone and can’t understand why they accomplish so little at the end of each workday.

5. Not Being Organized

People who are disorganized not only waste time looking for misplaced items but also lower their productivity and hinder their chances for success.

However, if you are organized, you boost your productivity and can create time for the things and people that matter in your life.

Spend a little time planning your day and keeping things neat. This way, you will know exactly what items you have and where they are located, saving you much time, money, and stress.

6. Not Prioritizing

Most people who complain about not having enough time in the day have a prioritization problem. They don’t rank tasks in order of importance or decide on what’s most important in their lives, which explains why they always feel like there are not enough hours in a day.

Think about your core objectives and all the different things you want to do, and then figure out what is important to you.

Do not start and plug through every task until you’ve asked this question: “Do I need to do this now?”

If you don’t need to do it now, don’t do it. Tackle high-priority tasks first and then turn to the other things. Prioritizing ensures that you make the most efficient use of your time.

To prioritize your everyday demands better, check out this free guide, How To Create More Time Out Of a Busy Schedule . In this guide, you’ll learn how to prioritize your tasks based on their values and what you can do to reallocate your time and end busyness immediately.

7. Being Easily Distracted

Ed Hallowell, former professor at Harvard Medical School and author of Driven to Distraction , noted that many people today have “culturally generated ADD.” [6]

The study shows we have way more tantalizing, easily accessible, shiny things available 24/7 than ever before. It is not surprising, then, that many people are easily distracted from their core goals and lament that they never have enough time.

Lock yourself somewhere quiet when working. “Unplug” and concentrate on the task at hand. That way, you will avoid being distracted and sidetracked by the cacophony of voices, text messages, e-mail, and social media notifications.

If the people around you are the source of distraction, ask them politely to let you finish what you are doing first before you attend to them.

Don’t be afraid to say “no” to anyone who constantly interrupts you when you work.

8. Not Having a Daily Routine

Woody Allen, who has written and directed fifty films in almost as many years, once said that 80% of success is showing up.

In other words, when, how, and where you show up are the most important factors for accomplishing more and achieving success. And the key to ensuring you always show up is to establish a daily routine that you follow no matter what, including a healthy sleep routine.

People who don’t have a routine they follow every day are susceptible to distractions and likely to miss deadlines and tasks that need to be done.

Microsoft’s Bill Gates and HuffPost’s Arianna Huffington have a daily ritual every night before bed; they “unplug” and read a book.

9. Being Too Concerned With Being Fast

Oliver Burkeman, in his enlightening book, The Antidote , tells of a Formula One pit crew – a group that depends on fast, efficient teamwork – and their realization that they were not at top speed when they concentrated solely on speed.

Rather, they achieved their best times by emphasizing functioning smoothly as a group. The same case applies to time management and productivity.

People who are too concerned with working fast or acting rashly instead of “smoothly” end up not as productive or fast as they can be.

You should focus more on functioning “smoothly” rather than functioning quickly. You will improve your productivity and get more done in good time. Besides, life is a marathon, not a sprint. The goal is to finish the race (and help others do the same), not merely to cross the finish line first.

10. Not Reviewing Your Schedules Regularly

If you don’t review your schedules, plans, and habits, you are prone to waste your time and energy on things that are no longer helpful to your cause.

Ultimately, it will constantly leave you wondering, “I don’t feel like I have time for this!”

This is especially true when your priorities change – as they inevitably will with time – but you keep doing the same things you’ve always done, expecting different results.

Check with yourself weekly, monthly, or even years to ensure your schedules and efforts align with your overall goals and objectives. Change or alter your course as necessary so that unnecessary tasks don’t waste your time and clog your day.

11. Being Negative And Having Bad Attitudes

People who say they don’t have time or are too busy to read, work out, travel, etc., won’t have time to do those things.

However, people who speak positively stay organized and can do much more.

Instead of saying, “I don’t have time to spend with my family because I have a hectic schedule,” it would be better to say, “I could spend more time with my family, but work is a greater priority.” That is essentially what you mean when you give excuses for lack of time.

Everyone has exactly 24 hours in a day. If others can get work done and still find time for family and friends, so can you!

12. Not Saying ‘No’

One of the most important yet terrifying things you can ever do is say ‘no’ – no to a project, no to a commitment, or no to someone’s request.

Your inability to say ‘no’ to others end up taking any of the spare time that you could have left with to relax.

Burnout is a significant and terrifying psychological problem where people become so overwrought with stress that they end up hating their work. You may even experience physical symptoms such as physical exhaustion.

Just say no.

Finding time for yourself and relaxing in your spare time should be your top priority. Prioritize yourself and your well-being over others.

Final Thoughts

Given our busy routines, we often feel like there is not enough time in the day to relax or finish the impending tasks.

To add balance to your daily routines and at the same time find spare time for yourself to relax is important.

Having a consistent routine, prioritizing your tasks as well as keeping a check and balance on yourself can help you eliminate the sense of “I don’t feel like I have time for this!” and restore balance in your life.

Don't have time for the full article? Read this.

Get Enough Rest: Ensure you are rested enough before starting your day. If you are not well rested, you will constantly feel on edge, and nothing will get on time.

Prioritize Your Task: Before you get started with the day, make a list of tasks that you need to finish on priority on that very day. Do not waste time sorting unimportant things.

Stay Focused: Losing your focus can ultimately lead to stress and anxiety. Keep your focus on the task you need to sort in a day. Finish them on priority.

Pace Yourself: You do not have to do everything all at once. Make sure to pace yourself and balance your work-personal life. Have enough time to rest. Do not overdo yourself.

Learn to Say ‘No’: Small favors or substituting yourself for someone else’s work can take much of your free time. Learn to say ‘no’ when necessary and focus on your well-being.

Featured photo credit: Moritz Kindler via unsplash.com

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Explore the time flow system.

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Essay on Time

Time – how important is it.

The value of time is one of the most positive aspects of all-round self-development. Every day, our teachers, parents and grandparents remind us about the value of time. My grandmother often tells me that time is more valuable than money. However, each person has their way of utilizing the time. While successful people use them wisely, a lazy person might waste a lot of time. This can make him miss out some great opportunities in life. And once the time goes away, you cannot bring it back by any means.

Time and Tide Waits for None

Everyone needs to realize how important time is. Often, we waste a lot of time doing unnecessary activities or thinking about unnecessary things. This takes away a lot of hours from our everyday life. If we keep on losing our time, we are likely to face many hardships in the future. So, instead of attending to several things together, it is essential to focus on what is necessary. 

Our teachers always ask us to think about the most important things that we need to attend every day. We can avoid many problems in the future if we take care of them on time. There is a famous proverb, "a stitch in time saves nine". It also conveys the importance of taking timely action.

Punctuality and Time Utilization

Punctuality means always being on time. In our school, the report card always mentions whether we have been punctual during the session. Even when my parents leave for the office, they depart early. They are very particular about reaching their offices on time. As they say, staying punctual shows that we are true to our commitment and that we can manage our time properly. This is something that everyone appreciates.

Reaching on time, as well as not wasting time, would make other people believe in us. They can rely on that we will not be late to keep an appointment.

Utilizing Our 24 Hours

Managing the 24 hours in a day can be more difficult than we think. It takes some time and planning to make the most of the time available to us. The better we make plans for time management, the easier our everyday tasks become. We can start by listing our priorities, allowing separate time to do our worksheets, and setting realistic goals.

For proper use of time, we can decide on our long and short term goals. My parents have always encouraged me to make a list of things that I think is necessary, as well as a list of things that might wait for some time. Accordingly, they help me to create my priority list. Also, keeping my goals in mind helps me to stay active. I always know what are the things that I should end doing by the end of the day. So I don't feel comfortable unless I have done everything on my to-do list. It helps me to do all my tasks on time. So I always end up having some extra hours for refreshment.

Prioritizing Our Works

Not all works of our everyday life are equally important. For example, while some entertainment and outdoor sports might be important for mental refreshment, I can always reserve some time for them on the weekends or the holidays. During the weekdays, my priority always remains on preparing my lessons and doing other activities on the allotted time. Managing our everyday routine is a very fruitful way to prioritize. And once we manage to do it smoothly, we can recognize the significance of several jobs and tasks that we are supposed to do.

Lack of Time Management

Discipline is a very important part of everyone's development. Having a clumsy and unplanned everyday schedule can be a discredit on our part. This can simply show our inability to organise our tasks. Improper time management can lead to failure in different tasks that we do. It can also prove our laziness or inability to take proper steps.

FAQs on Time Essay

Q1. Name Some Basic Ways to Value Time.

Ans: The different ways to value time are:

Know what tasks are important to you. Finish your own work first before helping others.

Follow a well-planned and disciplined approach to every time-bound task given to us.

Go by the examples of famous and successful people. All of them respect whatever time they get. They do not let a single minute go by idly. Also, they always remain active during their working hours. They never allow any distraction during this time.

Q2. How can Goals and Work Lists Assist Us?

Ans: Keeping a to-do list is always helpful because it makes us more productive. It can help to outline our day to day activities. Also, having a list helps to set our priorities.

Q3. How to Prepare an Effective to-Do List?

Ans: We can always ask our parents and elders to help. However, we can start our own by observing how many hours we spend in schools, as well as intuition classes and while travelling. Also, we can make a list of things that we do every day. Next pick the things that are most important for the day to day works, as well as that of things that are not absolutely important. A responsible adult can help us get started.

Having money and less free time is better than earning less money and having more free time. Discuss both views and state your opinion.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Fully explain your ideas

To get an excellent score in the IELTS Task 2 writing section, one of the easiest and most effective tips is structuring your writing in the most solid format. A great argument essay structure may be divided to four paragraphs, in which comprises of four sentences (excluding the conclusion paragraph, which comprises of three sentences).

For we to consider an essay structure a great one, it should be looking like this:

• Paragraph 1 - Introduction
• Sentence 1 - Background statement
• Sentence 2 - Detailed background statement
• Sentence 3 - Thesis
• Sentence 4 - Outline sentence
• Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
• Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
• Sentence 2 - Example
• Sentence 3 - Discussion
• Sentence 4 - Conclusion
• Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
• Paragraph 4 - Conclusion
• Sentence 1 - Summary
• Sentence 2 - Restatement of thesis
• Sentence 3 - Prediction or recommendation

Our recommended essay structure above comprises of fifteen (15) sentences, which will make your essay approximately 250 to 275 words.

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• financial security
• facilitating
• professional development
• increased stress
• work-life balance
• quality time
• physical and mental health
• financial constraints
• luxury items
• overall well-being
• personal growth
• middle ground
• sacrificing
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2020-01-11: Task 1 You visited a town last month and told your friend that you would like to meet. However you could not make it. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter, you should: •express your apology •why you could not meet •making arrangement to meet him.

Some people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together. to what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion, a museum near your house is looking for people to do part-time voluntary/unpaid work. you would like to do some voluntary/unpaid work at the museum. write a letter to the museum director to apply for voluntary/unpaid work in your letter: explain why you want to do voluntary/unpaid work at the museum describe some skills and qualities you have that would be useful give details of when you would be available for work, nowadays, a growing number of people with health problems are trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor. do you think this is a positive or a negative development, you have recently been to stay with an old friend for a few days. you haven't seen each other for a long time and was happy to meet him/her. now write a letter to this friend. in your letter: - say how you felt about the visit - refer to something enjoyable that you did while staying with him/her - invite your friend to visit you.

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Uncertainties in plant species niche modeling under climate change scenarios.

1. Introduction

• Which are the most used data and methodologies, namely those related to model calibration;
• Which are the most common deviations from consensual best practices and what information is most omitted from methodological descriptions;
• How far the faults referred to above are identified and discussed;
• New recommendations to improve SDM results, making them clearer and more comprehensive.

2. Materials and Methods

3.1. species occurrence data, 3.2. abiotic variables, 3.2.1. climate variables, 3.2.2. other environmental variables, 3.2.3. variable selection, 3.3. modeling algorithm, 3.4. model performance, 3.5. ensemble models, 3.6. future climate projections, climate scenarios, 4. discussion, 5. conclusions.

• Target species’ natural range;
• The species’ total range in the study area, including a buffer to ensure the inclusion of different environmental conditions;
• Comparison of the study area and the natural range of the species, as well as justification of the exclusion of certain areas from the model, if this is the case;
• Species’ ecological preferences according to the bibliography, to support the selection of variables.

Supplementary Materials

Author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Passos, I.; Figueiredo, A.; Almeida, A.M.; Ribeiro, M.M. Uncertainties in Plant Species Niche Modeling under Climate Change Scenarios. Ecologies 2024 , 5 , 402-419. https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies5030025

Passos I, Figueiredo A, Almeida AM, Ribeiro MM. Uncertainties in Plant Species Niche Modeling under Climate Change Scenarios. Ecologies . 2024; 5(3):402-419. https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies5030025

Passos, Isabel, Albano Figueiredo, Alice Maria Almeida, and Maria Margarida Ribeiro. 2024. "Uncertainties in Plant Species Niche Modeling under Climate Change Scenarios" Ecologies 5, no. 3: 402-419. https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies5030025

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