What do you enjoy doing most in your leisure time?

As a human who chases freedom, a corporate misfit who doesn’t quite fit the mould built by management, and a maniac who goes haywire when weekends and holidays arrive… I pour my entire life and longing into those fleeting days of leisure.

I spend every minute making sure that when I close my eyes, I’ve lived without regret.

I break my leisure time into four parts:
1. Nothing: Stretching Mind, Body & Soul
2. Exclusive for Family
3. Exclusive for Friends
4. Upskill Zone

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1. Nothing: Stretching Mind, Body & Soul

People call it “nothing,” “unimportant,” “not so productive”—especially when it doesn’t add value to your career or bring monetary benefit. But I call it investment and risk management. It prevents burnout and excessive spending. It’s an act of self-preservation.

• I wake up, go to my rooftop, sit, and do nothing. I stare at the vast sky, watch birds fly, observe the colour transitions, and listen to the world slowly waking up and stepping into chaos.
• I do yoga, meditation, and a bit of strength training—because my ultimate goal is to be strong. And doing workout is a mandatory for my survival. So, I have no excuses here.
• I read. Did you know reading daily reduces your chances of developing dementia? Considering my weak memory, books are my antidote. And no, it doesn’t have to be non-fiction. Fiction stimulates the brain even more.
• Feng Shui—the most underestimated practice. It might sound crazy, but energy flow is real. Making your bed, cleaning, and organising your space declutters your mind too. Every time I return home, I spend a solid hour cleaning up the mess left behind by my brother’s invasion.
• Watch Kdrama and Anime which I saved for entire week without watching because my hostel has crappy network bandwidth.
• Go for a solo movie date, dinner or art visit.
• Skin and hair care rituals are sacred. It is a way you care for your body. Hostel water is terrible, and work stress takes a toll. To stay “lookable,” I spend 1–2 hours on self-care. I either visit a salon at the start of the month or DIY when I’m broke.
• Sometimes, I just pack my bags and travel—random places, new geographies, flora, fauna, food, scenery, and people. I travel to understand.

2. Exclusive For Family

I love my family. Like every family, we’re messy and imperfect. But I’m grateful for this second life and for the people who fought to keep me alive. Beyond filial piety, I’ve sworn to make them smile.

My parents are aging. I know this. My time is the only currency I have to give them joy. They’ve endured so much. My goal is to compensate by being the goofy one who brings laughter.

Since I work five days a week, weekends are for them. My leisure time with family includes:

• Goofy karaoke sessions with my mom
• Chit-chatting about work and hostel life
• Playing with our four-legged (and sometimes eight-legged) friends
• Doing the bare minimum cooking
• Ordering snacks and sweets, sitting together and munching
• Watching movies
• Visiting my aunt’s home and hanging out with cousins

3. Exclusive for Friends

I love my friends. They come in all temperaments and personalities. We’re different, but we coexist beautifully. That’s the magic of friendship—you stick despite the differences.

As a kid, life was clumsy. I had more bullies than friends. Until 17, I was closer to animals, birds, and insects than humans. College changed that. I met real friends. I felt emotions I didn’t know I could.

I’m still in touch with a handful—maybe because I’m still single. I love watching them grow. I visit them often. If you have people who call you up just to hang out or say they miss you—cherish them. They’re gems.

Despite being an introvert, I never fail to meet them.

During my leisure time, I make sure to:

• Go on town-exploring dates
• Enjoy food or shopping dates and vent our emotions
• Visit their homes and hang out with their families
• Go for rides, attend cultural events, art exhibitions, or drag them to marathons and make them suffer
• Play badminton—it’s therapeutic. Imagine someone you want to beat, and smash that cork. Bam. Stress gone.

4. Upskill Zone

Honestly, I want to be the smartest and most confident person in the room. To me, that means being at peace with myself and capable of lifting others.

But I’ve learned not all smart people are humble. Some are insecure, rude, and apathetic. I don’t want to be that. So instead of chasing “smart,” I chase intellect—knowledge with empathy, strength with grace.

It’s not easy, especially when you’re on the weaker side. You have to put in more energy. There are days you want to give up. People drag you down. Your self-esteem hits rock bottom. And you have to rebuild yourself from scratch.

So whenever I get leisure time… I learn.

• To cook like my mom – a survival skill considering I wanted to live the rest of my life as a spinster.
• I learn to become the “know-it-all” at work
• Upskill on skills where I am lacking – Pinterest helps me on this part. And also Linkedin Learning as well.
• Revive my brain cells which used to be good in Spanish and Hindi… and sharpening my Korean skills.
• Time Management
• Emotional Finesse by indulging in art
• Learning music again. I know I quit long back as it got flushed out from my brain. But still… I want to kick start.
• I learn to swim again, despite my lack of flamboyancy thanks to my lungs.
• Rebuilding my passion for podcasting
• I am lacking consistency when it comes to blogging after my new job. So I am serious about kickstarting it all over again —so one day, I can write something that touches lives and saves people
• Attending volunteer programs/ networking events.

So yes, this is how I spend my leisure time. Most of the time, I only get two days. And thats why it is tragic.