flâneur

on and off - by Ava - bookbear express

ava.substack.com · 636 words · saved by 6 readers

A while ago I noticed that when I worked I was often distracted by tasks and plans and feelings, but when I ostensibly “relaxed” I was also trying to be productive. On weekends and vacations I’d be tense with thoughts of what I hadn’t finished, whom I needed to call, tasks I needed to do the next morning. To-dos crowded out other to-dos in my mind.

A while ago I noticed that when I worked I was often distracted by tasks and plans and feelings, but when I ostensibly “relaxed” I was also trying to be productive. On weekends and vacations I’d be tense with thoughts of what I hadn’t finished, whom I needed to call, tasks I needed to do the next morning. To-dos crowded out other to-dos in my mind. This felt like the natural result of having a full life, but when I thought about it I realized that the people in my life who seemed the most effective were really good at toggling between on and off. When they were doing something they were…

saved by

related reading