Do you enjoy fortune cookies? The treats with a little message inside are often a tasty end to a meal of Chinese food (even though the fortune cookie’s roots are in Japan and the United States). It may well be the case that people enjoy the so-called “fortunes” as much as—if not more than—the cookie itself.
Sometimes, the fortune inside the cookie makes some vague prediction about your future. The slip of paper inside the cookie may say something like: You will make a new friend soon.
Other times, however, the supposed fortune is more of an aphorism than a prediction. In fact, we encountered an aphorism inside a fortune cookie just recently. It read: Wasted time means missed opportunities.
On a first reading, that might strike you as undeniably true. After all, regardless of what our fortunes might say, we live in a culture that values the hustle. Busyness itself is often seen as virtue—a sign that you are a hard worker with lofty goals. When you look at life that way, wasted time might, indeed, seem like it must cost you opportunities to get ahead.
But we would like to suggest a shift in your thinking. What if we reframed “wasted” time as “restful” time? Suddenly, the fortune seems less convincing: Restful time means missed opportunities. That does not seem quite right, does it?
After all, more rest and more relaxation are things many, many people—perhaps you among them—actually long for. But we have fallen into a trap by convincing ourselves that we are constantly in danger of wasting time.
You might be asking yourself what any of this has to do with mental health disorders and their treatment. Rest assured that reading this far has not been a waste of your time. Instead, it has brought you to some important points we want to make about how you might spend your time.
Rest and Relaxation Support Your Recovery
People can be so obsessed with being productive that they start to see something as essential as sleep as a kind of wasted time. That is a dangerous point of view given that quality, restful sleep underpins your physical health and your mental health.
But sleep is not the only kind of rest that can be beneficial. Having an engaging hobby, for example, can give your body and brain a chance to recharge. Pursuing a hobby you enjoy—no matter what it is —is a wonderful way to reduce your stress levels, tap into your curiosity and enthusiasms, and bring your mind into the present moment rather than letting it replay the past or worry about the future.
Someone might suggest to you that your hobby is a waste of time, but we are here to tell you that you should not let anyone dissuade you from enjoying something. Your hobby is good for you and for your mental health—and you should set time aside for yourself to dive into your hobby.
And here is another benefit of being intentional about rest: It actually makes you more productive rather than less. So, take regular breaks during the workday and make sure to use your vacation time. Schedule time for yourself when you first get up or in the evening before bed. Take time to enjoy your weekend rather than thinking of it as a chore-filled couple of days that leave you just as stressed on Monday as you were on Friday.
None of these suggestions related to restful time should be thought of as examples of wasted time. Instead, think of them as significant ways to boost and sustain your mental health. Seen in that light, rest becomes something of real and ongoing value in your life.
Fixing the Fortune
If we were writing the fortune about time and opportunities, we would go with: Restful time opens up real possibilities.
We encourage you to hold onto that little bit of wisdom (and we assume you would encourage us to keep our day jobs rather than becoming writers for fortune cookies). Leaving the notion of “wasted time” behind is an excellent step toward getting more joy out of life and improving your mental health.
Fortunately, Peak View Can Help You Improve Your Mental Health
Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Peak View Behavioral Health is dedicated to helping the individuals we serve to find a renewed sense of balance and to embrace a spirit of hope. We provide personalized care for mental health disorders via evidence-based practices supported by our empathy, experience, and expertise.
You might think you just do not have the time to seek out help for a mental health disorder, or you might be convinced that treatment would be a waste of your precious time. We, on the other hand, believe you should give yourself permission to use your time to support your efforts to improve your mental well-being.
Here is our prediction—our “fortune” for you: Seeking out treatment at Peak View Behavioral Health is a worthy use of your time.
