Out of the Office

I’ve heard it said that you should do something that frightens you on a regular basis to ensure that you are growing as a person, and I did that today: I set an out of office message on my social media and email accounts.

I will be spending the next week along the Maine coast and in the White Mountains in New Hampshire away from my usually long list of daily concerns as an immigration researcher and professor at Syracuse University. It is intended to be a Vacation with a capital V. I have two books unconnected to my profession which I am excited to read, a pair of hiking boots, and my digital camera.

This will be relaxing…right?

Some of us are not very good at relaxing. Maybe most of us. Chalk it up to various factors that shape how we think about leisure and self-care.

Capitalism instills in us a value system rooted in productivity rather than fulfillment. Just think of all the apps on your phone designed to make you more “efficient”, “organized”, and “productive”. These apps tend to provide more financial benefit to their creators than peace of mind to their users.

Among the most compelling historical arguments against Capitalism — one that perhaps tellingly has gone by the wayside — was the criticism that Capitalism gobbles up leisure time in favor of underpaid labor.