I have always struggled with how to spend my free time. Work takes so much of my energy during the week days that, in the evenings, it's all I can do to get the dishes done. Occasionally, since I work from home, I can prioritize cleaning during my lunch break but for the most part, that time is reserved for running errands and appointments. Since deciding to move out of my current job sector, my weekends have been spent taking online courses and applying for any relevant jobs I can find. My grandmother lives in a nursing home not too far away and, as I'm the only family she has in the area, I try to visit her at least once a week. In short, like a lot of folks, I don't tend to take a lot of time for myself. And if I am on the couch doing nothing, there tends to be a sense of guilt about why I'm not at the gym, or networking, or on the phone with family, etc. etc. I know I'm not alone when I say I wish there were more hours in a day. However, when we say this, I wonder if we truly know what we're asking for.

TikTok and influencer culture in general has shone a light on people's need to make their lives, not only easier, but more in line with their actual goals and desires. There's something so alluring about the idea that you can make enough money to feed your family, buy a house, what have you, just by creating whatever content you want to online. Of course, the videos and social media posts do take time and effort, but from the outside it seems a lot more appealing than working fast food for minimum wage or pulling double shifts at the hospital. The biggest draw though is the perceived control it gives to those who have successfully taken the path. They're their own bosses, they get cool sponsorships and most importantly their time is their own. They have the freedom to chose what to do with their day, rather than having to cram everything in after the workday ends, hoping there's enough mental and physical energy left to get it done. And maybe that's why people get sucked in to endlessly scroll. Because it's nice to do something that doesn't take any effort. To shut your brain off and give yourself permission to just... not be productive when the rest of your life is dictated by what you have to do. And this rhetoric of an easy, effortless life also contributes to why shopping from TikTok is so popular. It's full of people who have the same frustrations you do and, hey, if this product made them feel good it will probably do the same for you.

This is all to say, I've been thinking about time lately. What people would have done with theirs had TikTok actually been banned in the U.S. How do we take our energy back and put into creating and engaging with the things we love? Being present in the moment, as difficult as the moment may be. I know for me, getting outside of the social media sink hole has been a very slow work in progress, but what's helped is realizing that community support is vital. That it's okay to ask for help when we're overwhelmed or, better yet, to allow ourselves to let the things we have to do wait for once and focus on rest so that our energy can go twice as far. For business and for pleasure.