Leisure

Leisure or free time, is a period of time spent not doing vital or non vital domestic chores and work. It is also the time of recreational and optional time before or after compulsory activities such as eating and sleeping, work, school and general day-to-day chores and stress. The difference between leisure and compulsory activities is roughly applied, for example, people sometimes do work-oriented tasks for leisure as well as for long-term utility.

Free time is organized in many schools and institutions. Schools may offer many after school activities including hobby groups, sports activities, and choirs which use energy and let children use their leisure time more creatively and usefully. Other places like retirement homes and hospitals also offer activities such as clubs and meetings for playing games or simply organized periods for interaction. Most people enjoy socializing with friends for dinner or a drink after a hard day at work. For many young people, having a regular night out a week is a normal part of their free time, whether it is joining friends for a drink in a pub, dining out in a restaurant, watching a film or playing video on games.

The word leisure comes from the Latin word licere, meaning “to be permitted” or “to be free,” it first appeared in the early 14th century. The notions of leisure and leisure time are thought to have first surfaced in Victorian Britain in the late 19th century, during the late stages of the Industrial Revolution.

There are various different definitions of leisure. One social psychological theory of leisure was put forward by psychology professor John Neulinger in the early 1970s. He defined leisure using three criteria: The experience is a state of mind. It must be entered into voluntarily. It must be intrinsically motivating of its own merit.

There are different types of leisure such as Active leisure activities involve the use physical or mental energy. Some active leisure activities involve almost no physical activity, but do need a large amounts mental effort, such as playing chess or painting a picture. Small physical activities include walking and yoga, which use little energy and have little contact or competition. Larger physical activities such as kick-boxing and football consume much energy and are competitive.