Post.Work_Booklet_single

Activities to do Post-Work

without losing your sense of
purpose in the world



Activities to do Post-Work

without losing your sense of
purpose in the world

>>Forward>>

One of the challenges that we face today
in our post-work society is centred around
the question of what to do with time.
The boundaries of time have been redefined
in the post-work era, and our society
underwent a massive expansion of individual
freedom, being freed from most work, and
many social duties, fact which has generated
this confusion about individual time and
purpose. We have much more time for leisure
and our families today, a “longed-for sweet”
that our hard-working grandparents couldn’t
even have thought of as becoming a reality.

It is still much embedded in our genes,
in our ancestral consciousness, to seek
our ‘higher purpose’ in the world. But
everything is just too convenient now:
technological advances have brought us
to this stage where we don’t have to do
anything ourselves anymore. We could… but
we usually don’t, because it is just so much
easier not to and to rely on all the gadgets
around us to do EVERYTHING for us, because
that is just how we grew up, not knowing any
alternative. Given these, without any great
challenges in life, ambition and motivation
can be lost, and it is just too simple to
forget about seeking the best versions
of ourselves. More and more studies are
indeed showing that all the technology we

rely upon, in order to perform our daily
activities, has been greatly and alarmingly
decreasing our intelligence. So, in other
words, our technology makes us stupid,
because we don’t have to think anymore, the
gadgets do think for us. We don’t have to
learn that much anymore because we don’t
need to, we don’t need to know maths or
other languages anymore. We don’t need to
memorise anything, because our gadgets are
designed to do all of these things for us,
they mediate everything we have to do, so
any task is easy and quick.

We’re so blindfolded; we can’t even see
anymore that we live through our gadgets!
And what do we do with our significant
amount of free time–that our ancestors
couldn’t even have dreamt of–? We spend
more time engaging with our ‘precious’
smart little items. They’re the ‘smart’
ones, that is true, not us, and probably
the only thing that they don’t do is that
they don’t breath for us, yet… Of course,
there are still a few brave ones among us
all who crafted for themselves a different
path, diverging from the tech norm: a not
so much technology-dependent lifestyle. But
almost each of us is ‘guilty’ to a certain
extent of this dependency, and even if we
see the tech power as a blessing, or rather
just as normal, this is threatening our
very human nature. We need to feel, see,
experience, live and learn for ourselves.

We need the little challenges of everyday
life. It is in the human nature to experience
them both: the good and bad, excitement
and uncertainty, success and failure,
and so on… The intensity of our emotions
has diminished because we don’t have the
challenges and variety anymore and almost
everything and everyone is now equal.
But, in fact, pure human expression used
to thrive on being creative and unique–
than why do we even wonder why we ended up
feeling worthless and empty emotionally,
despite being in this very prosperous era?
And the real trap is that we seek to fill
that terrible void we feel with even more
smart devices, as ‘recreational’ activities
to engage in. As an example, our notion of
the action word ‘play’, which we associate
with virtual games, is very different than
what it meant to our grandparents to whom
it used to signify a physical action, in the
real world, instead of virtual reality.

This humble booklet means to offend no one
through the rather blunt opinion towards
the society we live in today, but rather
just aims to give a wake-up call to those
who only unknowingly live in this dormant
state–induced by the commodities of today–
but that are willing to listen to the message
of this little but rare, in-print book.
And in doing so, to adopt some life-changing
habits, and to inspire others as well, to
break free from our technological ‘frenemy’.

If you picked up this booklet, I, the author,
have faith in you particularly–for your
curious nostalgic interest that brought you
to purchase one of those becomingly rare
printed books.

Skip a couple of pages forward, and you
will find some activities inspired from the
‘older times’ when technology was just not
so embedded in our daily lives, when humans
were still able NOT to rely solely on tech to
perform all of their daily activities. And
I encourage you to adopt as many of them as
a quick way–the word of the century–to add
more purpose and meaning to your life.

So now think for yourself and–while reading
this rather nostalgic book–keep in mind this
question that I leave you with:

Is our technology really a blessing, or is it
more of a threat in disguise?



Thus for the first time
since his creation man will
be faced with his real, his
permanent problem – how to
use his freedom from pressing
economic cares, how to occupy
the leisure, which science and
compound interest will have
won for him, to live wisely
and agreeably and well.

John Maynard Keynes, 'Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren', 1930





Learn a foreign language

Learning to speak a second
language is like a mental
exercise for your brain,
improving your cognitive skills.
You become smarter; practising
a second language improves
your memory and increases your
attention span and your problem-
solving ability. Learning
to switch from one language
to another, enhances your
multitasking abilities. It also
builds up your confidence as you
master your new valuable skill
in using a foreign language.
You’ll be able to prove to
yourself that “you can do it!”,
as the skills you will need
to develop to learn a second
tongue require a great sense of
involvement and determination.
And knowing more than one
language, of course, helps you
while travelling abroad.
Being in a foreign country
also becomes much easier if
you can speak the language of
that country, which means that
your smart tablet can have its
well-deserved vacation as well!



Give (what you can)
to charity

There are great causes that
still need fighting for and
support from our side, in order
to bring more balance in the
world we live in. We have become
rather unknowingly ignorant,
blinded by the technological
overload and its filtered
information, even to notice
where our society fails. An
effective quick way, you can help
through, is making donations
to the “vintage charity shops”.
A small contribution from each
kind person, like you, who
reads this book, can make the
necessary change. Apart from
actual donations, contribution
can even mean buying items from
a charity shop or, why not,
volunteering your time for one.



Send letters/postcards/etc.

Surprise your dear ones through
sending them letters, postcards,
photos, or anything else you
can come up with using your
creativity. This is an almost
forgotten gesture, but one that,
fortunately, and with a bit of
‘hope’, can be restored and put
into practice. That is because
we still need and have our post
offices to function, as we can’t
send physical deliveries through
our digital screens–luckily!



Use time sheets to manage
your free time

Before the post-work era,
people often kept time sheets to
monitor and manage their busy
schedules. We can now bring this
habit back and use it to have
an overview of how we spend
our leisure time. It would even
give you an immediate sense of
purpose to fill those lines with
various activities you could
do for the day, and it would be
rewarding to thick the right
times for doing them.
Also, this activity can even
be taken further as a game
challenge for the whole family:
You can monitor each other,
checking if you’re on the right
track with your schedules and
even assign temporary job roles
around the house–so you just
can’t cheat this!



Recycle old tech equipment

What do you do with your gadgets
when you’ve decided they reached
the end of their usability or
you’ve simply become tired of
them and they end up becoming
electronic waste?
Electronic products usually
contain toxic substances, such
as lead, mercury, and cadmium,
which all must be disposed
of carefully. And that’s an
issue. But, fortunately, no
matter where you live, there
are safe methods for disposing
of electronics. Plenty of
non-profit organisations
and local communities offer
options to help you recycle old
electronics. Some companies
can even come to your door
to collect your “e-waste”
for recycling; it can just be
that easy! You can check the
following website link: https://
www.recyclenow.com/dont-bin-it-
bring-it. There, you have the
option to search for recycling
or drop-off points in your area,
if you just enter your postcode.
Their motto is:
Don’t bin it, bring it!



Learn first aid

First aid saves lives–can you
afford not to know it? Even
last tech “life machines”, that
everyone has at home now, can
possibly break, sometimes when
you most need them, so it is
better to make sure you can rely
on yourself–but do get those
skills first! Basic first aid can
mean the difference between life
and death. Knowing first aid can
also boost your self-confidence;
knowing that you can act
appropriately when an accident
occurs. It is vitally important
to deal with any life-saving
injuries, before reaching for
the nearest gadget to get hold
of an ambulance.
So take that time–which you
already have plenty of–to do a
course on first aid as soon as
possible, as you have no excuse
not to do it.



Communicate in person

Choose to have a conversation
with someone face-to-face,
whenever that is possible.
Real face-to-face communication
is more immediate and clear.
This is important, especially
when the matter to be discussed
is an important one and you
would want to cut off any of
those weird misunderstandings
(that you can easily get through
text messages or even on the
phone). You should be aware
that eye contact is a very
important part of the nonverbal
communication, which you also
exchange with the other person.
More face-to-face conversations
would get you to raise your
gaze from your phone, once in a
while, to go and speak in person
with who you need to, especially
when that person is just a few
feet away from you!



Find a destination
without using a GPS

Grab a map–as you still have
the chance to find a physical
copy to buy–and find your next
destination more interactively
and engagingly, without making
use of any GPS device. It is
really good to exercise you basic
orienting reflexes, plus that
you have the chance to practice
real face-to-face interactions
with other individuals; you will
most probably need to ask for
directions from the people you
meet along the way.



Grow your own garden

If you can, it would be very
beneficial, both for your body
and mind, to own a garden
nowadays. Gardening gives you
a real sense of appreciation
of your own work and effort,
and it will also undoubtedly
give you a new appreciation
for nature. Your garden will
offer you a much healthier
alternative: growing your own
fruits and vegetables will
provide organic, healthier
food than the alternatives
produced unnaturally with
chemicals. Moreover, the time
spent researching different
plants, and learning about them
in depth can add another layer
of interactivity; gardening is
mentally stimulating and can
lead to new skills and knowledge
for your family.
And very importantly, you will
help with adding a new green
corner in this world that
is struggling to bring back
the green landscape that our
industries have taken over…
You just have the chance
to do your part and turn
some dull land into an
attractive landscape.



Read stories
to your children

Surely, you can be a more
awesome and convincing
storyteller than that audiobook
on your kindle. Reading or
telling stories to your children,
is something that you really
shouldn’t neglect because
it improves your long-term
relationship with your
children. It also helps with
developing their imagination
and sparking their curiosity
about their surroundings.
And that, particularly, is
really necessary to keep them
interested in discovering more
and more about the world they
live in, instead of having
all their attention focused
on their gadgets.



Keep a journal

Recording your ideas and
thoughts through journaling is a
great way to express yourself–to
yourself–indeed. Because writing
down what you have in mind can
massively help you bring clarity
within your own thoughts.
Many famous persons: leaders,
writers, artists, innovators
and original thinkers, of
our previous generations,
kept journals. Thinking in
handwriting, especially, has
a very beneficial effect,
optimising and strengthening
your mental health, if practised
regularly.
Tip: You can just let your
subconscious mind run loose on
those journal pages, and even
start doodling if that is where
your imagination is taking you
in the moment.



Learn to play a
musical instrument

Researchers have found that
taking up a musical instrument
improves memory and cognitive
skills. When you play a musical
instrument, you use both sides
of your brain, which strengthens
your intellectual abilities.
What are you still waiting for:
get started and discover for
yourself where original music
actually comes from.



Be an explorer in search
of your own passions

Discover at least one great
passion you have, and pursue
that. There is almost nothing
more self-fulfilling than
following your passion and
continually working on it. That
is just amazing: to develop
your character and to grow as
a person along with your own
passion, as you shape most of
your interests around it.
Do not just waste your free
time scrolling down virtual
pages, because it will get you
nowhere-literally!



Learn key phone numbers
by heart

Did you know that, not too long
ago, it was common for anyone to
memorise key phone numbers that
they used the most?
This could come in handy if,
let’s say you’re running out of
battery, and it just happens
that there is no power bank
around. And that would mean that
you just have to borrow someone
else’s phone to make that
important call.
You can now even download the
app “Remumber”, the app that
teaches your kid to remember
your phone number. Also, do not
forget to teach your children
the emergency numbers in your
region.



Take time for tech break

Nominate at least a day a
week when you MUST take time
off tech and steer clear of
any smart gadget if possible.
We really need to keep using
our natural human abilities
and senses, without relying
on our digital items. You
can even compare this to a
cleansing cure, which you
would normally do to maintain
your physical health, but just
imagine this as a necessary
'diet' for your mental health.
And remember: technology can
often fail us, but if we keep
our brain trained, nothing can
take that knowledge or skills
away from us.



Activities to do Post-Work

without losing your sense of
purpose in the world

“individual moments in Time”
(of the big time)

>> This book was printed on recycled paper

Time_
Unrealised _ Potential_
Leisure _ Smart_Objects_ Wasting
_ Waiting _Technological
Dependency_## Void ##_Feelings
_Questioning the Existence_
Temporality_Out of Synch
_ Humanity_ Lost?

“Once upon a TIME the past was the
present and the future was today.”

Leisure used to be a “longed-for sweet.”

We are “individual moments in Time”
...