Hectic schedules leave no ‘me time’

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Youngsters today can’t afford the luxury of skipping tuitions and opting for some fun activities once college gets over. Right after college it’s tuitions, swimming, guitar and language classes that keep them pretty occupied. Teens live a busy life, but everything is within a set schedule. Plus added temptations like TV, Internet and catching up with friends keeps them on their toes. But are all these activities proving to be too taxing or do they enjoy being busy? And in doing so, do they ever miss out on “me-time”?
Juggling classes that interest him, Tarunish Sharma, 16, says, “I follow a weekly routine and it works fine for me.” He alternates his French classes with guitar lessons, and doesn’t miss his daily soccer practice. “It’s not something only I am doing. All my friends do the same. We chat on the Internet in the evening, and go out partying on weekends,” he adds.
Priyanshi Garodia, an engineering student at Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology says that with so much competition today, one has to put in an extra bit to emerge as an all-rounder. “Even though my course involves studying for long hours, I’m still learning dance. I enjoy it, but I am learning it to add an additional skill which will give me an edge during a job interview. Having diverse interests is always better,” she says.
Says 22-year-old Rashi Walia, “Many don’t want to sacrifice their extra-curricular activities, and they also can’t give up being with friends. So, balancing studies, sports and friends, many of us forget the importance of being alone with oneself, and the pleasure of just reading a book.”
For some it’s the competition, and for others it’s parental or peer pressure that makes them work overtime in pursuit of being an ‘all rounder’. So, if the youth of today are synonymous with freedom, how do they decide on what’s important for them? Clinical psychologist Dr Sameer Parekh stresses on the need of striking a balance between what he calls ‘structured and unstructured time’. “Learning many new things is undeniably a welcome exercise, but we need to understand the need for unstructured time as well. It’s the time to take life easy, and do whatever a youngster wishes to do,” he says.
“And if they are forever stuck to a schedule, they may lose interest in things, and end up feeling frustrated and aggressive,” he warns.