We’re all humans, right? We have these incredible senses of touch and sight and hearing and tasting (is there one more?). We also thrive in community, when we talk to other people and interact with each other. What better way to combine all of these human things than to sit down with some friends or family in front of a board and some little pieces of plastic?
One of our greatest temptations today is to turn to our technology instead of engaging with other people. Our phones are some of the most helpful and useful pieces of technology ever invented, but unfortunately, they can also inhibit the things that make us human.
A helpful category for thinking about this is to distinguish between rest and leisure (which I have shamelessly hacked from The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch, a really helpful read). Leisure is mindlessly scrolling through social media or news on your phone, playing some kind of video game by yourself, or maybe worst of all, watching reality TV. Leisure is fine, but ultimately not all that helpful. It puts you into a sort of trance, you lose track of time, you’re probably more stressed when you quit, and you haven’t achieved anything except to waste some time and feel more harried. Rest, on the other hand, is restorative. Restful activities typically engage your mind instead of putting you into a coma. They include things like reading a book, conversing with close friends and family, playing an instrument, fishing (obviously), working out (it might take a few weeks, but once it becomes a habit it’s the best), building Legos, or playing a board game. An interesting note here, leisure activities often involve screens, restful activities often don’t.
As I write this we’re in the thick of the holiday season, Christmas hits this week, we’ll celebrate the New Year next week. Most of us will be spending at least some amount of time away from work and with family. Take the opportunity to enjoy a board game together. Engage your mind, indulge in some conversation, enjoy the people in your life. If my reasoning holds up, you’ll feel much better having done that than to have entered your trace space. We’re humans after all.