Leisure as Non-Work

Most people have an inherent sense of what they consider to be a leisure activity.
We generally know that it is not work and not something that you must do. In fact, it
is easier to define what leisure is not than what it is. In part, this is because leisure is
very subjective – what one person considers a leisure activity, another person may not
consider leisure at all. A hike in the woods might be considered leisure by some, and
work by someone else. Furthermore, the same person can hold these divergent views
from one day to the next, depending on the social context and an individual’s atti-
tude. Despite the subjective complexities of leisure, we can generally say that leisure
occurs when an individual is undertaking an activity that he or she wants to do and
enjoys doing.
Leisure, therefore, can be defined as time spent free of obligation and necessity,
when one is in control of one’s own destiny. During pure leisure, there are no overt
outside factors or forces that determine what we do and how we spend our time.
While we have each been socialized to consider some forms of leisure activities more
acceptable than others, we feel that during our leisure time we are free from society’s
expectations and demands of us.
This definition of leisure raises some intriguing questions about free will and social
expectations. However, it is also limited in that it is not easily quantifiable because
it does not specifically address different types of leisure (for counting purposes), nor
does it describe to what extent one is free from social obligation (such as when a busi-
ness trip becomes a tourist holiday). Because defining leisure as the opposite of work
and obligation is so vague, we will move on to a second definition of leisure that
focuses on activities.

Leisure Activities

Leisure can also be defined as a specific activity that results in the physical or men-
tal relaxation and rejuvenation of an individual. Some popular activities that are nor-
mally associated with these results include watching television, participating in sports
and other outdoor recreation activities, reading books and magazines, going to the
movies, and listening to music. These activities bring relaxation to the mind, body and
soul – for most people. As mentioned above, individuals can vary a lot in the types of
activities they find relaxing and stressful. For some, work may actually be considered
a leisure activity, while for others a leisure activity may be considered work. Defining
leisure as a set of specific activities makes leisure quantifiable, but may not address an
individual’s motivations and goals for leisure. Therefore, a third definition has also
been proposed.

Leisure as a State of Mind

Leisure can also be defined as a state of mind. This idea was expounded by the Greek
philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BCE), who saw leisure as a form a self-meditation and
self-improvement. He saw leisure as the most essential element of humankind because
it allows for self-development, creativity and self-actualization. It enables us to step

2 W O R L D G E O G R A P H Y O F T R AV E L A N D T O U R I S M