Gifting experiences instead of things
A locally written guide to spending less and living more - the Art of Frugal Hedonism - redefines the term relishing. The book encourages readers to relish in the sun on their face, a picnic in the park, wandering through a free exhibition.
By embodying this concept, the authors claim to live a life of luxury by consuming experiences over things. “Go for a barefoot walk somewhere where you can curl your toes into brittle grass, mud or sand. Listen to music while doing nothing else at all,” the book dares
This idea of relishing puts non-monetary value on enjoying life and its day-to-day rhythms. It gives us permission to indulge not in possessions, but in long walks and rambling conversations. It begs us to question what we prescribe as worthwhile, both in connection with others and in solitude.
Cal Newport’s Slow Productivity has also been making waves for its unashamed criticism of people who brag about 60 hour weeks and no time to themselves. Since 1856, we have enshrined the need for eight hours to work, eight hours to sleep and eight to play.
Why would we let the time slip away and to add salt to the wound - why would we brag about this loss? To regret time spent doing nothing robs us of our ability to be playful for the sake of it, to enjoy ourselves, to make art, to love.
In The Pleasures of Leisure, Robert Dessaix looks at the history of rest and what place it takes in the modern world. He says that to rest only to achieve better health or ‘wellness’ results ironically plays into today’s culture of hyper-productivity. Resting purely for pleasure should not be something we need to apologise for.
Because of this, Dessaix states we need to reclaim the right to ‘rest well’. For an individual that might mean time spent without your phone, a day with no structure, or clocking off when you’re supposed to. You might stop yourself from equating a bad day with one in which you achieved nothing at all. Relish in time spent alone, exploring the world.
When milestones roll around like birthdays, Mother’s Day and Valentines; you may also ask how you can give others experiences rather than physical items.
Last Christmas, millions of Australians were surveyed on their attitudes towards gift giving. Almost half said they don’t think about whether presents they’ve bought might end up in landfill. If we want to reduce a holiday period’s impact on the environment, the study says we need to focus more on “giving, not purchasing, as the enjoyable experience.”
Giving someone a gift does not need to be wasteful. Relish in the act of making an effort, taking someone for a walk or a treat you can enjoy together. We love to see friends at the bathhouse, parents alongside their adult children, partners breaking away from screens and smiling across the mineral pool. In the age of feeling ‘time poor’, to give someone time together might be one of the greatest gifts of all.
Words by Hannah Bambra.