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Vonyeh Celesta Williams

Leisure and Human Behavior

Steven Hanna

3/20/2024

Time Diary

I. Introduction

In this paper, I will explain my time breakdown over three days through the lens of a time

diary. In my time diary I focused on my daily balance between my social interactions and the

activities I do in solitude. I will examine the levels of stress I experience in these different

settings, and the reflection it has on my emotional state. In addition, I will reflect on my lifestyle

choice to see the impact on my overall health and wellness. Through data collection and

observations this paper will break down the dynamics of my daily routine and the outcomes it

has on me.

II. Overall Time Use

This assignment showed my overall use of time based on three sections, work, personal and

leisure. Before starting this assignment, I would have said that my work percentage would be

most of my time, and my personal leisure time would be lower and equal. With my analysis, I

can establish a balance between my work and personal time with my leisure time lagging them.

Surprisingly, that data revealed that most of my time is spent in the company of others, while I

felt like I am always in my own bubble. The analysis showed that a significant percentage of my

time is spent using or being involved with technology. Technology played an essential role in all

three sections of my life from personal communication, working with POS systems at work, and
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even watching television. This showed me the key role that technology has even in the activities

that I forget are being done with the support of tech. Like the general population a vast majority

of my leisure time is spent watching tv and socializing. On the other hand, with me not having a

large amount of leisure time, it seemed like I spent most of my time relaxing and thinking, unlike

the general population.

III. Emotion and Stress Variables

Over the 72-hour data collection time my emotions and stress levels had what one could call a

notable fluctuations but at the same time just what my normal weekend looks like. When looking

at the data on paper it showed how my stress and emotions are intertwined allowing them to

reflect on each other for most of the time. During this analysis it was a very emotional time for

me which caused other factors to take over my stress levels. It also was the reason my family

visited, which created other uncontrollable stress and emotional factors. Overall, my emotional

state was a wreck which I think played a role in my stress levels not making sense and being all

over. My family coming was able to bring up my emotional state it also stressed me out just a

little more with them being around. Even though I felt less emotional, I was still not entirely

balanced because of other work-related issues. What's interesting about the data is that it showed

my peak stress and emotion levels were constantly recorded during work hours, which

emphasizes how much professional responsibilities affect my overall wellbeing. Work, leisure,

and personal time all had a significant impact on how my emotions and stress levels fluctuated,

highlighting the relationship between day-to-day activities and mental health.

IV. Leisure as Health/Wellness

Overall leisure activities have a crucial role in maintaining the balance between work and play.

Leisure provides you with time to unwind and do what you want to do with your time without
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having to worry about any outside distractions. Having this free time after working benefits your

personal health. However, for me because I am also on the go sometimes too much leisure time

can become a distraction and set me behind in my health. It is important for my health that I do

not let personal and leisure time overshadow work and my stress levels.Having a leisure time

routine can better support my health and wellbeing and keep me on track.

V. Conclusion

This time diary provided insight from a different perspective on the breakdown of my

daily life. Through this analysis I was able to visually see my time and change how I distribute it

to impact my life beneficially. One of the most important lessons learned from this research is

the necessity of striking a balance between all three sections of my time. Making sure that these

activities are minimizing the stress you're feeling but getting good emotions out of it. This task

has made me realize how important it is to maintain my self-awareness and time management

skills going forward. Recognizing the unique benefits and challenges between social interactions

and alone time and how technology improving its role will benefit my wellbeing. Understanding

your time and how it impacts you is a key takeaway from this project. Furthermore, this

assignment highlighted the idea that depending on the intention behind the activity it can

influence the distinction of a personal fulfillment versus leisure fulfillment.