"Do you have plans for the night?" I asked after the show ended.

"Yes," my date responded. "With my laptop."

That was 2 months ago, but it has haunted me ever since.

I hated that I, too, had plans with my laptop.

So, this year (2024), I made efforts to create space in my life.

My One-Month Journey in Creating Space

It started out as 1-hour blocks of "unstructured time" every day.

Space to be physically present. Space to be mentally present. Space to do whatever I want to do—ideally unrelated to work.

As the semester got busier, this 1-hour block vanished. But I stuck to a few essentials:

• Cooking for myself two times a week (~6h/week)
• Attending Dharma service every Sunday (~1.5h/week)
• Journalling every day—even if it's a few sentences (~15mins/day)

And when I engage in these activities, I allow myself to disengage fully from work.

What to do on Valentine's Day (as a single person)

Have plans with yourself, not your work.

Carve out 1 hour after your working hours.

If you don't have 1 hour, carve out 30 minutes.

If you don't have 30 minutes, use the time you spend on social media.

Here are some ideas on what you can do with that time:

• Read a book that you've always wanted to read
• Watch a video essay about your hobbies
• Reconnect with your long-term goals
• Script your ideal day in the life
• Eat your favorite ice cream
• Try a new bath bomb
• Go for a walk
• Meditate
• Cook

You can also spend time with your friends. The point is to 1) spend time away from your electronic devices as much as possible, and/or 2) allow your mind to detach from work.

Just to be clear: There's nothing wrong with prioritizing one thing (work) over all others.

But if you do that long enough, cracks in those "other things" will start to form.

I hope you have an amazing Valentine's Day and the rest of the week!