Once we have a tactile project in front of us, it’s amazing how easily we can focus for hours, never missing our digital devices. This sabbatical week, I’ve baked cookies, lifted weights, and run. These physical activities and concrete hobbies have been the highlight of my week, and reminded me of the simple, grounded pleasures of doing real things.
I was particularly happy to be able to start complex barbell lifts again, as I’d been sidelined with a hip injury. I had been able to run and do lighter dumb bell work, but this week was a significant marker. I’ve regained strength and mobility and was able to pick a barbell up from the floor and clean it up to my shoulders for the first time in months. It’s been a rewarding week.
Most of my time, though, has been spent baking. I cracked eggs, rolled out chocolate dough and melted white chocolate; dipped and swirled icing; chopped walnuts and mixed batter, and stacked dozens upon dozens onto cooling racks and plates. I piled cookies into dishes and storage containers to give to loved ones. While I haven’t been online most of the week, I’ve enjoyed this step back from the digital, into the physical. Instead of being on screens most of the day -which I love – I’ve been in a kitchen surrounded by ingredients and armed with a plan. While I do bake and cook throughout the year, there is something about dedicating a few entire days to the process which makes it more of a ritual and meditative experience, different from baking on a random weekend.
I think the most refreshing part of this week is it served as a reminder of what life was like before the streaming wars and before social media “influencers” and the onslaught of advertisement tracking. Before “follows” and algorithms upended the passing of time, before notification chimes and smartphone tones became the soundtrack of our days. The days when being online didn’t compete with being human. It took me back to my childhood days of being “bored” and having to literally move around the house looking for something to do. It reminded me of the physical component of attention – that sensation of literally having your hands full completing a single task, focusing your mind on that task, then moving on to the next one.
The week reminded me of the endless possibilities to just do something with my hands. The simple act of baking – of measuring and mixing ingredients, rolling out dough, and lifting the freshly baked pastries onto a cooling rack – it’s not especially complex, but it does require attention and concentration. It doesn’t lend itself to multitasking. You have to read and follow directions. Timing matters. You can’t accurately mix or measure while watching a show or texting someone and there is no CTRL+Z or edit button to undo getting the measurements wrong. A clock can help, but you need your eyes, ears, and nose to know when a batch is done in the oven. Those tangible and physical element brought some welcome refreshment into my days.
Isn’t it amazing that a week of physical tasks could have such an energizing effect? It makes me wonder whether a small solution to our constant queries for more information, posts, ideas, etc., isn’t simply turning off our devices and doing something real with our hands. While the online world is increasingly part of “real life”; the physical world remains part of real life, as well. As humans inhabiting both areas, we should take time to make sure we thrive in both areas – physical and digital.
So, if I might venture to offer something in the way of advice, here it is: amid all your internet surfing and social media scrolling and movie watching this season, make time to do something tangible. Maybe it’s going for a walk or raking leaves, maybe it’s building a project or putting together a puzzle. Maybe it’s as simple as making your bed. It may just be baking a batch of holiday cookies. Do something tangible with your hands, something with a clear before and after, and think about what life and hobbies were like before the internet swallowed them. It just might make your week.
Illustration: Two figures stand with heavy weights. W. Fasienski. 1905. Public Domain.
