Do you ever find it easy to get lost in an activity? Do you get so lost that you forget to get the things done you were supposed to get done? I find myself in that category sometimes.

I have found over the years that it is best for me to get everything done that is a necessity for that day first, because once I get started on the projects that I really enjoy, that is the end of getting much else done for the next few hours anyway.

I have talked about time management before here and here, so I won’t go into how to manage time. But I thought I would share some things I do that I get lost in, and use up a lot of time, some good, one not so good.

First, the not so good. I try to stay off my phone/computer, off social media, off YouTube, unless there is a purpose. But I definitely spend too much time on all of these platforms sometimes. I find I get sucked in and then realize I have been mindlessly watching or scrolling for way longer than I intended. I am still working on that.

Now, a couple of the best ways I lose myself in my work. The first is when I paint. I like to make sure I have at least an hour, but it’s nice when I have more. Getting started sometimes is stressful, but once I get into the painting process, I relax and enjoy creating.

If it’s late at night, sometimes my kids will actually come tell me it’s time for me to go to bed! The nice thing about painting at night though, is that when I actually do go to bed, I sleep really well because I was so relaxed while I was painting.

The second one I will share is when I am creating products. I really enjoy the processes I use to create new products like earrings, towels, mugs, shirts, prints, cards, everything I produce myself. I also do this late in the afternoon or at night, because I know I can spend hours making new products. I also love packaging up the finished products. I guess maybe it feels like a job well done, and I have high hopes that people will like the products and purchase them.

Getting lost in a good thing when there’s plenty of time to do so is relaxing. I don’t think life is just about only getting the necessities done. I also don’t think relaxing is about scrolling. I actually find that overall, when I have been scrolling, I am less relaxed, my muscles are tighter, I don’t sleep as well, and overall I am not as happy.

But, when I can produce something with that time, a painting, a product, even a good meal for my family, homemade bread, a finished fabric piece, something that is useful or beautiful. That is when I am most relaxed, most lost in the process, and ultimately, I feel most fulfilled with what I created or how I used the time I have been given.