When I was learning English, one of the generic conversation questions we were taught was:

“What do you do in your spare time?” 😊

But really—what do we do with the time that opens up in our lives?

I lived in Istanbul for nearly 20 years. It’s a beautiful, high-speed city. You’re always rushing to something. There’s a certain beauty in the chaos, but I was living on autopilot. I didn’t have time for many of the joyful things I was yearning to try. Traffic, economic uncertainty, and a lack of energy from the exhaustion of high-demanding workplaces.

After moving to Canada 11 years ago, I noticed something profound: time opened up.

The pace was slower, life was more stable and predictable, there was less to worry about—no rush! I remember once thinking, “This would never happen in Istanbul,” when people were patiently waiting at least 10 minutes for their coffee.

That shift was huge for me. I knew I needed calm, peace, and breathing room—but at first, I didn’t know what to do with it. I had time and headspace, but the question was: How should I use it?

I know others who’ve had a similar journey—suddenly faced with more space in their lives, only to feel bored, restless, even depressed.

I feel fortunate that I chose a different path.

I started doing the things I had longed for: spending time in nature, getting back to crafts, joining a choir, taking Zumba classes, learning to skate, trying water sports, going to yoga, meditating, spending time with friends, learning an instrument…

I chose to reconnect with myself. To create. To find joy. To invest in relationships.

I didn’t realize then that these things were actually supporting my productivity, creativity, and resilience at work.

Taking time for my well-being made me better at what I do.

I know, I know—everyone is talking about AI lately, and maybe you’re tired of hearing about it! But bear with me for a moment 😊I want to invite you to think about AI from a different lens this time.

AI tools are already making our lives easier and saving us a lot of time. And this impact is only going to grow.

But the real question is: How are we using the time we’re saving?

According to ChatGPT, most people are using it to take on more tasks, to push productivity further, to keep going. The mental space it creates is often filled with more content creation, more deliverables, and temporary relief from burnout.

Even ChatGPT admits: “Well-being goals are not top of mind.”

Here’s a reflection question for you:

What are you doing with the time you save by using AI tools?

As an individual—or as an organization?