Introduction

Scrolling through videos, playing games—these always felt like relaxing activities, the kind that should restore my energy afterward. Yet living like this every day has left me feeling empty and fatigued. This raised a question: in theory, I haven’t been doing anything energy-intensive, so why do I still feel so drained?

The Pomodoro Dilemma

I remembered when I once suffered from eye strain. To protect my eyes, I started using the Pomodoro technique for studying. At first, my goal was clear: during breaks I would gaze into the distance or simply lie down and rest. It worked really well.

But as time went on, I wanted my breaks to feel more “entertaining.” I began using longer breaks to watch videos, listen to music, or play games. Gradually, my efficiency plummeted. I started feeling that using a timer was burdensome. Studying became tiring (sometimes I was deeply focused, but the timer forced me to stop), and even playing felt stressful. With only 20 minutes of playtime, I couldn’t relax at all—I just felt anxious.

Entertainment: Another Form of Focus

Thinking again, maybe entertainment isn’t actually relaxation. Entertainment, like studying, requires focus and mental energy. The whole idea of the Pomodoro technique is to manage periods of focus, then allow time for rest. That “rest” is meant to relax both mind and body, to recover from concentrated effort.

When I deliberately emptied my mind and went for a walk, strolled in a park, or browsed a bookstore, I felt far more relaxed than watching videos or gaming. These activities consumed some physical energy, but compared to entertainment or study, they demanded much less mental energy.

Redefining Entertainment and Relaxation

From this, I realized my old definition of entertainment was flawed. Entertainment isn’t a way to restore myself after study—it’s another activity that requires mental effort. When I’m already low on mental energy, doing more of these things only drains me further. At that point, entertainment loses its meaning—like a phone running out of battery while you keep high-power apps running.

Relaxation, on the other hand, should be redefined. It’s about opening up mind and body, drifting freely. When mental energy is lacking, doing something low in both mental and physical demand works better—tidying up, wandering aimlessly, doing things without purpose or intention.

The Blurred Line Between Study and Entertainment

So if both study and entertainment require focus, what makes them different?

I think it depends on interest. No matter how much concentration an activity needs, if you’re genuinely interested, it feels like entertainment; if not, it feels like study.

For example, with a game: if driven by interest, you just play for fun; if approached as “study,” it becomes about goals and achievements.

Or with a movie franchise: with interest, you sit back and enjoy the spectacle; approached as study, you dissect details, explore lore, and analyze continuity.

The boundary is blurry. In most cases, it comes down to personal perception.

Relaxation: True Recharge for Mental Energy

Any activity with a specific goal still consumes mental focus—even some things we think of as relaxing, like grocery shopping, going to a bookstore, or even visiting a park.

Once there’s a purpose attached, it isn’t true relaxation, because the mind isn’t really at rest. The energy drained isn’t restored.

Relaxation, then, can be seen as using light physical activity to compensate for mental fatigue. And if even the body feels too weak, then the best choice is simply to lie down.

Perhaps real rest is not about finding an easy activity to do, but about allowing yourself to do nothing at all.

Conclusion

Study helps us grow. Entertainment excites us. But true relaxation restores us.

Life shouldn’t be only about chasing and stimulation. Maybe what we really need is not more entertainment, but the ability to pause.