There’s this concept that one of my favorite authors, Laura Vanderkam, espouses in her book Tranquility by Tuesday: effortful vs effortless relaxation. Effortful refers to recreational activities that are actually fun, things we always say we should do more of, like rock climbing or having a picnic with friends over the weekend. Effortless refers to the mindless activities we default to when we’re tired, like scrolling through TikTok or staring glassy-eyed at the TV.
While both kinds of activities are necessary, a lot of us tend to cancel effortful relaxation plans in favor of effortless. That art exhibit you planned to see with friends on a Friday night suddenly seems a lot less appealing compared to slumping on the couch after an exhausting workweek. Or you don’t feel like going for that swim any more, because it’s too hot outside and you’d rather be indoors.
The thing is, effortful relaxation is what makes life memorable. And it makes time slow right down, because our brain measures time by memories made. That’s why it feels like the weekend slips by so fast when the only thing we’ve done is watch drama serials and order pizza. Conversely, it passes at a slower pace when you’re doing something that engages the senses and creates a new memory.
Something worth thinking about, especially with a couple of long weekends coming up.
3 Features You Might Have Missed
- Experience the wonders of Southeast Asia without leaving your home with the help of virtual reality (VR) technology. From exploring destinations to simulating tourist attractions and offering personalized tours, VR has the potential to enhance the tourism industry and provide new opportunities for those unable to travel. Is virtual tourism really the future? Read all about it in Degen’s op-ed piece of the week.
- Superapp platforms, listen up: these are five keys to standing out from your competition. This article explores what users want from the superapp experience, backed by data from the Qualtrics CX Edge 2022 Customer Experience in Singapore survey.
- What’s happening in the world of digital payments? This report is a TL;DR of six takeaways from the FIS Global Payment Report 2023, and is a must-read for anyone in the fintech sector.
2 Newsbites from the Week
- ByteDance has decided to throw its hat into the fast-fashion ring by setting up its own clothing store on the Douyin app. Will they be able to measure up to competitors like SHEIN, and what else do they have up their sleeve? (That was the last clothing pun, we promise.)
- A price war is ensuing in China’s new energy vehicle industry, adding drama to the production crises that manufacturers are already facing. It’s possible that we’ll be seeing some mergers and/or collapses at some point in the near future.
1 Thought from the Team
Tech for travel seems to be the talk of the town lately, from VR experiences to new travel-focused app features. It definitely looks like it’s going to be an unprecedented resurgence for the travel industry this year. If you’re a startup, how are you positioning yourself to take advantage of this trend?
The KrASIA team