A truly free day, the kind where you have no obligations whatsoever, often feels like an impossible dream. For most of us, even when we think we have a day off, it’s quickly filled with chores like laundry and errands, family responsibilities, or even social plans we once eagerly made. That coveted ’empty day’ frequently transforms into an open invitation for all the week’s lingering tasks to finally get tackled.
Yet, occasionally, the stars align, and you find yourself with a genuinely blank calendar. On these rare days, you’re committed to doing absolutely nothing, and for once, that nagging urge to be productive is surprisingly silent. You might even hear yourself ask, “What do I really want to do right now?” Perhaps the answer is “Lie in bed and binge-watch old episodes of ‘High Maintenance’.” Before you know it, there you are, nestled under the covers at 10 AM, truly embracing the art of leisure, just like someone who truly understands its profound value.
If you’re anything like me, this initial bliss of indulgence lasts about 45 minutes, maybe an hour. Then, a peculiar cocktail of emotions starts to brew: guilt, restlessness, a touch of FOMO (fear of missing out), and perhaps even outright boredom. You might begin to feel like a child who faked a sick day, now stuck on the couch watching daytime TV, with a dusty sunbeam highlighting your self-imposed idleness. You’re left wondering: “Who convinced me this much laziness would be restorative? And why did I ever think this was a good idea?”
I recently experienced such a day, committing to minimal activity, assuring myself it was a much-needed break from all responsibilities. I was certain that this “lying low” approach would be both refreshing and delightful. I donned my comfiest “hangaround bangarounds” – what my friend Alice affectionately calls those ultimate cozy house clothes – and ordered food in. But as evening approached, I felt such intense cabin fever that even a simple shower and a walk outside felt like a wild animal escaping its enclosure. Far from the relaxing interlude I’d planned, the day felt oddly isolating and unproductive, too much time spent simply existing.
I asked some colleagues if they’d ever truly pulled off a day of intentional laziness without sliding into self-criticism. Their responses were enlightening. “Baking!” one immediately suggested. She clarified that baking, while an activity, doesn’t feel like a chore. It’s different from cooking, which can quickly turn into dreaded meal prep. She recently enjoyed a leisurely day crafting Marion Burros’s plum torte (a recipe we should all try before plum season ends, though it’s adaptable with any fruit!). A baking project, she noted, provides a subtle structure, a gentle timer that keeps you from succumbing to complete inertia. You have something delightful to focus on, and as a bonus, a delicious creation to enjoy. Truly satisfying!
The consensus emerged: the key to a truly lazy, yet fulfilling, day is to weave in an activity that’s just engaging enough to prevent total passivity. This could be baking, an art project, writing a heartfelt letter, or a long, leisurely phone call with a dear friend. We debated whether a quick tidy-up first thing in the morning counted, allowing for laziness in a pleasant environment. However, we agreed that once chores sneak onto the agenda, the spirit of relaxation quickly evaporates.
I left my failed “relax-a-thon” with a clear lesson: “Be careful what you wish for.” But next time I’m faced with a vast stretch of unstructured time, my new motto will be: “When the day feels too loose, go bake.” Or do any enjoyable, non-essential activity that provides just enough gentle structure to keep the day from unraveling.
THE LATEST NEWS
Politics
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Volodymyr Zelensky, visiting the White House, pressed President Trump to supply Ukraine with new weapons to fight Russia. Trump expressed trepidation, saying he would prefer to negotiate an end to the war.
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Trump commuted the seven-year prison sentence of George Santos, the former Republican congressman whose lies made him a national figure. “Good luck George, have a great life!” Trump wrote on social media.
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John Bolton, a Trump adviser turned critic, pleaded not guilty to charges that he had mishandled classified information.
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Obamacare prices for next year went public in some states yesterday, showing that health insurance premiums will be higher if Congress does not extend subsidies.
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Marc Benioff, the Salesforce C.E.O., apologized for saying that Trump should send the National Guard to San Francisco.
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Federal employees responsible for boosting fossil fuels and eliminating green energy remain at work — even as more than 700,000 other workers are furloughed during the shutdown.
Venezuelan Conflict
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The Navy detained two people who survived the latest strike on a ship in the Caribbean, this one a semi-submersible vessel. It’s unclear whether officials will release them, hold them as wartime prisoners or turn them over to law enforcement.
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The U.S. has sent roughly 10,000 troops, along with dozens of military aircraft and ships, to the Caribbean Sea. It’s the largest deployment in the region in decades.
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A bipartisan group of senators wants to force a vote on legislation that would prohibit the U.S. from attacking Venezuela without explicit approval.
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Despite the Trump administration’s threats, Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s leader, has found a pillar of support in an American oil giant.
Other Big Stories
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Prince Andrew of Britain, a longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein’s, surrendered the use of his royal title, the Duke of York.
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Hunger and disease have surged among children in Somalia after the U.S. slashed aid to the country.
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OpenAI blocked users from creating videos with Martin Luther King Jr. on Sora, its new app, after fake videos showed the leader delivering vulgar and racist remarks.
THE WEEK IN CULTURE
Film and TV
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For Guillermo del Toro’s take on “Frankenstein” — the movie he was born to make, our critic writes — he conjured a monster unlike any that came before. (Read the review.)
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How does one lead an artistic life while supporting a family? Ben Stiller confronts that question in a new film about his comedian parents.
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Tyler James Williams endured some fallow young adult years to emerge as a skillful, likable performer and director on the ABC sitcom “Abbott Elementary.”
Music
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Gothic spectacle is the mood of the moment in pop music. Lady Gaga was way ahead of the curve, Wesley Morris writes.
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Sandra Oh, who starred in “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Killing Eve,” is taking a musical turn with her debut at the Metropolitan Opera.
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The Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley, who died this week at 74, scored his only Top 20 solo hit with a cover track. This is how he made “New York Groove” his own.
More Culture
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The video game Little Nightmares III is tastefully morbid, our critic writes. It forgoes run-of-the-mill jump scares and excessive gore for just the right amount of creepy.
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What makes Mick Herron’s spy novels, the basis for the show “Slow Horses,” so good? Our critic A.O. Scott says it’s the sarcasm, not the plot twists, and he dives into the text of Herron’s latest to demonstrate.
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It was tie vs. tie in the New York City mayoral debate this week, writes the fashion critic Vanessa Friedman.
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Some American museums, trying to appeal to young people, are letting kids curate shows.
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The British Library barred Oscar Wilde in 1895, after he was convicted on a charge used to punish homosexual relationships. Now it’s reinstating his library card.
CULTURE CALENDAR
📺 “Nobody Wants This” (Thursday): There is a Hebrew word, dayenu, which translates to “it would have been enough.” That we had even one season of Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This,” a nifty, quippy romantic comedy about a rabbi (Adam Brody) who falls for a non-Jewish podcaster (Kristen Bell) — well, that’s dayenu to the max. But the streamers are occasionally kind, and the series has returned for a second season. Though some problems of the first persist (the goyish women are hip blondes, the Jewish women shrill brunettes), the characters have been deepened and complicated, and new guest stars include Seth Rogen and Kate Berlant. Mazel tov!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Chocolate Mug Cake
If you’d like to enjoy a quiet chocolate-filled moment by yourself this weekend, Deanna F. Cook’s chocolate mug cake (as adapted by Margaux Laskey) makes one perfectly sized portion. Bittersweet, moist and fudgy, it requires only a few pantry ingredients and less than five minutes in your microwave. A scoop of ice cream on top isn’t essential but does add a cool, creamy contrast — instant gratification of the sweetest kind.
T MAGAZINE
Read this weekend’s edition of T, The New York Times Style Magazine.
REAL ESTATE
The hunt: A former Navy submariner and an Army reservist had $700,000 to spend on a home in New York’s less-trafficked neighborhoods. Which did they choose? Play our game.
What you get for $1.5 million in Florence, Italy: a three-bedroom apartment in a historic villa north of the city; a five bedroom renovated farmhouse; or a ground-floor maisonette near the Arno River.
Mother lode: The Gold Rush towns of Nevada City and Grass Valley, Calif., host a surprisingly cosmopolitan mix of 49er descendants, former loggers, artists and mystics.
Hollywood flipper: Diane Keaton, who died last week at 79, was the daughter of a real estate agent. So it’s fitting that she made a second career renting, buying and renovating houses.
LIVING
The Eternal City: Your first trip to Rome can be overwhelming — where to start in a city with thousands of years of history? The Times’s Travel desk has put together a guide with everything you need to know.
Real-life Wonka: The internet’s most famous pastry chef has rapidly built his own dessert empire.
Four pages, single spaced: Our notes for pet sitters are getting longer and more ridiculous.
Grief: It’s normal to grieve even before a loss happens. Here is expert advice to navigate those feelings.
ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER
Start your holiday shopping now
Yes, tariffs will affect holiday shopping. Wirecutter tracked the prices on 40 of our picks over six months, and many are more expensive than they once were. But they are still potentially less expensive than they will be in the near future. Gaming consoles, for instance, may become pricier in the coming months, so it’s best to buy now. And it’s a good idea to build in extra time for shipping this year, especially for anything coming from abroad, which can be delayed in customs. Our experts put together a guide to navigating tariffs this holiday season — and how you can still find great presents without overpaying. — Annemarie Conte
Know someone who’s impossible to shop for? Ask our gifting experts for advice.
GAME OF THE WEEK
San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks: The N.B.A. is back, and story lines abound. Will this be LeBron James’s final season? Will the steadily improving New York Knicks finally break through? Can any team stop the Oklahoma City Thunder?
The most exciting matchup in the opening days, though, might be this glimpse of the league’s future. The Spurs are in Year 3 with Victor Wembanyama, the French superstar who is so tall that no one seems to know how tall he is. (He has been listed at 7-foot-3, 7-foot-4 and 7-foot-5; other very tall people speculate he might actually be 7-foot-7.) Wemby, as he’s known, came into the N.B.A. as one of the most hyped prospects ever, and he has lived up to those expectations. Now he takes on the next great prospect: Cooper Flagg, the 18-year-old phenom from Duke whom the Mavericks took with the No. 1 draft pick.
Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN
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Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa
Correction: Yesterday’s newsletter misidentified JB Pritzker as a mayor. He is a governor.
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