WEBVTT - Second Cup: When you're too tired to read

0:00:03.480 --> 0:00:09.480
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,

0:00:10.880 --> 0:00:17.239
<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

0:00:17.320 --> 0:00:21.040
<v Speaker 1>tip is to think about how you might spend time

0:00:22.120 --> 0:00:27.680
<v Speaker 1>when you are too tired to read more. Mindless screen

0:00:27.760 --> 0:00:32.120
<v Speaker 1>time isn't the only option for filling low energy hours,

0:00:32.920 --> 0:00:37.120
<v Speaker 1>and a little preparation means you can spend those hours

0:00:37.880 --> 0:00:44.280
<v Speaker 1>in happier ways. We often start the day with good intentions.

0:00:45.640 --> 0:00:49.199
<v Speaker 1>Few of us would consciously declare that, given that I

0:00:49.240 --> 0:00:52.160
<v Speaker 1>only have a few hours of discretionary time each day,

0:00:53.080 --> 0:00:55.120
<v Speaker 1>I would like to spend the bulk of those hours

0:00:55.720 --> 0:01:01.880
<v Speaker 1>looking at sponsored posts on Instagram. But as the day

0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:06.600
<v Speaker 1>winds on, we run out of energy. Even if in

0:01:06.640 --> 0:01:09.440
<v Speaker 1>the abstract we would like to read in our spare time,

0:01:10.640 --> 0:01:15.200
<v Speaker 1>that can feel hard in the moment, amid exhaustion or

0:01:15.240 --> 0:01:21.560
<v Speaker 1>irritation and all those end of day emotions. Before you

0:01:21.640 --> 0:01:25.440
<v Speaker 1>spend that hour before bed scrolling through tweets, though, think

0:01:25.480 --> 0:01:29.840
<v Speaker 1>about some other options. For instance, you might lower the

0:01:29.880 --> 0:01:33.840
<v Speaker 1>difficulty level of what you are reading. I like using

0:01:33.920 --> 0:01:38.080
<v Speaker 1>the Libby app to check out digital copies of magazines.

0:01:39.440 --> 0:01:42.360
<v Speaker 1>I can look at a few from my library without

0:01:42.400 --> 0:01:48.480
<v Speaker 1>adding clutter or expense. To my life. Some folks tell

0:01:48.480 --> 0:01:51.440
<v Speaker 1>me that switching to audio books later in the day

0:01:52.080 --> 0:01:56.400
<v Speaker 1>has been a game changer. Often our eyes can feel

0:01:56.440 --> 0:01:59.960
<v Speaker 1>more tired than our ears, so you might be able

0:02:00.200 --> 0:02:03.120
<v Speaker 1>to listen to that book you've been reading, even if

0:02:03.160 --> 0:02:05.880
<v Speaker 1>you keep jumping away while trying to train your eyes

0:02:06.520 --> 0:02:09.960
<v Speaker 1>on the words. If you can listen to audio books,

0:02:09.960 --> 0:02:13.959
<v Speaker 1>you can listen to podcasts. Of course, try something funny

0:02:14.000 --> 0:02:18.320
<v Speaker 1>or soothing to help you wind down. I will even

0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:23.440
<v Speaker 1>put in a plug here for conscious TV watching. Just

0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:26.639
<v Speaker 1>turning on the TV to see what is there isn't

0:02:26.720 --> 0:02:30.000
<v Speaker 1>a great use of time. But if you have one

0:02:30.120 --> 0:02:34.960
<v Speaker 1>particularly relaxing or enjoyable show, and you know exactly how

0:02:35.000 --> 0:02:38.960
<v Speaker 1>long it will take and budget that time in before bed,

0:02:40.080 --> 0:02:42.880
<v Speaker 1>that can be better than the random surfing or scrolling

0:02:42.919 --> 0:02:48.560
<v Speaker 1>that gets people agitated or makes time feel wasted. I

0:02:48.680 --> 0:02:52.399
<v Speaker 1>like relaxing over a puzzle, but here's the thing, when

0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:55.400
<v Speaker 1>I am tired at night, it has to be the

0:02:55.480 --> 0:03:00.400
<v Speaker 1>right kind of puzzle. I recently decided not to finish

0:03:00.480 --> 0:03:05.800
<v Speaker 1>a puzzle version of Starry Night because Van Goh's masterpiece

0:03:05.880 --> 0:03:09.480
<v Speaker 1>has too much blue and yellow in the sky in

0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:15.720
<v Speaker 1>somewhat indistinguishable combinations I switched over to a much more

0:03:16.000 --> 0:03:20.720
<v Speaker 1>kitchy picture of a wintry ski village, where you know

0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:26.600
<v Speaker 1>immediately when you look at a piece where it goes. Likewise,

0:03:26.639 --> 0:03:28.560
<v Speaker 1>if you have a hobby, see if you can find

0:03:28.680 --> 0:03:32.919
<v Speaker 1>the most brainless version of it. Maybe you like art,

0:03:33.320 --> 0:03:35.640
<v Speaker 1>but later at night you go for coloring one of

0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:40.160
<v Speaker 1>those whimsical coloring books. You have a complicated cross stitch

0:03:40.240 --> 0:03:42.480
<v Speaker 1>pattern you work on when you have lots of energy,

0:03:43.480 --> 0:03:47.320
<v Speaker 1>but at night you knit a scarf that is all

0:03:47.320 --> 0:03:52.640
<v Speaker 1>one color. That sort of thing. In any case, one

0:03:52.680 --> 0:03:55.680
<v Speaker 1>reason we pull out our phones, apart from anything addicting

0:03:55.720 --> 0:03:59.600
<v Speaker 1>about them, it's just that they are always there and

0:03:59.680 --> 0:04:05.040
<v Speaker 1>always available. When we have no energy, we don't need

0:04:05.080 --> 0:04:09.440
<v Speaker 1>to go looking for something to do. Whatever low energy

0:04:09.560 --> 0:04:13.480
<v Speaker 1>activity of choice you would like to engage in. See

0:04:13.520 --> 0:04:17.480
<v Speaker 1>if you can make it just as easy. Keep your

0:04:17.520 --> 0:04:20.560
<v Speaker 1>coloring books and colored pencils somewhere you can see them.

0:04:21.440 --> 0:04:24.279
<v Speaker 1>Put that knitting project right by your bed or wherever

0:04:24.360 --> 0:04:28.679
<v Speaker 1>you relax at night. Don't worry about it being clutter.

0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:34.240
<v Speaker 1>Clutter is things you don't use. You really want to

0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:38.520
<v Speaker 1>use these things, So make it easy, and even if

0:04:38.560 --> 0:04:42.320
<v Speaker 1>you have very little energy, you will be more inclined

0:04:43.160 --> 0:04:47.520
<v Speaker 1>to make good things happen? What do you do when

0:04:47.520 --> 0:04:50.359
<v Speaker 1>you are too tired to read? You can let me

0:04:50.440 --> 0:04:56.920
<v Speaker 1>know at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. In the meantime,

0:04:58.120 --> 0:05:03.120
<v Speaker 1>this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making

0:05:03.160 --> 0:05:12.760
<v Speaker 1>the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

0:05:12.800 --> 0:05:15.760
<v Speaker 1>hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

0:05:15.880 --> 0:05:19.600
<v Speaker 1>or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook

0:05:19.720 --> 0:05:24.520
<v Speaker 1>and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the

0:05:24.600 --> 0:05:29.240
<v Speaker 1>number four then breakfast pod. You can also shoot me

0:05:29.240 --> 0:05:31.839
<v Speaker 1>an email at Before Breakfast.

0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:35.200
<v Speaker 2>Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled

0:05:35.200 --> 0:05:37.680
<v Speaker 2>out with all the letters. Thanks so much. Should I

0:05:37.680 --> 0:05:45.760
<v Speaker 2>look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a

0:05:45.800 --> 0:05:50.520
<v Speaker 2>production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the

0:05:50.560 --> 0:05:54.360
<v Speaker 2>iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your

0:05:54.400 --> 0:05:59.080
<v Speaker 2>favorite shows.

0:06:03.800 --> 0:06:03.840
<v Speaker 1>H