1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: Today's tip is that there is always downtime. Sometimes we 4 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: can get caught up in just how busy we are, 5 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: but even a full and active life tends to leave 6 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: a reasonable amount of unstructured time. You just have to 7 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: be aware of it. These days, my family is deep 8 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: into fall activity season. I have five kids, four of 9 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: whom are old enough to have lots of interests in 10 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: their own social calendars, so we've got a reasonable amount 11 00:00:54,120 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: going on karate a Ninja Warrior class, rock climbing, parkour, 12 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 1: swim lessons, ice skating, fencing, tennis, boy Scouts, trumpet and 13 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 1: Alto sacks lessons, Science olympiad inquired the last. For both 14 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 1: a kid and for me, Perhaps one might use the 15 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: word over scheduled, but I wouldn't use that word. Even 16 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: with driving time, there turns out to be a lot 17 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: of unstructured hours in our lives. There are approximately thirty 18 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: two waking hours on Saturday and Sunday, for instance, on 19 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: a weekend with five kid activities taking two hours apiece 20 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: including driving time, plus two hours of church and a 21 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: five hour half day adventure somewhere. That still leaves fifteen 22 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: hours of unstructured time. And since my husband and I 23 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: split the activities and some of them run concurrently, it 24 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: turns out to be even more unstructured hours. The kids, 25 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: in particular wind up with almost too much unstructured time. 26 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: I say too much, since they often wind up on 27 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: their devices with the open hours. Yes, I do entertain 28 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: the fantasy that they will read great books and invent 29 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: wonderful games, and sometimes they certainly do, but even that 30 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: just takes a few hours, and then there are the screens. 31 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: Adults can wind up with a lot of unstructured time too, 32 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: even if it is not true leisure, because we've got 33 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: little kids around or chores to do, there tend to 34 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: be many hours that aren't dedicated to something in particular. 35 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: If you doubt me on this, try tracking your time 36 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:52,119 Speaker 1: for a week and see how many hours seem somewhat 37 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: nebulous and hard to describe. Random puttering, random child care, 38 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 1: random quasi leisure. Now, there's nothing wrong with any of 39 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 1: this time. It can be perfectly fine and relaxing, but 40 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: it is almost universally there, and in reasonable quantities, even 41 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: in very busy lives. The reason to be aware of 42 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:22,640 Speaker 1: this time is simply so this time can be noticed 43 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: and spent in ways that you would like. When we 44 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 1: do have a lot going on, it is easy to 45 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: focus on the next thing that has to happen. But 46 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: if the next thing doesn't have to happen for another 47 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: two hours or so, you could do something fun or 48 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: relaxing with that time. But if you are so focused 49 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: on the two hours passing and all you need to 50 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: do and getting to the next thing, then you won't 51 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: do anything fun and that would be a shame. Even 52 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: unstructured time is best spent mindfully, playing with the kids, 53 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: reading a book, watching a chosen TV show, walking around 54 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: outside going to find some sort of adventure. But when 55 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: we aren't aware that this time exists, because we tell 56 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: ourselves the story that we are overscheduled and it doesn't exist, 57 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:21,599 Speaker 1: then we can't take advantage of it. Best to see 58 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: exactly what time looks like in the meantime. This is Laura. 59 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 60 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 61 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:46,679 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 62 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at 63 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast pod. That's b E the number four, then 64 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 1: Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an 65 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:03,719 Speaker 1: email at for Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com that 66 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks 67 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: so much, I look forward to staying in touch. Before 68 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 1: Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For more 69 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:21,559 Speaker 1: podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, 70 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.