1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to decide how time shifts. Any big 4 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: disruption will change how we spend time, but if we're 5 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: not careful, those changes won't be made mindfully. Better to 6 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,840 Speaker 1: think this through and make sure the time goes where 7 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: you wanted to go. Recently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics 8 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: here in the US released the annual American Time You Survey. 9 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: This survey, which asks thousands of Americans to talk through 10 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: how they spent yesterday four a m. To four am, 11 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: rolling over all the days of the year, is considered 12 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: one of the best time surveys out there since it 13 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: covers all days and doesn't ask about particular categories of time, 14 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 1: it is more accurate and less prune to people giving 15 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:13,759 Speaker 1: socially desirable answers. Really, I exercise for two hours every 16 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: single day, I promise right, you will probably not be 17 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: surprised to hear that people spent their time differently than 18 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: in nine While the Bureau of Labor Statistics actually shut 19 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 1: down the survey from March to early May because of 20 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: the pandemic, there was still a lot of represented in 21 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: the survey. The proportion of people doing some work at 22 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: home on the day they were surveyed almost doubled. People 23 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: spent less time in restaurants. Parents spend more time doing 24 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: what we call secondary childcare, that is, watching kids while 25 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: doing something else like working, So big time shifts, including 26 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: this do zy. People spent twenty six fewer minutes traveling 27 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: around each day in than they did in nine. This 28 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: represents a lot less time spent commuting and running errands. 29 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: What I find interesting about this number is that in 30 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 1: the past many people have told me that they would 31 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: love to spend less time commuting or doing errands. Indeed, 32 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,119 Speaker 1: they are not doing X, Y and z in their 33 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: lives because they are spending so much time commuting and 34 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: doing errands in A lot of that disappeared. When the 35 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: whole population spends twenty six fewer minutes per day on 36 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: something on average, that is a really significant finding. So 37 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: what did we do with all this found time? Well, interestingly, 38 00:02:55,440 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: we've spent nineteen more minutes watching television and ten more 39 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 1: it's using computers for leisure in games. In other words, 40 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: every single minute and more that Americans saved on travel 41 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: went right into screen time, so much for the idea 42 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: that we would do all sorts of productive things if 43 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: we spent less time in the car. Now I understand 44 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 1: why this shift happened. Screens are the easiest form of entertainment, 45 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: and so when extra time appeared, screen time gobbled up 46 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: those minutes. Spending extra time reading or exercising or volunteering 47 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: takes effort. When we don't think about how we'd like 48 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: to spend our time, it slides into things that are 49 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: more effortless. But this need not be inevitable for us 50 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: in individual cases. We just have to think about it. 51 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: So whenever you are facing a major shift in how 52 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: you spend your time, time, really think about how things 53 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: will shift and what you want to shift, and what 54 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: will happen if you don't think about it. For instance, 55 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: a great many family schedules will change over the next 56 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: few weeks as children go back to school. Maybe kids 57 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: are starting new schools that start at different times or 58 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: require different transportation arrangements. People are going to need to 59 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: wake up at different times. This is probably complicated by 60 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 1: shifting adult schedules as people go to hybrid workplace formats 61 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: or go back to the office or maybe you've got 62 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: a different shift, like a child leaving to go to college, 63 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 1: or an adult child moving back home, or maybe you 64 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 1: are moving to a different house. All of these things 65 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: are going to change how you spend your time, so 66 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: make sure that you are not mindlessly spending more time 67 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: on something that you don't want to spend more time doing. 68 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: If time opens up, great, think about where you would 69 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 1: like it to go. If the normal slot for something 70 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 1: you do like disappears, think about where else you can 71 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: put it. But don't just bumble along. When we do. 72 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: All the time we save winds up going to things 73 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: that we probably don't care about all that much, and 74 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: that is hardly a win in the long run. In 75 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 76 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd 77 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 1: love to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 78 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, 79 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's b E 80 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: the number four then breakfast p O D. You can 81 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 1: also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcast at 82 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:09,359 Speaker 1: iHeartMedia dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out with 83 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 1: all the letters. Thanks so much. I look forward to 84 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I 85 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit 86 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 87 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.