1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: tip is to identify satisfying ways to spend leisure time 4 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 1: when you are worn out. If you make a list 5 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: of low energy intentions, you can choose one of these 6 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: ways to spend your time, and you may spend a 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 1: little less time scrolling or otherwise defaulting to screen time 8 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 1: that you might not actively choose. Longtime listeners know that 9 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: I believe the hours between the end of your work 10 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: day and bedtime can be the best hours of the day, 11 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: your golden hours, as I like to call them. But 12 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: many people find this time hard to use well because 13 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: they are exhausted. When all you want to do is 14 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: veg on the couch in front of the TV or 15 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: scroll while lying in bed, your past self suggestion that 16 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: you read War and Peace, write a letter to your grandmother, 17 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: or play one of Mozart's Sonatas on the piano may 18 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:16,119 Speaker 1: seem a little far fetched. This is where low energy 19 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: intentions come in. I am all for deciding to use 20 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: your leisure time for Tolstoy and your grandma and Mozart, 21 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 1: but it is also wise to come up with ideas 22 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: for making the most of your leisure time when you 23 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 1: are tired. These could be things like flipping through a 24 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: photo album or a coffee table book, going for a 25 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: leisurely walk, or maybe even baking a recipe you know 26 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: by heart. As one of my listeners pointed out, to 27 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: low energy intention sometimes gives you a little energy boost. 28 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: If you succumb to the urge to curl up on 29 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: the couch in front of the TV, it is quite 30 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: possible that you will spend the whole evening there like 31 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: a zombie. But if you manage to shovel yourself out 32 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,279 Speaker 1: the door and go for a slow walk around the block, 33 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: you will probably come home feeling just a little peppier 34 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: than when you left. You also may feel happier when 35 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: you look back on your evening and remember the pleasant walk. 36 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: So make a list of things you can do when 37 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: you feel like you want to do nothing. It is 38 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: impossible to do nothing. You will do something, but you 39 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: can choose which low energy activities you find most worth while. 40 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 1: Reading tends to be my go too. This may not 41 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: be the time for great literature or technical nonfiction, but 42 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 1: it could be perfect for a light book or magazine, 43 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: or just flipping through a coffee table book or a 44 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 1: cook book. An audiobook can be appealing too. All you 45 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 1: have to do is listen. You don't even have to 46 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: turn pages. You could listen to a podcast while walking 47 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: outside or on a treadmill if it's dark or if 48 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: the weather is bad. Simple craft projects can sometimes hit 49 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: the spot. Sketching, doodling, or coloring doesn't take much energy. 50 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: If you are a knitter, Knitting something uncomplicated, like a 51 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: scarf for a dishcloth could feel pretty brainless. Walking, stretch shaking, 52 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: or yoga can also feel good. Some cooking projects might 53 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: be appealing. I'm imagining something like baking a cookie recipe 54 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: that you know really well. You will feel satisfied by 55 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: having done something. In bonus, you and your family will 56 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 1: have something tasty as a result. Or maybe you choose 57 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: something modestly more substantial, like banana bread or muffins, and 58 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: then you get to eat those for breakfast the next morning. 59 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: What a win. If you are sure that all you 60 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: want to do is sit and zone out, you can 61 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: still choose a focal point besides the TV or your phone, 62 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: a fire pit or fireplace, or your backyard can be 63 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: a calming place to rest your eyes, watch the birds 64 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: if it's light, look up at the stars if it 65 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: is not. In any case, try identifying five to ten 66 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: low energy intentions to give shape to leisure time when 67 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: you might think you want to do nothing. Make this 68 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: list somewhere you can reference, like on an index card 69 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: or the notes app of your phone as you were 70 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 1: going into some downtime like a weekday evening, or maybe 71 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: post kid activities on a weekend day. Choose one. That way, 72 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: you will be prepared to enjoy your leisure time even 73 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:38,919 Speaker 1: if you don't have any energy to spare in the meantime. 74 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making 75 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 76 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 77 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: me at l Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before 78 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 1: Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 79 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 80 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.