WEBVTT - List low energy intentions

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is to identify satisfying ways to spend leisure time

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<v Speaker 1>when you are worn out. If you make a list

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<v Speaker 1>of low energy intentions, you can choose one of these

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<v Speaker 1>ways to spend your time, and you may spend a

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<v Speaker 1>little less time scrolling or otherwise defaulting to screen time

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<v Speaker 1>that you might not actively choose. Longtime listeners know that

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<v Speaker 1>I believe the hours between the end of your work

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<v Speaker 1>day and bedtime can be the best hours of the day,

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<v Speaker 1>your golden hours, as I like to call them. But

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<v Speaker 1>many people find this time hard to use well because

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<v Speaker 1>they are exhausted. When all you want to do is

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<v Speaker 1>veg on the couch in front of the TV or

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<v Speaker 1>scroll while lying in bed, your past self suggestion that

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<v Speaker 1>you read War and Peace, write a letter to your grandmother,

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<v Speaker 1>or play one of Mozart's Sonatas on the piano may

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<v Speaker 1>seem a little far fetched. This is where low energy

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<v Speaker 1>intentions come in. I am all for deciding to use

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<v Speaker 1>your leisure time for Tolstoy and your grandma and Mozart,

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<v Speaker 1>but it is also wise to come up with ideas

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<v Speaker 1>for making the most of your leisure time when you

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<v Speaker 1>are tired. These could be things like flipping through a

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<v Speaker 1>photo album or a coffee table book, going for a

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<v Speaker 1>leisurely walk, or maybe even baking a recipe you know

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<v Speaker 1>by heart. As one of my listeners pointed out, to

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<v Speaker 1>low energy intention sometimes gives you a little energy boost.

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<v Speaker 1>If you succumb to the urge to curl up on

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<v Speaker 1>the couch in front of the TV, it is quite

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<v Speaker 1>possible that you will spend the whole evening there like

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<v Speaker 1>a zombie. But if you manage to shovel yourself out

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<v Speaker 1>the door and go for a slow walk around the block,

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<v Speaker 1>you will probably come home feeling just a little peppier

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<v Speaker 1>than when you left. You also may feel happier when

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<v Speaker 1>you look back on your evening and remember the pleasant walk.

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<v Speaker 1>So make a list of things you can do when

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<v Speaker 1>you feel like you want to do nothing. It is

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<v Speaker 1>impossible to do nothing. You will do something, but you

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<v Speaker 1>can choose which low energy activities you find most worth while.

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<v Speaker 1>Reading tends to be my go too. This may not

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<v Speaker 1>be the time for great literature or technical nonfiction, but

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<v Speaker 1>it could be perfect for a light book or magazine,

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<v Speaker 1>or just flipping through a coffee table book or a

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<v Speaker 1>cook book. An audiobook can be appealing too. All you

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<v Speaker 1>have to do is listen. You don't even have to

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<v Speaker 1>turn pages. You could listen to a podcast while walking

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<v Speaker 1>outside or on a treadmill if it's dark or if

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<v Speaker 1>the weather is bad. Simple craft projects can sometimes hit

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<v Speaker 1>the spot. Sketching, doodling, or coloring doesn't take much energy.

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<v Speaker 1>If you are a knitter, Knitting something uncomplicated, like a

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<v Speaker 1>scarf for a dishcloth could feel pretty brainless. Walking, stretch shaking,

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<v Speaker 1>or yoga can also feel good. Some cooking projects might

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<v Speaker 1>be appealing. I'm imagining something like baking a cookie recipe

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<v Speaker 1>that you know really well. You will feel satisfied by

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<v Speaker 1>having done something. In bonus, you and your family will

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<v Speaker 1>have something tasty as a result. Or maybe you choose

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<v Speaker 1>something modestly more substantial, like banana bread or muffins, and

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<v Speaker 1>then you get to eat those for breakfast the next morning.

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<v Speaker 1>What a win. If you are sure that all you

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<v Speaker 1>want to do is sit and zone out, you can

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<v Speaker 1>still choose a focal point besides the TV or your phone,

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<v Speaker 1>a fire pit or fireplace, or your backyard can be

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<v Speaker 1>a calming place to rest your eyes, watch the birds

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<v Speaker 1>if it's light, look up at the stars if it

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<v Speaker 1>is not. In any case, try identifying five to ten

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<v Speaker 1>low energy intentions to give shape to leisure time when

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<v Speaker 1>you might think you want to do nothing. Make this

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<v Speaker 1>list somewhere you can reference, like on an index card

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<v Speaker 1>or the notes app of your phone as you were

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<v Speaker 1>going into some downtime like a weekday evening, or maybe

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<v Speaker 1>post kid activities on a weekend day. Choose one. That way,

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<v Speaker 1>you will be prepared to enjoy your leisure time even

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<v Speaker 1>if you don't have any energy to spare in the meantime.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making

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<v Speaker 1>the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.

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<v Speaker 1>If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach

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<v Speaker 1>me at l Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before

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<v Speaker 1>Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,

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<v Speaker 1>please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

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<v Speaker 1>listen to your favorite shows.