1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:08,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,640 Speaker 2: Good Morning. This is Laura. 3 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:17,479 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's tip is to 4 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: waste time better. We all have low energy time that 5 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: is hard to use well. If some wasted time is inevitable, 6 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: it might be wise to figure out how to waste 7 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:34,520 Speaker 1: this time in ways that are at least mostly satisfying. 8 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: Longtime listeners have probably heard me talking about getting a 9 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: new iPhone a few months ago. None of my apps transferred, 10 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,200 Speaker 1: and so I needed to make an active decision about 11 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 1: whether to put social media apps back on my phone. 12 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: I elected not to. I eventually wound up returning to 13 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: that site formerly known as Twitter x now because there's 14 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: just been so much moretter making news lately. I am 15 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 1: still off the other apps, though I wish I could 16 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: say that. 17 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 2: I have been incredibly productive with all the time I 18 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 2: have found, but unfortunately that is not the case. If anything, 19 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,759 Speaker 2: my screen time tallies have gone up. I'm not looking 20 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 2: at photos on Instagram, but I'm looking at my own 21 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 2: old photos. I'm not looking at people's screeds on Facebook, 22 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 2: but I am reading the comments on posts at The 23 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 2: New York Times and on some well trafficked blogs. It 24 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 2: seems I have a pretty strong desire to scroll around, 25 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 2: and apparently I am agnostic about where I am doing 26 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 2: that scrolling. I am pretty sure most of us have 27 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 2: some inclination to waste time. I have seen thousands of 28 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 2: time logs over the years, and I have never seen 29 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 2: one where every single minute was devoted to something meaningful 30 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 2: or even enjoyable for the person or the people they 31 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 2: care about. Oh well, but given that this is the case, 32 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 2: the question is not necessarily how to stop wasting time, 33 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 2: It is how to waste time better. Of course, there 34 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 2: are a few things we can do to make sure 35 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 2: that there is only so much time to waste. Being 36 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 2: engaged in your job makes working hours feel better, so 37 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 2: might be worth doing an audit on that. Spending hours 38 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 2: with friends and family enjoying each other's company is definitely 39 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 2: not wasted time. Hobbies make down time feel a lot 40 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 2: more satisfying. But even though I love singing and running 41 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 2: and playing the piano, I am not going to spend 42 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 2: all my down time on these things. I'm just not, 43 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 2: so how can I spend low energy time better? This 44 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 2: is one reason I try to borrow a lot of 45 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 2: coffee table books from the library. Looking at someone's lovely 46 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 2: living room with a view of the ocean is a 47 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 2: lot like looking at Instagram. But I can't get sucked 48 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 2: into some other influencer's really horrible take on modern medicine 49 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 2: by accident. I subscribe to a lot of magazines to 50 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 2: at least try to limit the time spin online. I 51 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 2: will reread books I have read before, because well, if 52 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 2: I know what's going to happen, it's a little easier 53 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 2: on the brain. I go for meandering walks while listening 54 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 2: to music if that is an option. Even online time 55 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 2: probably can be improved. I'm a fan of closed communities 56 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 2: spots on the Internet where people have to pay to join, 57 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 2: or at least have to be approved to join. Having 58 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 2: to use real names is a huge plus. It means 59 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 2: people feel like they have a relationship with everyone else, 60 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 2: and there are real downsides to behaving badly. People will 61 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 2: know who you are. That is not the case with 62 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 2: a lot of places. If you approach time knowing you 63 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 2: will waste time, you can figure out ways to make 64 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 2: this downtime better. Indeed, I would recommend making a list 65 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 2: if you can choose how to spend your time, how 66 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 2: do you like to spend your time? What about time 67 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 2: that's sort of discretionary but not entirely, like downtime at 68 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 2: work or while watching children, or even while standing in line. 69 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 2: What can you do during those times? Make a list 70 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 2: of things that feel most meaningful or enjoyable that might 71 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 2: still be possible during these windows. Then train yourself to 72 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 2: do those things. First, If you are getting bored at 73 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 2: work but you aren't chained to your chair, go for 74 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 2: a walk. If you're puttering around the house waiting for 75 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 2: a kid to come home, listen to some music. If 76 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 2: you're planning to scroll while waiting in a TSA line 77 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 2: at the airport, log into that private group instead of 78 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 2: regular social media and read the threads there. Not all 79 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,919 Speaker 2: time can be spent perfectly by any means, but given 80 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 2: that everyone wastes time, figuring out how to waste time 81 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:09,039 Speaker 2: in ways that feel more enjoyable can be a big win. 82 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 2: It's worth putting some thought into it. In the meantime, 83 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 2: This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 84 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 2: the most of our time. Thanks for listening to before breakfast. 85 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 2: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 86 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:44,280 Speaker 2: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 87 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 2: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 88 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 2: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 89 00:05:52,720 --> 00:06:04,159 Speaker 2: listen to your favorite shows.