1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of My Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to seek out effortful fun that can 4 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:26,319 Speaker 1: keep your mind active. Scroll less, puzzle more. You'll feel 5 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: far more satisfied with your leisure time. This week, we've 6 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:34,879 Speaker 1: been talking about ways to take care of our brains. 7 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: If we want to take our days from great to awesome, 8 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,840 Speaker 1: being on top of our mental games can help a lot. 9 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: Our brains are the most important productivity tools we have 10 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 1: now and in the future too, so we want to 11 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: keep these tools as sharp as possible. That brings me 12 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: to today's tip. How we spend our scarce leisure time. 13 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: We are all busy these days between work and family, 14 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: and during this time of year, all the holiday madness, 15 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: we can start to feel like we have no free 16 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: time at all. However, as anyone who has tracked their 17 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: time knows, this isn't a accurate story. Everybody has some 18 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: free time, if not as much as we want. The 19 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: problem is that much of this time occurs when we 20 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: have limited energy, or it is unexpected or short in duration. 21 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: Our phones solve these constraints so well. While you are 22 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: waiting for a train to come, you can read headlines 23 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: or check in on what your former neighbor posted on Facebook. 24 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: If the train comes after two minutes, great, If it 25 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: comes after eight minutes, also fine. You could do the 26 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: same thing in either stretch of time and when it 27 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: gets interrupt did you just proceed to the next thing. 28 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: It is also very easy to keep scrolling or refreshing, 29 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: and so if we are tired at night, we often 30 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: pick up the phones or turn on the TV unthinkingly. 31 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 1: But none of this tends to engage our brains very much. 32 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: And while we need some downtime, there is a space 33 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 1: for leisure that makes us feel smarter rather than brainless. 34 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: So why not try scrolling less and puzzling a little 35 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: bit more. Puzzles give our brains the chance to practice 36 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: problem solving. They help us think in new ways and 37 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: thus help us forge new mental connections. I'm talking any 38 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: sort of puzzle. If you've got leisure time and can 39 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: be off screens, try doing a jigsaw puzzle if you 40 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: want an easy sense of accomplishment. A puzzle can be 41 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: done in a night, or you could do a newspaper 42 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: crossword puzzle, or get a book of number puzzles, but 43 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 1: even if you are online, you could try various puzzles. 44 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 1: There are online jigsaw puzzles and online crossword puzzles. It 45 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 1: is as easy to open a puzzle app as to 46 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 1: open grabby headlines that are designed to make you feel 47 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: fearful and unhappy. You don't have to do the puzzles forever, 48 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: but you might try flipping the automatic habit of doing 49 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: something effortless. Tell yourself you are just going to do 50 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: something effortful for three minutes or so. Then you can 51 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: spend as much time on Twitter as you'd like. My 52 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: guess is much of the time you will stick with 53 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: the puzzles. They can be really fun. But even if not, 54 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: you will spend a few more minutes each day doing 55 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: something that helps your brain stay engaged. That's not a 56 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: bad thing. Our brains are like anything else. They stay 57 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: in better shape when we train them. Plus, much online 58 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: scrolling is so brainless we hardly even notice we are 59 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: doing it, so we stick with the story that we 60 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: have no free time, even if we spend hours perusing headlines. 61 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:23,840 Speaker 1: It's hard to do a crossword puzzle, though, and not 62 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: notice that you are doing it, so that makes leisure 63 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: time expand in the mental accounting. Even if it is 64 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:38,920 Speaker 1: the exact same amount of time, scroll less, puzzle more, 65 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 1: you'll feel more brainy and feel like you're spending your 66 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:51,799 Speaker 1: time better. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, 67 00:04:52,600 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 68 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 69 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 70 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod 71 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: that's b E the number four, then breakfast p o D. 72 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 73 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast 74 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 75 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 76 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from 77 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 78 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.