1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to consider more engaging forms of leisure 4 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 1: before you turn on the TV. Thank effortful before effortless, 5 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: and you'll have a lot more fun in your life. 6 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: Every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its American 7 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: Time Use Survey, a large time diary study that asks 8 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 1: thousands of Americans to recount how they spent yesterday, not 9 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 1: a typical day, yesterday and this year, just like always, 10 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: it turns out that yesterday people watched a ton of TV. 11 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: The average was almost three hours a day. That compares 12 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: to just twenty minutes spent participating in sports, exercise, or recreation. 13 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: In Even people working full time spent on average more 14 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: than two hours per day watching TV. I know why 15 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: it's easy to turn on the TV when you have 16 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: free time. The TV doesn't demand any planning. It doesn't 17 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 1: ask much of you. No need to get dressed, call 18 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: a sider, or coordinate with a friend. The trouble is 19 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 1: that watching TV isn't especially satisfying. Sure, it can be 20 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: fun and it passes the time, but it doesn't leave 21 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: us with memories to look back on. You can spend 22 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: a weekend in front of the TV. In on Monday, 23 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: wonder where the weekend went. Now. I am not here 24 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: to suggest that you get rid of your TV. I 25 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: know there are a lot of great shows on these days. Instead, 26 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: keep it in its place. Aim for effortful fun like 27 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: reading or sewing or tennis before you do effortless things 28 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: like watching TV or scrolling through social media. That way 29 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: you get to do both. If you do the effortless 30 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: fun first, well, it's hard to pull yourself away to 31 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: go do those oil paintings. You'll watch TV all night 32 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: and wonder where the time went. Now. Of course, effortful 33 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: fun does take effort. In particular, it often takes planning. Now, 34 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: not even necessarily the type of planning that entails calling 35 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: a sitter or making reservations. But you do need to 36 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:29,839 Speaker 1: think about what fun you'd like to have to keep 37 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 1: yourself from reaching for the obvious removed. So make a list. 38 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: Maybe there's a book you'd like to read, maybe you 39 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 1: need to go get it. Maybe you want to join 40 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: in the breadmaking trend or try out some new recipes. 41 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: You might like to spend some time on a craft 42 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: like needle point or woodworking, or maybe you want to 43 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 1: spend more time connecting with people you love. Try filling 44 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: a sticky note with specific ideas for such effortful fun. 45 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: Aim for things you can do with a fairly small 46 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: chunk of time, like fifteen minutes, not a whole day. 47 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: You are probably not going to be able to get 48 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: a whole day for fun of any sort. Your list 49 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: might include call Grandpa, or make an origami swan, do 50 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:18,839 Speaker 1: ten push ups, read a poem, make lemon squares. Now, 51 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: put that sticky note on your TV's remote control. When 52 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: you pick up the remote, let the sticky note inspire 53 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: you to have some effortful fun before you turn on 54 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,639 Speaker 1: the TV. Once you get started in the effortful fun, 55 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: you may decide to continue with it. But if not, 56 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: that's okay too. You're still doing something special before flipping 57 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: on the TV. And in a full life, there is 58 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: space for bits in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks 59 00:03:50,200 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 60 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 61 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me. 62 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: On Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's 63 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 64 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast. 65 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,360 Speaker 1: At iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out 66 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,160 Speaker 1: with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward 67 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of 68 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 1: I heart Radio. For more podcasts from i heart Radio, 69 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 70 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.