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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeart Radio.
Good morning.
This is Laura.
Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to be well-rounded.
Just like kids are often nudged to participate in a variety of activities, adults need things in their lives outside work and family too.
So in a number of families there is a certain norm about the activities kids need to participate in.
In my family, for instance, I tell the kids to do something musical and something physical.
They also need to do church activities or a civic group like scouts.
Other families might stress a sport and something creative or volunteering, plus something competitive or some other combination.
Now in my family, as in a lot of families, mom and dad are obviously busy doing things like working and driving kids to all of their activities.
But it seems like fair is fair and we should be doing something musical and physical and participate in volunteer opportunities as well.
And so I do.
I run and work out with a trainer, and I sing in two choirs right now.
This makes life feel a lot more full and interesting than if I were only working and driving kids around.
Now, I know that fitting activities into adult life isn't always easy.
But there are a few things to think of here if you want to aim to be well-rounded as well.
One is that physical activity isn't really optional.
We all need to move our bodies.
This doesn't need to mean going to the gym for an hour every day, but doing something physical for at least 10 minutes a few times a week is going to pay off in terms of more energy.
Exercise doesn't take time.
It makes time.
It is the rare person who couldn't go for two 10-minute brisk walks during the workday or do some push-ups and sit-ups in the morning and then do something for 10 minutes after work.
Then, weekends might offer a little more space, including time to do things as a family.
I also think that even busy adults could take one night a week to do something creative or musical or civic-minded.
That is not work and is not caring for family members.
I have seen enough time logs to know that it is the rare person who is spending all seven evenings of a week on high-quality activities with their families.
So even if it's just doing something like quilting for an hour one night a week after the kids go to bed, there is probably space for something.
And even if you don't think you could make a regular commitment to something you could put in one-off activities to start feeling more well-rounded.
For instance, maybe you don't think a regular volunteering commitment would fit in your life right now.
I would wager for most people this isn't true.
But let's just say it is.
Perhaps you could do a one-off Saturday volunteering activity with your family.
Perhaps you think you don't have time for something creative in your life, but you might be able to do a one-off pottery-making class on a Saturday with a friend.
That might make you feel more well-rounded, even if it is not happening repeatedly.
As you do these one-off things, you might find that the world does not come to an abrupt end when you do something that does not work and is not caring for family members.
That might inspire you to find time more regularly for your passions and interests.
But if you don't, even a few activities a year can make you feel well-rounded.
And that can make life feel a lot more fun.
In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening.
And here's to making the most of our time.
Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at laura at lauravandercam.com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeart Media.
For more podcasts from iHeart Media, please visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
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This is an iHeart Podcast.
Guaranteed human.
