
Learn to manage your free time so that it is fruitful
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With today's fast pace and busy schedule (work, commuting, meal prep, and cleaning), you may only have an hour or two of free time that ends up being spent watching TV, social media, or interacting with your phone; and this repeats itself from Tuesday to Friday. By the time the weekend rolls around, you feel like you've done nothing but work.
In reality, you have about 4 “free” hours that you can take advantage of and do activities that benefit you. See which times best fit your schedule and find out about some of the alternatives I suggest.
It's a matter of planning:
If you want to start meditating, need to clean up a closet, organize your accounting, exercise, or have another activity that has been put off due to lack of time, Sunday afternoon is a good time to schedule that activity you've been wanting to do.
For example, if you want to start exercising on Monday, leave your sports outfit ready so that you don't have to waste time thinking about what to wear or not finding the socks or t-shirt you want to match it with.
If you want to fix a closet, calculate the time you need, materials or the way you want to organize it so that when you do it you already have a mental map of the process and visualize how you want it to look.
Reviewing accounts is probably not the most entertaining activity, but if you plan ahead, you know that you are going to need invoices, or check prices, a calculator, etc., you have to plan in advance the papers or data that you need to have on hand, arrange the space where you want to concentrate, the time you are going to invest in the activity and have your favorite drink on hand to accompany you in the process.
The above are just examples of how to schedule some activities that are often postponed or left aside due to “lack of time.”
But it's not just about obligations, it's more about preferences. It doesn't mean that watching television or spending a long time on your phone is the worst, but they are definitely not the type of activities that will lift your spirits or de-stress you. In that sense, the best activities to achieve this are exercise, playing a sport, participating in a religious ceremony, reading, listening to music, spending time with family or friends, walking, meditating, practicing yoga or some hobby.
Moments you can take advantage of
Before you go to work. If you find it easy to get up early and your work starts at 8:30-9 am, you can get up an hour earlier than usual, do some exercise (20 minutes-30 minutes) and then continue with your schedule. If you feel like you need to spend more time with a loved one (your partner, your child), chatting for a while or asking how their day is going to go can be a good strategy before everyone starts their daily activities.
Lunch time . For many people, lunch time is “sacred,” especially in offices. An alternative is to pack your lunch, go out and walk around for about 45 minutes, return to the office and eat before resuming work, or vice versa, eat and leave.
At the end of working hours . Complying with the work schedule gives a feeling of accomplishment, even if you miss activities like getting home, preparing food and cleaning up afterwards. The advantage is that these are malleable activities, that is, they can be adapted to one of the pending activities that you want to add or even, they can be mixed: for example, if you want to spend time with friends, but also do some physical activity, you can invite your friends to go for a walk and thus, achieve two in one.
So, should you stop watching TV at night? Of course, if that's what you want. My advice is simply to consider approaching your free time in a conscious way, allowing your body to recharge and de-stress.
See what 15 minutes of moderate exercise can do for you
According to a recent study, if you can fit in 15 minutes of physical activity instead of relaxing, it advises getting out and doing a light jog which will leave you refreshed, more energized and clear-headed than an inactive break. Psychologists at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne in France point out that “a short burst of moderate-intensity exercise can improve the efficiency of certain cognitive processes thanks to increases in physical energy.” ( 1 )
This study indicates that there is a link between energy, mood and cognition that has not been fully explored. According to the researchers, the relationship between emotional responses to physical activity and the effects of physical activity on cognitive function has not been studied to date.
The experiment examined the effects of both inactive rest and moderate exercise on 101 healthy male and female students. Based on previous findings, the researchers determined that there is indeed a link between exercise and improved cognitive function through the release of energy that revives mood and mental function manifested in greater speed and accuracy of responses on cognitive tests.
Comparison between rest and exercise
To establish the relationship, students were first tested for cognitive and emotional abilities before and after running or relaxing. It was determined that physical activity improves mood, but also cognitive performance.
What is surprising is that this study also revealed that inactive rest actually reduced energy and mood, although further studies are needed to clarify why this occurs.
After relaxing or running, study subjects were asked to rate their moods and energy levels from seven options: dynamic, active, energized, vigorous, alert, strong, and cheerful.
The study subjects also took tests to determine cognitive function that involved connecting numbers and letters as quickly as possible. The results of the tests given to the subjects after physical activity (running) showed improved cognitive performance, as well as overall good mood and energy. Specifically, the study concludes, cardiovascular activity improved visual attention control/perceptual speed through increases in the vigor-energy effect.
In contrast, subjects who took an inactive break performed poorly, energy was diminished after the break and both cognitive function and mood appeared to decline.
According to Amanda Bucci, entrepreneur and business guide, energy is a form of power. When you have enough energy, you feel like you can accomplish anything. If your energy is low, on the other hand, you may feel overwhelmed, fatigued, and scattered. Physical activity is a way to replenish energy and improve both your mood and cognitive performance.