By: Patrick Hansen, DPT
How much time do you have in a day?
Before you answer this question, go into your phone and look at two things:
- What is your average screen time per day?
- What is your average number of pick-ups per day?
Do these numbers surprise you? If they don’t surprise you, then you already know that screen time can (and maybe has) consumed your day. If they do surprise you, then you may not realize yet how much screen time has prevented you from taking care of yourself and others.
Quite frequently we tend to chalk up life as one, long continuous string of work, play, eat, and sleep. In our minds we have created a false reality that there isn’t time to read, exercise, or help out our neighbor. But what if we had one hour each day which was “our time”? What if we had one hour to go for a run, to pick up a book we’ve wanted to read for years, to help our kids or friends with a project? I would argue we do, but we let these opportunities pass us up each day.
Physical activity is such an important aspect of life since it improves our health and allows us to live longer and stronger for ourselves and others. This is most easily seen in the workplace. If we take care of our body (which should be both physically and spiritually, but the physical will be our focus here), then we can give more to those who are around us. This may mean we are more alert for the morning meetings, have more patience with co-workers while balancing a busy schedule, and more energy for those late afternoon patients.
Prioritizing that one hour of physical activity can create a sense of accomplishment, which, in turn, will improve our attitude at work. If you show up at work and you’ve already run two miles, finished a high intensity interval workout, or lifted some heavy weights, those challenges you are sure to face during the workday will be much easier to tackle as you’ve prepped the body and mind with increased endorphins and mental fortitude.
I am a CrossFit junky (I coach and manage a gym) and I can assure you I see the benefits every day of those “athletes” who take that one hour out of their day and commit to a methodology and a community working to better themselves. A CrossFit gym is called a Box because for one hour we only focus on what’s going on inside that box, nothing else. No cell phones, no screens, just a whiteboard, a workout, and a coach to help teach and motivate us. Anyone can achieve this same mentality by creating their own “box” and focusing on that one hour of uninterrupted activity. Get into your box, shut the door, and focus on your physical well-being. When your time is up, leave the box but take the positive energy with you!
Some practical suggestions to find your one hour:
- David Goggins, a motivation speaker, says we must “win the morning” in order to make goals happen. Taking advantage of those hours when most people are sleeping automatically reduces distraction. If you are one of the few awake, then by default there will be less interruptions to focus on yourself.
- If you want to win the morning, then you must also win the night. Make it a habit to have a reasonable and regular bedtime. You might be able to win the morning on occasion without regular nighttime habits, but you will eventually lose the battle.
- On Sundays, get ahead and budget your time. What days can you get up early? What days would you have time in the evening? Is lunchtime an option? After you plan, then put it on a schedule!
- If an hour seems like too much, then start shorter, maybe 15-30 minutes. The habit is what’s important, not the time. Once the habit is formed, you will naturally extend the time because you will see and feel the benefits.
Circling back to the original question: How much time do you have in a day? The phone screen time and pick-ups are just an example of the time WE DO have available. To answer the time question, I would say we have one hour. One hour to improve yourself. One hour to focus on self. One hour to improve yourself physically and mentally. One hour to make the rest of the hours mean something.
That hour is available every day, we just have to make it a priority.
