Be well-rounded

Adults, like kids, need a variety of activities to make life feel fun

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
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,

(00:30):
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

(00:53):
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

(01:14):
participate in volunteer opportunities as well.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
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

(01:40):
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 ten minutes a
few times a week is going to pay pay off

(02:01):
in terms of more energy. Exercise doesn't take time, it
makes time. It is the rare person who couldn't go
for two ten minute brisk walks during the workday, or
do some push ups and setups in the morning and
then do something for ten minutes after work. Then weekends

(02:21):
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

(02:42):
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

(03:02):
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

(03:24):
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

(03:45):
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

(04:07):
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.

(04:28):
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach
me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast
is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,
please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

(04:50):
listen to your favorite shows.