As many of you are probably experiencing yourself, I have found that lately it seems as though there are more things to do in a day than there are minutes to do them. Even when I am doing things that cannot possibly take any less time and are entirely necessary for me to spend time on, I feel like I am wasting time. Whether it be commuting from one spot on campus to another or blow drying my hair, for God's sake. Not even in a vain way, I just cannot have my wet hair turning into icicles on the way to class. My time feels short, and even more so, it feels like it is shrinking.
*Insert line about how becoming an adult is difficult*
We have all heard that line before, and I am not here to tell you something that you already know. What I am here to talk about is how wasting time is sometimes the only way to get through your day. Imagine my intonation putting an emphasis on through in that sentence. I have had those days where all I do is go go go from the moment I open my eyes to the moment I lay my eyes back on my bed at the end of the day and seemingly pass out against my will. But those days exhaust me past a restful nights sleep.
Those days lead me to feel burnt out for days after. Those days, while good on paper, are actually no good, no good at all. So I am here to tell you that embracing the grind is never something to brag about and is really a one-way ticket to eternal exhaustion town, a place where happiness is scarce and depression runs rampant. I'm sorry if that got too dark too fast. Embracing your restful moments, in my experience, is the best way to enable yourself to also embrace your most productive ones. Prepare yourself for the stress by allowing yourself to digress. Stay tuned, I might try to put that on a T-shirt and sell it.
Regardless, there are many moments in your day that may take a few extra seconds and may be considered a loss of time but are actually incredibly important. These time loss incidents might even help you waste less time when it's time to grind. So take these moments. Let them soak in. And after an appropriate amount of time, return to your crazy overscheduled life.
1. Five more minutes of sleep
This is a dangerous and touchy subject. I will be the first to admit that if not handled carefully, five more minutes could turn into two more hours. So tread lightly, but yes, you deserve that last little boost of energy.
2. Making your bed
Just kidding, no one has time for that.
3. A cup of coffee (or your energy booster of choice)
4. Giving a sh*t about what your hair looks like
Believe me, a bad hair day can actually ruin everything. If you disagree with me, stop lying. Taking a few extra minutes to do something with that unwelcome bedhead will only lead to great success. Trust me. Although when in doubt, always fall back on a beanie. Yes, I am that girl.
5. Picking the right playlist/song for your commute
Not taking time to put music in or just pressing shuffle dulls a moment that could be filled with pump up beats or some sad yet beautiful Bon Iver, whatever you're in to.
6. Holding the door open for people
This is not exactly a restful moment, but it is arguably one of the more important ones. And no, I am not talking about standing with your ankle in the door while someone 20 yards away from you sprints to your rescue. I'm talking about letting others go first, even when you do not have to. Their smiles should be payment enough.
7. Saying "thank you" after people have held the door open for you
One of my major pet peeves. It takes less than one second. If you would expect the same for yourself, don't you dare walk all over someone else's kindness and neglect a simple thank you.
8. Making yourself a meal
I have probably wasted some 300 hours this year prepping, cooking, and eating meals this year. But the feeling of looking down at your plate at a wholesome ass meal full of things you love, that costs way less at the grocery store than they would at the local food joint, priceless. But to be more precise, fiscally responsible.
9. Letting the song finish when you park
There's something about cutting off a great song that feels like a sin. There's probably less than a minute left. Just ride it out.
10. Floss
Just think about how proud your dentist will be.
Cumulatively, all of these 10 things together (conservatively) could take less than 30 minutes. You definitely spend more than 30 minutes scrolling through a feed of shit you do not care about every single day. Spend your precious moments on the ones that matter. Peace, love, and thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
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