Have you ever had one of those days where you feel you just don’t have enough time? Maybe an entire week where you just can’t get to everything you want to? Every day contains 24 hours, so what makes one day more fulfilling than another? Though we cannot add hours to our days, we can increase how much time we perceive we have. What if you could have enough time in those 24 hours to do all that you want to actually do? The thought isn’t that far-fetched, you can have a wealth of time, called time affluence. Time affluence is the sense that one has ample time available on a daily basis. If you could embrace this concept, and be time affluent, could you live a better, more stress-free, happier life?
The studies show that you can! Most people believe that wealth affluence will make them happy like money, big houses, nice cars and material things. It’s true that more people value money over time, 69% vs. 31% to be exact. Although financial stability is important for your overall wellbeing, time can be just as important to making you a happier, healthier person. Those that have already adapted this lifestyle experience a higher happiness score, improved stress score, higher adaptability, and more social connections, here’s why.
One theory on why people who prioritize time over wealth have better wellbeing is that these decisions allow people to spend more time engaging in enjoyable activities such as socializing and exercising which have positive impacts on health.
Another reason is the negative impact that deadlines and the feeling of urgency can have on our overall health. They take a toll on your body with headaches, fatigue, chest pain, and sleeping problems. They can affect your mood with anxiety, anger, sadness, lack of motivation and they can take a toll on your behavior with angry outbursts, substance abuse, overeating, or social withdrawal. When you have this feeling of a time constraint you might yell at your loved ones for not moving fast enough or when you’re behind the wheel, or at the grocery store, you might feel this anger for others.
This constant anger and frustration can build and brew inside your body wreaking all sorts of havoc without you realizing what’s happening. Give yourself a moment to sit back and think, why am I moving so fast, why do I feel this need to rush and hurry, what good is it doing me? When you fill your day up with the “have to’s” verses the “want to’s” you are already putting yourself under a time restraint. That’s not a great way to start the day.
Let’s think about your time and how you’re spending it. Do you spend too much time on things that aren’t making you happy? Do you say no enough? Do you find yourself scrolling through your social media account for hours? it’s a good idea to write out the things that you spend your time doing and then come up with ways to clean this list up. What can go, what can stay, and what can be done to make this list work for you rather than the other way around. To give you a jumpstart on this, we’ve come up with a few ideas to create time affluence in your life.
- Schedule the things you love – whether it’s a workout, shopping, meditation or reading a book – add it to your schedule to make it happen.
- Cut the distractions. One of the biggest perpetrators - the smartphone. Putting the phone down and taking a vacation from social media can carve out time that you can use for yourself. Have you ever gotten the screen report showing the time you’ve spent on your phone? Eek!
- Schedule a breakfast, lunch or date night with a friend, significant other or a family member, make sure you all have it on your calendar, and set future dates too!
- There are some things that just can’t be crossed off the list, things we don’t want to do, so reward yourself with time off after completing it
- Get up a bit earlier in the morning to do something that nourishes your spirit, no matter how brief or small, to set the tone for a more intentional and less reactive day.
- Step away from the computer every few hours to do something completely unrelated to work, like petting the cat, visiting a garden, chatting with neighbors or co-workers, or doing a little dance (or walk or stretch).
- Set gentle alarms that remind you to pause and breathe every few hours. Try adding a mantra, such as, “There is enough time.”
- Combine weekly errands in one or two days to leave other days free.
- When staring down a to-do list, ask, “What do I want to do next?” rather than, “What do I have to do next?”
- Remember that Sunday (or whichever day works for you) is supposed to be a day of rest, and treat it that way, with devices turned off.
- Leave time at the end of the day for no electronics, instead read a book or magazine or write in a journal.
When you start making more time to do the things that make you happy your days will start to slow down and the pressure you feel will be released – this is time affluence.