That three hours is absolutely essential to maintain what current jargon calls the “work-life balance.” In the old days, it was described as “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” We can’t “make time” for anything. If something is going to take longer than we anticipated, all we can do is to steal time from some other activity and reallocate it. If the traffic is bad and it takes longer to get home from work than usual, that leaves less time for relaxation. Or if a trip to the shops takes an hour instead of 45 minutes, that means something else loses out in the mix. Take time to enjoy everything One of the most effective ways of maximising the use of time is to make a conscious effort to enjoy each activity you engage in.
Rather than regarding a trip to the shops as a chore that has to be endured, why not make an effort to enjoy it ? Admire the flowers along the way – smile at the children you see playing – say hello to someone and chat for a minute – pop a euro into a collection box and get the satisfaction of doing something nice. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a job they enjoy so much that the time spent working is enjoyed as much as the precious 3 ½ hours left at the end of the day. But we all have the opportunity to value our time as the valuable and scarce resource that it is. Every hour spent having an argument, feeling a grudge, moaning about the weather, or worrying about Brexit is an hour that you are stealing from
yourself. While every hour you savour, whether it is spent being
active, cooking the dinner, watching TV, or just sitting quietly, is time well spent.
“God, but the traffic in Rush was terrible today”
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