About Time

Happy New Year and welcome to 2025, yikes! Where did the time go? Do you feel like this last year just flew by and you were always one day behind on your to-do list, because 24 hours in a day just wasn’t enough time?  Or were you struggling to make time for (check all that apply): your favorite people, hobbies, travel, exercise, etc.? I see you!

So, maybe it’s time to take a minute or two (I won’t take up too much of your time) to examine our relationship with time and how that affects our life. Time scarcity is a pervasive issue in modern society, impacting our wellbeing, productivity, and overall quality of life.

Our lives are crazy busy, largely by our own design. But the time scarcity we feel can have a significant impact on our mental health, contributing to stress, anxiety, and feelings of inadequacy, and resulting in a constant state of pressure.

In addition, the lack of time for self-care and relaxation undermines resilience, making it harder to cope with everyday stressors. Without sufficient downtime the mind and body don’t have an opportunity to recharge. Thus, understanding and addressing time scarcity is crucial for our physical and mental health. (See my blog post about self-care at https://www.petrahaynes.com/blog/gqgwyhx3gr4m170klcs0mleu4aijuj)

People often think that retirement will provide the extra time for all those things they didn’t have time to do while working, only to find that they are just as busy, if not more so. Time is our most precious commodity. So, what’s the solution?

Ultimately, addressing time scarcity requires a cultural shift in how we view productivity and success. By recognizing the importance of downtime and self-care we can cultivate a better relationship with time, leading to greater fulfillment and wellbeing.

For this new year, I wish you an abundance of time spent filling your cup with what you love! And for full disclosure, to save precious time, I employed the app ChatGPT to help write this blog post.  Thanks for reading!