What’s on Your Time Confetti List?
Time Poverty, Time Affluence, and Time Confetti
Do you feel like you never have enough time to take care of all the items on your ever growing to-do list? Then like 80% of working Americans, you are experiencing “time poverty”. This sense that there are never enough hours in the day makes us feel stressed, overwhelmed, and unsuccessful. Running from meeting to meeting and between personal and professional responsibilities, we don’t create moments for reflection or true connection with ourselves and those around us.
While the data shows Americans have more free time than in decades past, this time is now broken into little chunks that researchers call time confetti. We have 5 minutes when a meeting ends early or 3 minutes when someone is running late to meet us at a coffee shop. We typically don’t use that time in ways that are very fulfilling. We refresh our inboxes (data shows we check our email and Slack channels every 6 minutes!), scroll through social media feeds, and send a few text messages. My downfall is trying to check just one more thing off my to-do list, which inevitably results in my sprinting stressfully to my next appointment. We distract ourselves, and keep ourselves “busy”, but what if there was a way to use this time confetti to contribute to our wellbeing and sense of time affluence?
Are you curious? Well then it’s time to make your time confetti list! Unlike strategies for setting healthier boundaries around our time that may require larger lifestyle shifts, I find this technique provides great benefits with minimal effort. Time affluence looks different for everyone, so think deeply about what truly brings you joy (playing guitar? snuggling your dog?), and sprinkle some of that into those brief breaks that arise in your day.
My Time Confetti List
Okay, true confession: when I first made this list it looked suspiciously like… another to-do list. (You caught me, I’m a sucker for a good to-do list.) So I had to pause and get a bit more real with myself. I reworked my list to make sure I was choosing items that are aligned with my personal core values - authenticity, community, and fun. (Read: replace 2 minutes of lunges with a 2 minute dance party.) Here’s how I’ve started enjoying my time confetti:
Do NOTHING for a few minutes - I mean literally nothing (I know, it’s hard.)
Mindful moment - Close my eyes, sit up tall, focus on deep, slow breaths. SMILE.
2 minute dance party - This tune really energizes me.
Connect with nature - Walk onto my porch, breathe in the fresh air, appreciate the sky, the trees.
Connect with others - Write a postcard to a friend or family member to let them know I’m thinking about them.
Connect with myself - I love this supportive touch exercise from Kristin Neff.
Gratitude journaling - Write down 3 things I’m grateful for today.
Delights reflection - Think about 3 simple joys I experienced this week.
Read a poem - Mary Oliver’s Devotions is in my reading nook.
Make a cup of tea and savor it - I might as well add a cookie.
What My Time Confetti List Gave Me
After a few weeks of putting my time confetti list to work, I noticed quite a few benefits. The pace of my life felt slower and more enjoyable. I found myself able to be more present with the people around me because I had taken time to be present with myself. I felt more successful, not because I had crammed more productivity into my day, but because I had crafted daily experiences of joy and meaning. It’s another small step on my journey of becoming a human being, not a human doing.
So what’s on your time confetti list? Give it a whirl and let me know what you notice!