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Time and How to Spend It with James Wallman #64

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May 29, 2019

Guest

James Wallman

Cultural commentator and best-selling author James Wallman shares insights on time management and fulfillment. He argues that many struggle to enjoy leisure time and outlines a seven-point checklist to identify enriching experiences. The conversation covers the transformative power of storytelling, the joy of community activities like parkrun, and the mental health benefits of nature. Wallman also emphasizes the importance of planning meaningful activities and engaging in acts of kindness to enhance happiness and well-being.

52:39

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ADVICE

Enjoying Free Time

Learn how to enjoy free time, as it's often harder than work.
School teaches production, not leisure, leading to difficulties.

insights

INSIGHT

Quality Leisure

Abundance of digital choices makes finding quality leisure difficult.
Actioning knowledge about good leisure is key, not just acquiring it.

insights

INSIGHT

Storytelling and Happiness

Storytelling connects people through shared experiences and empathy.
Consider the stories your leisure activities create for increased happiness.

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Navigating Modern Leisure: Finding Meaning and Adventure

03:58 • 22min

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The Transformative Joy of Parkrun

26:24 • 4min

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The Evolution of Physical Activity Perception and its Health Implications

30:20 • 3min

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Nature's Impact on Well-Being

33:15 • 13min

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Practical Tips for Enhancing Happiness and Time Management

46:08 • 2min

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Planning Happiness and Acts of Kindness for Well-Being

In 'The Four Pillar Plan', Dr. Rangan Chatterjee presents a holistic approach to health by dividing his lifestyle prescription into four pillars: Relax, Eat, Move, and Sleep. Each pillar is sub-divided into five interventions designed to provide small, realistic steps towards better health. The book emphasizes the importance of balance across all four areas and is backed by science and case studies. It includes practical, non-preachy advice and features inspiring photographs and clear illustrations, making it an easy and enjoyable read. Dr. Chatterjee's approach is centered on making small, achievable changes to daily habits, rather than drastic overhauls, and is aimed at helping readers improve their overall well-being and avoid lifestyle-driven illnesses.

Deep Work

Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Cal Newport

In 'Deep Work', Cal Newport argues that the ability to perform deep work—professional activities in a state of distraction-free concentration—is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. The book is divided into two parts: the first part explains why deep work is valuable, rare, and meaningful, while the second part presents four rules to transform your mind and habits to support this skill. These rules include 'Work Deeply', 'Embrace Boredom', 'Quit Social Media', and 'Drain the Shallows'. Newport provides actionable advice and examples from various successful individuals to help readers master the skill of deep work and achieve groundbreaking results.

Flow

The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

In this classic work, Csikszentmihalyi investigates 'optimal experience' and reveals that true happiness and satisfaction can be achieved through a state of consciousness called 'flow. ' During flow, individuals experience complete concentration on the task, clarity of goals, and immediate feedback. The book demonstrates how this positive state can be controlled and how it can improve the quality of life by unlocking meaning, creativity, and peak performance.

Status Anxiety

Alain De Botton

In 'Status Anxiety', Alain de Botton examines the phenomenon of status anxiety, which arises from the fear of being perceived as unsuccessful by society. He argues that this anxiety is a result of capitalism, democracy, and the egalitarian society we live in, where everyone is judged on their material success. De Botton identifies five causes of status anxiety: lovelessness, snobbery, expectation, meritocracy, and dependence. He also proposes five potential solutions: philosophy, art, politics, religion, and 'bohemia'. The book draws on historical and philosophical perspectives to understand and address this widespread anxiety, aiming to be both entertaining and insightful.

The Stress Solution

Rangan Chatterjee

In 'The Stress Solution', Dr. Rangan Chatterjee addresses the modern stress epidemic by offering a four-pillar plan to reset your life. The book focuses on four key areas: body, mind, relationships, and purpose. Chatterjee provides practical and achievable interventions, such as designing an effective morning routine, keeping a touch diary, and managing digital stress. He draws from his experience as a GP and includes personal accounts and patient cases to illustrate the effectiveness of his methods. The book aims to help readers lead a more fulfilled, calmer life by making small but significant changes to their daily routines.

What Doesn't Kill Us

My Battle with Anxiety

L. A. Nicholson

In 'What Doesn't Kill Us: My Battle with Anxiety', L.A. Nicholson shares her personal journey with anxiety, offering insights and experiences that aim to help others who are facing similar challenges. The book is a candid and hopeful account that seeks to prevent at least one person from attempting suicide by sharing the author's own struggles and coping mechanisms.

What Doesn't Kill Us

My Battle with Anxiety

L. A. Nicholson

The Science of Storytelling

Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better

Will Storr

Time and How to Spend It

James Wallman

In 'Time and How to Spend It', James Wallman explores the concept of time and how we can optimize its use. The book provides a seven-point checklist to help readers avoid empty experiences and fill their free time with meaningful ones. It delves into the importance of leisure time, the rise of experiences over material possessions, and strategies for effective time management.

Time is the most precious commodity we have, yet despite all the advances in technology, most of us are more time poor than ever before. Cultural commentator and best-selling author, James Wallman, believes that few of us really understand which experiences bring us joy and success, and which don’t. In fact, for many of us, free time can be harder to enjoy than time at work.

James argues that just as we have learned to spot the differences between junk foods and superfoods, we need to learn the equivalent rules for time. He has drawn on research from psychology, economics and culture to create a seven-point checklist that he believes will help you avoid empty experiences and fill your free hours with exciting and enriching ones instead.

We discuss the importance of putting ourselves in challenging or unusual situations, having fulfilling relationships, achieving a state of flow and being in nature. James also talks about the importance of having status and significance for happiness and explains how we can all attain this in our lives. Finally, James gives his top tips for leading a happy and fulfilling life. This is a really lively conversation and James is bursting with anecdotes – I hope you enjoy it!

Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/64

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DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

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