Why “Having No Time” Is A Wellness Myth

In my health coaching practice, the most successful people I see are usually the busiest: Traveling regularly, always on the go, and consistently achieving at the highest of levels. Yet despite their non-stop schedules, these highly successful people are usually my healthiest clients.

Why? Because they know that their time is a precious commodity and it should be spent on something equally as valuable: good health.

Indeed, the myth of “I’m too busy to be healthy” doesn’t apply to these individuals. They’re equally as pragmatic about their health as they are their careers; they recognize it’s a far more advantageous use of their time if they take a proactive, efficient approach to wellness now than to spend precious hours dealing with poor health later.

The most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report notes that on average, men and women have about five to six hours of “leisure time” per day—this encompasses doing things reading, exercising, watching television, and using a computer for “fun.” Within that chunk, nearly three hours (on average) is devoted to watching television (don’t even get us started on Facebook). That’s a pretty high number in retrospect, especially given that watching television is a sedentary, slightly mindless activity.

It’s amazing. Many of my clients have no problem hitting tight, unrealistic deadlines but can’t seem to find the time to make themselves a simple dinner. I’ll give you an example. At a recent corporate wellness workshop, I met a woman who told me that she “hated sleeping.” As a huge sleep proponent, I was intrigued by her attitude and offered to coach her one-on-one. It turned out she didn’t like to sleep because it got in the way of “living.” In time, I realized that this woman was working constantly and totally over-scheduled. Resultantly, she quite literally didn’t have the time to do things that brought her joy—such as seeing friends—and resented sleep for occupying her precious “living” hours.

In some cases, we really don’t have time to make a healthy breakfast or hit the gym. When those instances strike, we need to fall back on healthy coping strategies. I have all of my clients create a minimal viable wellness plan (MVW). What is the minimal viable amount of effort you need to put in to feel good? This plan is your go-to when the times get tough—when you’re over-scheduled, traveling or sick. For many of my clients, that means they might skip the workout, choose the next best thing off a menu instead of cooking at home and push to six hours of sleep. But they are doing their best and making the best choices they can for the situation they find themselves in.