Its a modern day dilemma – we are constantly reminded of the things we are supposed to do to maintain these flesh and blood machines of ours. Oops, forgot about the brain. There you go. Maybe if I was maintaining myself the way I’m constantly reminded I should, I wouldn’t have forgotten about my, erm, dammit, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, my brain. I try and feed it at least once a day, but it’s pretty voracious and I struggle to keep up with its appetite. I read recently that diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia can be delayed or even prevented if you exercise your brain everyday with things like crosswords or strategic games. The experts suggest at least a half hour every day is sufficient to keep it sharp.
Anyway, back to the heading. It seems we are becoming busier and busier and somehow, at the same time, lazier, if you believe all you read. Despite advances in modern technology, a lot of us are working harder and longer hours than our parents ever did, the lazy buggers, yet obesity is up right across the western world, more people complain of less sleep more often and there are more instances of depression, anxieties and conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome. Maybe this is because we all have the added worry of constantly being told we’re doing everything wrong.
Following is a breakdown of the things experts say I’m supposed to do on a daily basis and the things I have to do in order to survive in this modern world:
Work - 8 hours
Teeth hygiene - 45 minutes (at least) i.e. brushing and flossing after every meal
Physical exercise - 1-½ hours - cardio exercising ½ an hour; 15 minutes stretching before and after plus resistence training ½ an hour
Sleep - 8 hours roughly
Meals - 1-½ hours (at least – recommended if one is properly masticating)
Brain exercise - ½ hour (at least)
Ablutions - 45 minutes (average over day)
Spiritual exercising - 1 hour - prayer, meditation, contemplating the navel etc
Total - 22 hours per day
This doesn’t leave a great deal of time for things like hanging out with family and friends, cooking, house-keeping, relaxing, keeping up with current affairs (personally, as I replied on a recent Little Whip post, I spend 1 to 1-½ hours per day in this activity alone), replying to mail and JU posts, or any hobbies or secondary activities. No wonder I wake up feeling more tired than when I went to sleep.
The reality of my day is, of course, completely different. Here is the breakdown for me:
Work - 8 hours (like I have a choice)
Teeth hygiene - Maybe twice a day, but only if I don’t go to sleep on the lounge in front of the television
Physical exercise - Don’t you dare swear at me like that again!
Sleep - Never, ever enough but at least 8 to 9 hours
Meals - At least the recommended time but not including snacking – maybe 2-½ hours
Brain exercise - This is something I actually enjoy and try and do every day, so around 2 hours
Ablutions - I love my showers in the morning, so this is right
Spiritual exercise - Ahm, yeah, right, as soon as this show/doco/game is finished…
I won’t even bother totalling the above as it is pretty damned appalling. But I’m not going to let the guilt get to me anymore. Stuff the experts, their regimes and their diets. It is MY time on this earth and if I’m going to be here, I may as well enjoy it.
The reality is I would rather laugh than exercise. I would rather hold my wife than floss my teeth. I would rather play guitar or work on my novel than run around an oval. It may mean I won’t live as long as others may. But at least I will have lived.