HEALTH & FITNESS By KEMI ILORI
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Everyone is supposed to spend "quality time" from time to time as
the days go bye. Some people are not aware that there is such a thing as quality
time and just go from day to day. What is quality time and what influence does
it have on the state of our well being?
The Wikipedia free encyclopedia defines quality time as such; Quality time is
an informal reference to time spent with loved ones (e.g., close family, partners
or friends) which is, in some way, important or special. It may also refer to
time spent performing some favoured activity (e.g., a hobby). This means that
if your family meetings or old school Associations end up in shouting matches
and sometimes a few punches, then you are not spending quality time by attending
those events.
This is especially so because quality time is meant to have a degree of positive
feeling on you socially and emotionally. From the foregoing, it should be easy
for you to identify activities which are tantamount to spending quality time
and those which are not.
Globally, quality time is seen as time which is well spent. The opportunity
to experience quality time, or the actual time available to enjoy quality time
is often limited.
Why is quality time important? Your quality time is a link to your health and
your appearance. Everyday living exposes each and everyone of us to common external
stressor agents. These include crowding, noise, high technology effect all around
us like, frequently ringing mobile phones, blaring radio sets and unsolicited
advertisements, playing video games, other peoples reaction to television programmes
or calls that they are receiving, etc. All these things impinge on our minds.
We are probably passively aware of them most times, but they are there! These
are described as acute common stressor agents. There are also chronic common
stressors. However, these are stressors that modern life poses and are on-going
stressful situations that are not short-lived and the urge to act (to fight
or to flee) must be suppressed. They include;
• On-going highly pressured work.
• Long-term relationship problems.
• Loneliness.
• Persistent financial worries.
Quality time enables us to relax and enjoy life outside work. It helps to reduce
stress and by so doing counteract the effects of stress. Stress as we know is
particularly devastating to the facial muscles and make people age faster. Finding
quality time is about time management.
How do you find quality time out of your busy schedule? All that you have read
must have shown you that your quality time is valued and necessary for your
health, appearance and better job performance. You do not want to keep running
your engine until it knocks one day!! Start by evaluating how your time is spent
each work day. Are your weekend activities’ time demands soaking up your
entire weekend? Does your workday end long after even the cleaning crews have
called it a night i.e. do you stay on in the office till 8 or 9pm; long after
all other "normal" people have left? If you are a busy top-flight
executive; within these busy schedule of yours, you MUST be able to find a period
everyday which will be your quality time. During this time, everybody will know
that you must not be disturbed. Relax your mind, clear it of disturbing thoughts
and try to flood your mind with relaxing thoughts, music or something. It will
bring your blood pressure down several notches.
Reduce your stress hormones levels and relax the tense muscles around your face,
shoulder, etc. The cumulative effect overtime will slow down your aging process.
Note that this daily quality time is nowhere near enough. You need to create
proper quality time in addition to this. Remember long after you have been promoted,
quit or retired, what sticks with you is not the company or agency you are working
for, but it’s you. Your skin, smile and mental well-being. For every other
person, students, mothers, etc, you need to create quality time from within
your activities. Write down your individual schedules including playing with
the guys or shopping with the girls. Count everything you do (including non-official
household chores) as part of your "work week" – even the gym,
grocery shopping and paying bills.
Once you have scheduled everything that must get done, look for time you can
devote and spend with your loved ones or by yourself as quality time. Such a
time may be every Wednesday evening that you have freed. Make it a weekly demand
that doesn’t change. You may spend the time with your children, partner
or alone doing a favoured activity (like reading or watching a movie). Now that
you have freed up time as quality time; you have also found time to reduce stress
and defuse pent up tension! A stress-free person is a healthier person. Healthy
= A Younger Looking and Feeling You. Quality time will add years to your life