Welcome to the Smarter Living newsletter. The editor, Tim Herrera, emails readers with tips and advice for living a better, more fulfilling life. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
One of my favorite ideas to mull over is how busy we are — or, rather, how busy we think we are. (The first Smarter Living newsletter was dedicated solely to that concept.)
A big reason we think we’re so busy is that we fill our days with things we don’t really care about or want to do. We dole out an easy “yes” to things instead of working through a potentially difficult “no,” and the result is an overcommitment of our time and energy to things that aren’t important to us. (Read more: Why you should learn to say “no” more often.)
I’m as guilty of this as anyone! My stock response to “How’s it going?” is always “Ugh, so busy today.” Often that’s true in a genuine way, but just as often it’s because I’m committed to things or ideas I’m not passionate about.
Call it essentialism, KonMari or any other name that’s been attached to this idea, but what we’re talking about is this: Figure out what’s core to your identity, and follow only those pursuits.
What does that mean for you? Let me know on Twitter and email.
In between all of your self-reflection, here are a few other things to think about or do this week:
We’re all uncool, and it’s great
The best thing I read last week was this post about things we should have learned in school but never did. It’s all worth reading, but the section on self-acceptance is deeply resonant: “It’s amazing how much energy and effort we all put into trying to be perceived as ‘cool.’ We deliberately curate our Instagram pictures and Facebook status updates. We’re cautious about what we choose to reveal out of fear of being labeled uncool. But the effort we put into being cool, to sanding off our rough edges can be truly exhausting.”
Get a flu shot
Yes, you should still get one, even though we’re deep into flu season. (It’s so, so bad this year.)
“We are still seeing increases this week in hospitalizations and influenza-like illness,” the Centers for Disease Control said Friday. “We have seen 10 consecutive weeks of elevated influenza activity so far, and our average flu season duration is between 11-20 weeks. So, there may be many weeks left for this season.”
“We have not hit our peak yet, unfortunately,” Kristen Nordlund, a C.D.C. spokeswoman, told CNN. “Really, the bottom line is, there is still likely many more weeks to go.”
Still not convinced you need one? Read this, and know that getting a shot isn’t just about you.
It’s tax time
You know what I finished last week? My income taxes! My previous record for earliest filing date was April 13, so I’m feeling pretty good about it. If you’re a chronic late-filer like me, set aside an hour after work this week, pick up your favorite snack to munch on, and just get it done. Here’s a good primer on getting started. Make April 17 one less deadline you’ll have to stress over this year.
Have a great week!
— Tim
Best of Smarter Living
• The 6 Steps to Turning Setbacks Into Advantages People experience six distinct stages of turning adversity into growth. These stages apply to organizations, families, communities and individuals.
• The 7-Day Financial Tuneup Tidy your finances, optimize your spending and plan for the long term.
• It’s Tax Time: What to Remember Most provisions of the new tax law won’t affect this year’s returns, with the exception of a temporary change broadening the deduction for medical expenses.
• The Mysterious Interior World of Exercise What happens inside our bodies when we work out.
• How Do I Avoid Catching Cold or Flu From My Sick Partner? It’s harder to protect yourself when the sick person is living inside your house. But certain measures may help.
• Keep Your Head Up: How Smartphone Addiction Kills Manners and Moods “Text neck” is becoming a medical issue suffered by countless people, and the way we hang our heads has other health risks, too.
New Year’s Resolutions
To kick off resolutions month in this newsletter, I’ve invited Abby Langer, a registered dietitian and friend of SL, to share some tips about staying strong if your resolution this year is to eat healthier.
Simplify
If you’ve resolved to do a complete diet overhaul and are getting overwhelmed, simplify your plan by choosing one simple goal. For example, resolving to eat five servings of vegetables a day can be easier and more sustainable than changing your entire diet. Once your goal becomes habit, build on it from there.
Acknowledge the wins
What matters is that you’re moving in the right direction. Only manage to bring your lunch to work once a week instead of four times? You’re good! As long as you’re making progress with your resolution, however small, consider it a win: Flexibility is not failure.
Enlist help
Whether it’s outsourcing some of your meals to a delivery service, joining a healthy-lunch club at work, or asking for support from like-minded friends, you don’t have to do this alone. There’s no shame at all in finding shortcuts or asking for help.