Squander
jasonleow • 26 May 2025 •
As I slow down now to recover from burnout, I’ve come to see how we squander so much of our daily energy, attention and time on things that drain us.
Doomscrolling.
Yapping on social media.
Eating junk food.
Getting distracted.
Walking too fast.
Eating too quick.
Not being mindful.
Drinking too little water.
Sleeping late.
Watching TV.
Drinking alcohol.
Shopping too much.
Overtime work.
Work that is not meaningful.
Basically, all the different types of consumption that ends up draining us more than it nourishes us. All the little, seemingly inconsequential things that add up and makes the all the difference between finishing the day well, feeling light versus ending the day exhausted, feeling heavy.
We squander so much of our day.
How can we practice more mindfulness and safeguard our energy, attention and time for better, more wholesome things?
I once did a health course and at the beginning, the instructor said: don’t change anything about your diet. Just notice how you feel before, during, and after you eat what you normally eat. He wanted to draw our attention to our emotional triggers when we eat, but also how badly we feel after we eat. When he started suggesting healthier food choices we’d feel a lot better after eating (vs the typical slump when we eat junk food).