Section 3: Four Types of Time

Part 1: Join me as I describe the different types of time to help you see why some tasks are draining and others fill you with energy. In Part 2 learn more about sorting time.

You have already learned a lot in sections one and two. We've talked about identifying a poverty mindset, which is a lack of self-compassion. You have started to piece together the many ways weight stigma can interrupt your sense of belonging. Weight stigma makes it easy to devalue self-care, and let's be honest, you don't make time for things you don't value. You also got to see five-time blocks. You understand the block begins and ends with a transition activity each time. You explored how not to get lost in the details of seconds, minutes, and hours. Doing this can overcomplicate your day. Time blocks reduce being overwhelmed. They help you identify when your tasks and activities can be completed. In this section, you will explore how time has different qualities. 

The Quality of Time Matters

How you experience time changes. One day, it feels like it drags on. Another day, it zooms by. Some weeks, there is no time, and some weeks, it feels spacious. There is a time when you are on your 'A' game, and your sense of accomplishment is sky high. There are days when you can't seem to complete anything. 

These shifts in perception fascinated me. Over the years, I have been piecing together why the sense of time shifts and how to create a sense of balance. It all started when I helped plan a meditation and mindful eating retreat. This event created a schedule with 'blocks' of time to engage in specific activities. These blocks you explored in section 2. 

How these blocks were filled is what I want to focus on. Some of these blocks had creative activities —like painting or being with a group—and some kept the retreat going by making or cleaning up a meal. There always seemed to be time between each block, allowing participants to transition between activities without a sense of urgency. After planning retreats, I started thinking of my time in these blocks, as explained in Section 2. 

Understanding time blocks was only half of the equation. The other half was understanding four times a time.