A Life in 60 Minutes

20 Minutes : Mealime

It's an app that allows me to plan my weekly meals in advance by selecting from an array of healthy recipes, filtered through criteria like "low carb" or omitting certain veggies or ingredients altogether. It compiles a shopping list of all the items I need to buy for the week, then walks me through each meal. The average time I spend cooking each day equates to less than half an hour (note: I do prep a bit beforehand or buy pre-diced/prepped veggies when I can) and I eat much better because of it. I can tell because the content of my grocery cart has completely transformed from frozen, pre-packaged meals to a healthier balance of produce and meat. Leftovers make the best lunch, and I'm not a breakfast person, so cooking just once a day works for me.

20 Minutes: Playne

It's a computer game that focuses on building meditation as a daily habit by gamifying it with the help of beautiful ambient noises that make up a virtual space you bring to life as you login each day. Your helpful spirit guide, a fox named Wolf (yup) walks you through the absolute basics of meditation, and you set the pace and setting when you're ready. I've logged in at least seven days now, a record for someone who never stopped to sit still before. Anytime I have a rogue thought pop up, I just click my mouse and let it go. While I might not look like a traditional meditation guru, sitting in my computer chair with a headset and a mouse in hand, it works for me. I'm in my comfort zone and I can squeeze in a quick meditative break even while I work from home.

20 Minutes: Fitness Boxing

Yup, another game on Nintendo Switch now; this one though walks you through simple boxing combos set to a simplified pop-song beat. Like the quieter Playne game above it rewards habit building by providing a pregenerated daily workout that only takes a few minutes, and logs your progress with a satisfying "PUNCH" stamp as you complete each day. You can choose from a variety of customizable coaches that provide laid back, consistent feedback as they walk you through basic moves (jab, straight, hook, uppercut, or dodge). I needed to get back into a workout routine and add a little more cardio to my day. I turn this on in the morning as soon as I roll out of bed and it immediately gets me the quick, easy endorphin boost I need to start my day.

20 + 20 + 20 = 60 minutes a day focused on my health.

Twenty minutes on my fitness, twenty minutes on my diet, and twenty minutes on my stress levels. That's all I'm working towards. If I can just get these guys done everyday, I'm three fourths of the way towards a healthy balanced person.

The last pillar of health would be sleep, which once I've tackled these babies comes much easier at the end of my day.