How To Have The Day Off That You Want, Study Finds Big Impact Of Small Streams To Lake Superior, New Drunken Driving Bill Proposed

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great lakes superior sediment runoff water
A satellite image from June 18, 2018 shows plumes of sediment flowing into the south shore of Lake Superior following heavy rains over June 15-17. Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies

Studying a lake as large as Lake Superior has its challenges, but some researchers are looking to learn more about the big picture by studying the many small tributaries that feed into the lake. We talk with a researcher about what they know. We also learn about a bill that has been introduced by two Republican legislators that would criminalize first-time drunken driving and we talk about how to make the most off of your days off from work.

Featured in this Show

  • You Say You Have No Time, But Maybe You're Just Not Spending It Wisely

    What’d you do this past weekend?

    If your answer is, “Nothing,” author Laura Vanderkam might say you should be spending your time more wisely.

    First, you’re not actually doing nothing, says the author of several books including, “What the Most Successful People Do on the Weekends,” and “Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done.”

    “You’ll do something, but it might not be nearly as rejuvenating as if you put a tiny bit of thought into it,” she said.

    While we might use the time to browse social media or watch a few episodes of a television show, we’re left feeling unfulfilled.

    Vanderkam lives with the mantra, “Plan it in, do it anyways.”

    It’ll always be easier to stay on the couch, she said, but that’s not the stuff memories are made of.

    “Watching TV, life becomes a sort of unmemorable, undistinguishable mass of time, and when we have no memories, we feel like time is passing us by,” she said.

    To make the most of your leisure time and ensure it’s serving its purpose of energizing you, Vanderkam offers the following advice:

    Plan Ahead

    It’s worth asking yourself what activities you enjoy and what adds to your energy levels. Then, designate time on the weekend or on your days off for those activities.

    If you’re planning on spending weekend time alone, Friday nights work well for planning out activities for the next two days.

    But start planning for your time off sooner than the day before if you need to find babysitters, make reservations, or are meeting a group of people whose schedules vary. Make sure to look at your schedule and see what’s already planned.

    In this case, take 15 minutes, maybe in the middle of the week, to come up with some ideas.

    Ponder which three activities you’d like to do. Some people focus their activities on three areas, for example social, physical and spiritual.

    “If you think about this ahead of time, it vastly increases the chances that it actually happens,” she said.

    Create A Balance

    It’s not as though your weekend has to be jam-packed with activities.

    “There’s a huge space between planning every minute and planning nothing,” she said. “You can definitely find something in the middle that’s a happy balance.”

    With 60 hours between 6 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday, you have about 36 hours awake, and there’s plenty of downtime between activities for things such as watching television, flitting around the house or checking social media.

    Planning three meaningful things means that you will get to the end of the weekend and say, ‘Hey, I actually did something.’”

    Set Times For Weekend Work

    If you have extra work from the week to get done on the weekends, that’s fine. But be deliberate about what you do, Vanderkam said.

    Focus the work on what actually needs to be done by Monday, she said. Pick times when there will be limited distractions, for example before your kids wake up Saturday morning, or on Sunday night when you’re already in work mode.

    Don’t Hit Snooze

    Sleeping for nine-minute increments after you hit the snooze button isn’t restorative. And it also means you’re delaying the start of your day.

    “Snooze sleep is really the worst of all worlds,” she said.

    Instead, set your alarm for the time you actually plan on getting up — and be honest. You might like to think you’re going to get up early to exercise or meditate, but be realistic.

    “If it’s not really going to happen, go ahead and just enjoy your sleep,” she said. “Then you’ll have the energy to do those things later in the day.”

    Schedule Time To Get Stuff Done

    Without fail, days off become times to pay bills, go to doctor’s appointments, make repairs, clean the car and check off any other item on the to-do list. Set a time for these “work” hours, so you’re not constantly reminding yourself that you should be working on them.

    “If it’s always a possibility, then you can’t really relax, because you’re always having this debate with yourself,” she said.

    For example, if you notice the floor is dirty, but it’s not the hour you have designated to clean it, you can remind yourself of that and move on to something else.

    “Housework is like email — it can expand to fill the available space,” she said.

    If you can, pick up materials you need to complete projects ahead of time. That way, you won’t have to postpone projects you specifically designated time to work on.

  • How To Avoid Feeling Like Your Day Off Was Wasted

    When it only comes around once a week (or maybe less if you’re a busy worker), a day off from work obligations can be a special treat. But as always, hours pass and come to an end, so how can we make sure we feel satisfied at the end of it? Whether you hope to use your days off to get stuff done or just relax right, we talk about how to reduce the “Sunday panic” with a fulfilling weekend.

  • Study Finds Small Tributaries Have Big Impact On Lake Superior

    A recent study finds that the small tributaries feeding into Lake Superior are far more numerous than previously thought and could have a big impact on the lake’s composition. We talk with a researcher about the effect of post-storm sediment plumes and using drone vehicles to learn more about the Great Lakes.

  • Republican Lawmaker Makes The Case For Tougher Drunken Driving Penalties

    Two Republican state lawmakers are continuing their push to crack down on drunken driving. Under a package of new bills, first offenses would be criminalized and penalties for repeat offenders would be stiffened. It also sets a new mandatory minimum sentence for those convicted of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. We talk about the legislation with Rep. Jim Ott of Mequon.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Natalie Guyette Producer
  • Dean Knetter Producer
  • Bill Martens Producer
  • Laura Vanderkam Guest
  • Amy Marcarelli Guest
  • Jim Ott Guest

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