A Balanced Life Is Only Seven Hours Of Free Time Away

If you're not getting your full eight hours of sleep every night, chances are you probably aren't getting the seven hours of free time you need during the day. Yep, a little over a quarter of the precious 24 hours we get should be spent on yourself. Research from Direct Line Insurance says that a minimun of seven (well, six hours and 59 minutes, if we're getting to the nitty gritty) hours of free time is necessary to achieve the perfect work/life balance.

Let's be real here, though. You're probably checking your e-mails the moment you wake up, as you do your makeup, and cringe the second you lose service during your commute (you feel us, New Yorkers?). The report says that 82% of us check our phones after "working" hours have ended. Future Foundation claims that because of smartphones and their über connectedness, our careers have become more demanding.

Ironically, 71% of us still value home-cooked meals, unwinding with a book, and hanging out with our families and friends. Meanwhile, our phones are burning holes in our pockets, their vibrates and chimes reminding us that the world is still going on, no matter where we are in our family dinner.

It sounds like an oxymoron, but scheduling spontaneity is necessary. We schedule meetings and dates, so why not make it a point to carve out time for fun? The key is to learn how to detach ourselves from the devices that bind us. Realistically speaking, seven hours is time we just don't have. Which is why the researchers drafted a schedule for us to strive for (or dream about while we sleep for four eight hours). (Huffington Post)