| The lack of time, Graaf claims, is resulting in painful | | | | have managed to sell the citizens in this nation on a |
| realities in our lives: | | | | salary. Nevermind that it takes 1.5 people to do the |
| - Convenience Foods: the foods that are fast to | | | | job, isn't that what your weekends were made for |
| prepare and eat often are not nutritious and make us | | | | anyway? |
| fat | | | | Ways to counteract this vicious cycle include a term |
| - Long Commutes to Work: require us to have the | | | | called Voluntary Simplicity. There are many definitions |
| expense of reliable transportation, gas and insurance | | | | of what this means, but some ideas for relief in this |
| - Overscheduled Kids, Underconnected Familes | | | | book include: |
| - Shrinking Vacations: Americans average 8.1 days of | | | | - Stocking up on kitchen essentials to eat healthier |
| vacation after 1 year of work compared to our | | | | meals |
| peers in Paris France (4 weeks vacation) and | | | | - Negotiating for a more manageable work week and |
| Sydney, Australia (5 weeks vacation) | | | | or vacation instead of more money and a promotion |
| - Environmental Waste: Disposable razors, frozen | | | | - Reducing your commute and your reliance on an |
| dinner packaging, and less time to recycle has turned | | | | expensive vehicle |
| us into a wasteful group | | | | - Moving into a more family town allowing children to |
| - No Time for Community: So many Americans want | | | | walk and ride their bikes to school |
| to help by volunteering for a cause they believe in, | | | | - Changing legal policy requiring corporate America to |
| but who has time? | | | | have more reasonable expectations of their workers |
| "For many of us, the problem is very simple but | | | | This book has a plethora of resources and statistics |
| ironic: our desire to keep our health insurance benefits | | | | to support the fact that you aren't losing your mind; |
| ties us to jobs that are bad for our health. " | | | | you really are being robbed of your time. |
| There are very few people working 40 hour work | | | | "Many people are finding that by simplifying their lives |
| weeks anymore, and most workers add at least an | | | | they not only reduce their need to work so much, |
| additional hour of commute time each day. | | | | they also find the energy to help change the political |
| The data revealed a significant association between | | | | and economic structures that keep us overworking. |
| the number of hours that people work and their | | | | In changing their own lives, they begin to change |
| satisfaction with life: People who worked fewer hours | | | | society as well." |
| reported being more satisfied than those who | | | | Live simply, enjoy life more. |
| worked many hours. Challenge is that employers | | | | |