[Sensibowl] Day Five

If there’s one thing that made the most profound difference in my health journey, it wasn’t a miracle diet, a fancy gym, or a magic supplement. It was this: time. More specifically, making time for health.

That might sound basic, but it’s not. It’s revolutionary when you’re living a calendar-crunched life.

The first shift was philosophical: wellbeing takes time. You don’t teleport from point A (red) to point B (green). It’s a journey, and like all journeys, it demands both movement and margin. And margin doesn’t appear by accident - it’s created. Intentionally.

Look at your calendar. No, really look. That was mine just a week ago - packed wall to wall. The question is obvious: how can anyone stay healthy with a schedule like that?

Let’s break it down. In a 24-hour day, if you sleep 8 hours and work another 8, you have 8 left. Sounds like a lot, right? But those 8 are already spoken for—commutes, family, laundry, food, cleaning, scrolling, socializing. And that’s assuming you sleep 8 hours (you likely don’t) and work only 8 (you likely don’t). This is the first audit worth doing.

Because here’s the truth: being healthy costs time.

• Good sleep costs time.

• Clean, home-cooked meals cost time.

• Daily movement—even a 15-minute post-meal walk—costs time.

• Strength training costs time, and so does traveling to the gym.

• Even mindfulness and clearing your head takes time.

And here’s the second truth: the body is slow. The mind is fast.
The body doesn’t follow the mind’s pace. That mismatch frustrated me early on. You start a health journey and a week feels like a year. Being aware, intentional, conscious - it’s hard on the system. But it’s worth it.

The only way to close that gap is to make room in your life. Borrow time from places you can borrow - Netflix, parties, unstructured scroll holes, even a vacation. If you’re privileged to take a health sabbatical, take it. If you can afford support, like a cook or a trainer, please get it. Create a support system that helps you stay on track, not burn out.

But above all, start with a time audit.
What’s on your calendar?
What isn’t on your calendar, but still eats your time?
Where are your non-negotiables?
What can you say no to, so you can say yes to your wellbeing?

Do this for 300 days. That’s it. 300 days of calendar sculpting. You can return to the chaos later if you want. But for now, make time. Because no one else will do it for you. This too is readiness. If you don’t have time, don’t waste your time on gaining health. You can stop now.

And that might be the only sustainable way health becomes a part of life - not a detour.