What’s your daily apple? Or, the value of 15 loving minutes

A stitch in time saves nine.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

I’m sure you’re familiar with most of these phrases. They’re fun and catchy, and unfortunately, sometimes they’re used as “I told you so” admonishments after something has gone wrong. Don’t worry—no scolding here, folks.

There’s something useful in those three phrases, so let’s unpack them a bit more. We’ve heard these adages so much that they’ve perhaps lost their meaning. When you look at them more closely, you’ll see that they are an invitation to thoughtful, healthy living.

Let’s decode these together:

A stitch in time saves nine. Slow down, take your time, and be mindful.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Be proactive, not reactive.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Take good care of yourself now and avoid trouble later.

All of these speak to the idea that a little bit of good invested now will have big dividends in the long run in terms of your physical and mental health.

So, today I want to talk about your daily apple: that is, your one favored activity that you do each day to look after yourself.

Perhaps it is getting 8 hours of sleep a night. It could be fifteen pages of your favorite book before bedtime. Maybe it’s making sure you have breakfast before you head out the door.

The type of apple doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you do it every day.

You may be thinking, “Ann, the last thing I need is something else on the to-do list. I already have a list of obligations a mile long.” And of course, you’d be right. That’s why your apple only needs to be fifteen minutes long. (It can be longer if you’re the overachieving type.)

And, here’s another adage: everything in moderation. We need more than apples to sustain us. That’s why you get to add other things to your diet.

You no doubt populate the hours in your day with all sorts of activities—time spent at work, time spent with loved ones or friends, time spent running errands, exercising, cleaning house, and so forth. All of these are important, of course. Just don’t forget your apple.

Don’t be fooled, either. We’re not all satisfied by the Red Delicious variety. Everyone’s apple is different, because everyone’s way of looking after themselves is a bit different. And, you yourself may feel like changing it up every now and then. You don’t have to oversaturate yourself on a diet of nothing but tart granny smiths (read: dozens of trashy paperback novels) all week. Change up the flavor to keep it interesting.

If you are overscheduled, your apple may involve declining an invitation to do something and spending a half hour (or an evening!) all to yourself.

If you are good at taking it easy and giving yourself breaks, your apple might be a daily fifteen minute walk around the block.

If you can’t seem to stop working, your apple may be fifteen minutes watching silly YouTube videos to give your mind a bit of a break.

If you’re responsible for orchestrating weekly meals for a family of five, maybe you use paper plates a few nights a week to save yourself the trouble of dishes. (Credit for this one goes to Katie Malinski, teen and parent therapist and guru here in Austin.)

Whatever your method or preferred flavor, here’s the bottom line: don’t neglect the apples.