Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Speaker 1: Today's tip is to upgrade the background scenes on your electronics.
Speaker 1: We see these home screens dozens of times per day,
Speaker 1: if not more, so best to choose them thoughtfully. I
Speaker 1: have realized over the years that there are two distinct
Speaker 1: types of people. Some folks customize everything immediately. These folks
Speaker 1: might even have wallpapered their rental apartments because it was
Speaker 1: worth losing their deposits to wake up daily to the
Speaker 1: pattern of their dreams. You would never catch them with
Speaker 1: a default ring tone. Then there are the rest of us.
Speaker 1: Our iPhones sound exactly alike when they ring. This is because, well,
Speaker 1: it's a functional object and it's easy to just stick
Speaker 1: with whatever is there. I am all for simplicity. I
Speaker 1: also like getting my rental deposits back. But for those
Speaker 1: of us who fall into the ladder leave at b camp,
Speaker 1: it's important to realize that we look at certain things
Speaker 1: dozens of times per day or more. How many times
Speaker 1: do you pick up and unlock your phone each day?
Speaker 1: How often do you see the home screen on your laptop?
Speaker 1: How often do you open your default browser and see
Speaker 1: whatever is there. The answer is probably a lot, So
Speaker 1: putting a little thought into what is there can set
Speaker 1: the desired tone for your day. For instance, maybe you
Speaker 1: would like to feel more calm. If so, how about
Speaker 1: changing your backgrounds to be beautiful landscapes. There are plenty
Speaker 1: of images in the public domain, or your apaptop might
Speaker 1: even offer some good ones as alternative options if you
Speaker 1: bother to look, or perhaps you have taken a photo
Speaker 1: or two of your happy place a beach at sunrise,
Speaker 1: a field of wild flowers. Looking at these will feel
Speaker 1: more meaningful than the default image. A photo of your kids, partner, pet,
Speaker 1: or circle of friends can make you smile every time
Speaker 1: you see it, and if we are talking dozens of
Speaker 1: times per day, who wouldn't want that many more smiles.
Speaker 1: While much tech is personal these days, it's not exactly hidden,
Speaker 1: so you want to choose a photo you're fine with
Speaker 1: other people seeing. Indeed, you might choose something that could
Speaker 1: be a good conversation starter. Yep, that is my pet turtle,
Speaker 1: or that's the place where I was born, or yes,
Speaker 1: my kids are way into baseball. All of these offer
Speaker 1: easy inroads for someone to chat with you. Now, my
Speaker 1: laptop home screen tends to be a cluttered place. But
Speaker 1: if you are more minimalist, you can branch out to
Speaker 1: non photo options. For instance, maybe you have a favorite quote.
Speaker 1: If you put Mary Oliver's famous question what do you
Speaker 1: plan to do with your one, wild and precious life?
Speaker 1: On your home screen, you might start each workday inspired,
Speaker 1: or you might quit your job, But either way you're
Speaker 1: having a more meaningful experience than that vaguely futuristic nothingness
Speaker 1: that comes as the default. As for your browser homepage,
Speaker 1: if you are trying not to get distracted, headlines and
Speaker 1: Facebook might not be the best choice. Your company's web
Speaker 1: page might be required. But if not, another option is
Speaker 1: to choose something calming like the Monterey Bay Aquariums mesmerizing
Speaker 1: Jellyfish live cam. The San Diego Zoo also has some
Speaker 1: great live cams that could change your food. There's lots
Speaker 1: of whimsy out there. Think koala's or penguins. In between
Speaker 1: intense meetings, who wouldn't want to see some koalas munching
Speaker 1: happily on their eucalyptus leaves. The point is to spend
Speaker 1: just a little bit of time thinking about something that
Speaker 1: cumulatively we spend a lot of time seeing and since
Speaker 1: everything becomes like wallpaper after a while, make sure to
Speaker 1: choose a time to reevaluate your choices, maybe every six months.
Speaker 1: New Year's in the fourth of July. As a listener
Speaker 1: pointed out to me, you swap your photos and live
Speaker 1: cams out. The view stays fresh and continues to work
Speaker 1: its magic. Your work day is a little happier, and
Speaker 1: you are two. In the meantime, This is Laura. Thanks
Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,
Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod.
Speaker 1: That's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D.
Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,
Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is
Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from
Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.