1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to build in decompression time. By consciously 4 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: building small breaks in between stressful events and knowing that 5 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 1: these breaks are for decompression, you can be at your 6 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 1: best even through a rigorous schedule. As we go through 7 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: our daily lives, we can see that some events are 8 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: more draining than others. We can enjoy them a lot 9 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 1: to or at least find them satisfying. But an intense 10 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: meeting is going to take more energy than, say, reading 11 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: a random newspaper article. Giving a speech will take more 12 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: energy than a quick phone call with someone you've known 13 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: for a while. That's just life. But problems arise when 14 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: we try to cram too many intense events back to back. 15 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: Go straight from a speech into an intense meeting, and 16 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: you might be making mistakes or getting annoyed by a 17 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: vague response that you would have taken in stride at 18 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: any other point. Too much intensity back to back in 19 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 1: our personal lives can lead to the same problem. The 20 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: solution build in decompression time. This doesn't have to be long, 21 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: but you need some small way to reset between intense events. 22 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: Even just ten minutes can do a lot. Makes sense, right, 23 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: But there is a second part to this. You have 24 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: to know that those ten minutes are for decompression and 25 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: use them appropriately. You have to do something that you 26 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: know is going to allow you to hit the reset button. So, 27 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: for instance, last night, I had been running around trying 28 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: to get some forms signed and emailed back to people. 29 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: Right after putting my toddler to bed, I knew I 30 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: was about to face the next round of bedtimes, so 31 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: I went out on the porch for five minutes to 32 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: look at the sunset. It was beautiful. I did not 33 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: take my phone with me, so I could just let 34 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: my mind wander. This did the trick much better than say, 35 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,959 Speaker 1: deleting emails, when I would have risked seeing something intense 36 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: and winding right back into intense mode. I've tried to 37 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: talk about this with my kids as well. One child 38 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: has camp until four pm, coming home around four, and 39 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: then needs to leave for an activity twice a week. 40 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: At He noted that this felt like a long day, 41 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: and it's somewhat is, but I pointed out that four 42 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:59,519 Speaker 1: fifteen to five would be completely off if he consciously 43 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: you this hour as decompression time, reading, drawing, hanging out 44 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: in the backyard. He'd be much more energized by an hour. 45 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,640 Speaker 1: Isn't really a short time at all, especially when you 46 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: know you've got an hour. Of course, creating space for 47 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: decompression in life is easier said than done. One reason 48 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: to make meetings forty five minutes or twenty minutes instead 49 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:31,239 Speaker 1: of sixty minutes or thirty minutes is that you get 50 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: this time built in even if the meeting starts a 51 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: little late or runs a little long. And of course, 52 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: if you are running the meeting, you can make sure 53 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: it starts on time and ends on time. You listen 54 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: to this podcast so I know you are an expert 55 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: on that. Instead of immediately diving into your inbox during 56 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: this break, go stroll around the building in the eight 57 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: minutes until your next meeting starts. When you consciously use 58 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: this time as decompression time, it can feel pleasingly vast 59 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: rather than short. You can feel yourself relaxing. This is 60 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: a good thing. So today, think about your schedule and 61 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: think about when you've got your most intense events. See 62 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: what kind of space you have between them. If there 63 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,160 Speaker 1: isn't much what could you do to force in a 64 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:30,600 Speaker 1: few more minutes, And if you build in those minutes, 65 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:35,719 Speaker 1: what could you do during them to hit reset? Figure 66 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 1: this out and you will perform at your best even 67 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:45,239 Speaker 1: if your schedule is tough in the meantime. This is Laura. 68 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 69 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:58,479 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 70 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,919 Speaker 1: You can send me your tip, your questions, or anything else. 71 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 72 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four, then Breakfast 73 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: p o D. You can also shoot me an email 74 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,839 Speaker 1: at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com 75 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 76 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 77 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. 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