1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:18,760 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about how to cope with constantly interrupted 4 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 1: time and how to manage your energy even if you're 5 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: not trying to get a whole lot of traditional work done. 6 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:28,319 Speaker 1: This tip stems from a letter I got from a 7 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: listener who lives in India. Her elderly father had been 8 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: admitted to the hospital. Fortunately, he was starting to improve. 9 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: In India, the daughter wrote, it's common for a family 10 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 1: member to stay over in the hospital with a patient 11 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,520 Speaker 1: to help with his care. That was what she was doing, 12 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: and so she was constantly on call. In the short 13 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: times I do get to myself when he is sleeping. 14 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: Mostly I find myself trying to get other stuff done, 15 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: she says, But for obvious reasons, I keep getting interrupted. 16 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: The stuff I'm doing is not highly intense, paying bills online, 17 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: reorganizing my lists, clearing down inboxes, sometimes just listening to podcasts, 18 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 1: But even then I find it difficult to progress. So 19 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: she wondered, did I have any advice for dealing with interruptions? 20 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 1: Getting even small tasks done and feeling efficient is a 21 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: big part of my personal self care and goes a 22 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,479 Speaker 1: long way in making me feel like at least some 23 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 1: aspects of life are under control in these difficult times. 24 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: She said, so she was looking for ideas. I thought 25 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,479 Speaker 1: this was a great question. First, no one is going 26 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: to get much done in a hospital. Her first move 27 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: should be to release herself from any expectations. Even if 28 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: she did nothing other than manage her father's care for 29 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: a few weeks, it would be okay. Life would not 30 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: completely fall apart. That said, she could maintain some sense 31 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: of the progress that was important to her by turning 32 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: her tasks into very very small ones. Something like pay 33 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: bills might get interrupted, which can be frustrating, but write 34 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: down amount to pay for a single bill is doable. 35 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: Then she could write a check or find the website 36 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: or app to pay as another step. The next bill 37 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:19,359 Speaker 1: might likewise be broken up into two to three steps. 38 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 1: Two with tasks taking less than a minute, she could 39 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: definitely get through enough to feel like she'd done something. 40 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: She could also find fun, fairly low effort activities that 41 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: would fit in small bits of time. She mentioned listening 42 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: to this podcast, which is great. She could also read 43 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 1: a poem, write in a one sentenced journal, borrow some 44 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: art books from the library and digital form, and then 45 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: look through a few beautiful pictures at a time she 46 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: could brainstorm items for her list of a hundred dreams. 47 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: That really extensive bucket list we've talked about in past episodes. 48 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: Even if you're not caring for someone in the hospital, 49 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: I find it's helpful to make a list of these 50 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: little bits of joy that can fit into bits of time. 51 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: There are many circumstances in life when you can't do involved, 52 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: lengthy activities. Maybe you're caring for a toddler. Maybe you've 53 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: got some downtime at work, but not the sort where 54 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: you can plan to read a whole novel. In any case, 55 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: come up with a few small items that can make 56 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: the time pleasant and well, the time will be more 57 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:30,839 Speaker 1: pleasant and I'm a big fan of never wishing time 58 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: away in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, 59 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 60 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 61 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 62 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at before Breakfast Pod. 63 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: That's B the number four. Then breakst p o D. 64 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at before Breakfast 65 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast 66 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 67 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 68 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from 69 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:26,600 Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 70 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.