Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,
Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
Speaker 1: tip is that if you find yourself feeling like your
Speaker 1: world has gotten smaller, there are practical ways to broaden
Speaker 1: your horizons. No matter the season, it is possible to
Speaker 1: choose a bigger life. During and after the COVID pandemic,
Speaker 1: many people lamented that their world seemed to have shrunk.
Speaker 1: The universe of people they saw plummeted, they spent more
Speaker 1: time at home, they lost variety in their activities, but
Speaker 1: of course it doesn't take a pandemic for people to
Speaker 1: feel that way. Sometimes a lot of people tell me
Speaker 1: that their worlds shrink During the early years of parenting.
Speaker 1: It can be hard to go out with babies or toddlers,
Speaker 1: so people find themselves staying home. I hear from remote
Speaker 1: workers who love the flexibility and independence of working from home,
Speaker 1: but struggle to see people other than on zoom, or
Speaker 1: even to leave the house some days, and all of
Speaker 1: us in winter can find our worlds feeling smaller. Bundling
Speaker 1: up and driving in bad weather is unpleasant. It is
Speaker 1: just easier not to, but after a while of living
Speaker 1: in a constricted world, you may start too long for
Speaker 1: something else. So how can you broaden your world? How
Speaker 1: can you make life feel a little bigger. The good
Speaker 1: news is that you probably don't have to change much.
Speaker 1: There are practical things you can do to broaden your
Speaker 1: horizons within daily life. One simple idea is to consider
Speaker 1: finding a third space somewhere besides home and work where
Speaker 1: you can hang out. Your third space could be a
Speaker 1: coffee shop, a library, a park, or some other spot
Speaker 1: where you are likely to cross paths with people who
Speaker 1: become familiar. You can use your third space for recreation
Speaker 1: like reading, and if you work remotely, you can also
Speaker 1: work from your third space, sometimes instead of from your home.
Speaker 1: Even if you have to overcome someonnersia to get there,
Speaker 1: you may feel better with a change of scenery. Another
Speaker 1: simple way to expand your world is to join an
Speaker 1: activity based group. Something like a choir, a book club,
Speaker 1: young friends of the art museum, a tennis team, or
Speaker 1: so forth will give you a recurring commitment to get
Speaker 1: you out of the house and introduce you to a
Speaker 1: new circle of people. If your schedule and budget allow it,
Speaker 1: you could consider a weekend trip. There's a lot you
Speaker 1: could do in forty eight hours or even thirty six.
Speaker 1: You could visit a friend, go see an art exhibit
Speaker 1: in another city, or simply explore a new place you
Speaker 1: have been curious about. Just a little time away can
Speaker 1: change your perspective. If you can't go for a weekend,
Speaker 1: go somewhere for a day. There are no doubt many
Speaker 1: adventures to be had within an hour or two radius
Speaker 1: of your house. Personally, I love to broaden my horizons
Speaker 1: by taking in culture. You can read great literature, go
Speaker 1: to the theater, go to a museum, see a musical performance.
Speaker 1: Seeing something new will make your world feel bigger. You
Speaker 1: can even make your world feel bigger from the comfort
Speaker 1: of your house. When you think of a friend or
Speaker 1: relative or colleague, reach out. Even just a text will
Speaker 1: make you feel more connected and less isolated. And who knows,
Speaker 1: a quick text or email may lead to a zoom
Speaker 1: or in person meet up. Even when retreating seems easier,
Speaker 1: it is worthwhile to aim for a bigger life. The
Speaker 1: world is vast and wonderful. You don't want to miss
Speaker 1: out on what it has to offer. In the meantime,
Speaker 1: this is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making
Speaker 1: the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach
Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,
Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.