WEBVTT - When your world feels small

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is that if you find yourself feeling like your

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<v Speaker 1>world has gotten smaller, there are practical ways to broaden

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<v Speaker 1>your horizons. No matter the season, it is possible to

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<v Speaker 1>choose a bigger life. During and after the COVID pandemic,

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<v Speaker 1>many people lamented that their world seemed to have shrunk.

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<v Speaker 1>The universe of people they saw plummeted, they spent more

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<v Speaker 1>time at home, they lost variety in their activities, but

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<v Speaker 1>of course it doesn't take a pandemic for people to

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<v Speaker 1>feel that way. Sometimes a lot of people tell me

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<v Speaker 1>that their worlds shrink During the early years of parenting.

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<v Speaker 1>It can be hard to go out with babies or toddlers,

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<v Speaker 1>so people find themselves staying home. I hear from remote

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<v Speaker 1>workers who love the flexibility and independence of working from home,

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<v Speaker 1>but struggle to see people other than on zoom, or

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<v Speaker 1>even to leave the house some days, and all of

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<v Speaker 1>us in winter can find our worlds feeling smaller. Bundling

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<v Speaker 1>up and driving in bad weather is unpleasant. It is

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<v Speaker 1>just easier not to, but after a while of living

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<v Speaker 1>in a constricted world, you may start too long for

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<v Speaker 1>something else. So how can you broaden your world? How

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<v Speaker 1>can you make life feel a little bigger. The good

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<v Speaker 1>news is that you probably don't have to change much.

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<v Speaker 1>There are practical things you can do to broaden your

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<v Speaker 1>horizons within daily life. One simple idea is to consider

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<v Speaker 1>finding a third space somewhere besides home and work where

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<v Speaker 1>you can hang out. Your third space could be a

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<v Speaker 1>coffee shop, a library, a park, or some other spot

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<v Speaker 1>where you are likely to cross paths with people who

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<v Speaker 1>become familiar. You can use your third space for recreation

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<v Speaker 1>like reading, and if you work remotely, you can also

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<v Speaker 1>work from your third space, sometimes instead of from your home.

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<v Speaker 1>Even if you have to overcome someonnersia to get there,

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<v Speaker 1>you may feel better with a change of scenery. Another

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<v Speaker 1>simple way to expand your world is to join an

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<v Speaker 1>activity based group. Something like a choir, a book club,

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<v Speaker 1>young friends of the art museum, a tennis team, or

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<v Speaker 1>so forth will give you a recurring commitment to get

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<v Speaker 1>you out of the house and introduce you to a

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<v Speaker 1>new circle of people. If your schedule and budget allow it,

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<v Speaker 1>you could consider a weekend trip. There's a lot you

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<v Speaker 1>could do in forty eight hours or even thirty six.

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<v Speaker 1>You could visit a friend, go see an art exhibit

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<v Speaker 1>in another city, or simply explore a new place you

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<v Speaker 1>have been curious about. Just a little time away can

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<v Speaker 1>change your perspective. If you can't go for a weekend,

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<v Speaker 1>go somewhere for a day. There are no doubt many

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<v Speaker 1>adventures to be had within an hour or two radius

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<v Speaker 1>of your house. Personally, I love to broaden my horizons

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<v Speaker 1>by taking in culture. You can read great literature, go

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<v Speaker 1>to the theater, go to a museum, see a musical performance.

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<v Speaker 1>Seeing something new will make your world feel bigger. You

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<v Speaker 1>can even make your world feel bigger from the comfort

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<v Speaker 1>of your house. When you think of a friend or

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<v Speaker 1>relative or colleague, reach out. Even just a text will

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<v Speaker 1>make you feel more connected and less isolated. And who knows,

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<v Speaker 1>a quick text or email may lead to a zoom

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<v Speaker 1>or in person meet up. Even when retreating seems easier,

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<v Speaker 1>it is worthwhile to aim for a bigger life. The

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<v Speaker 1>world is vast and wonderful. You don't want to miss

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<v Speaker 1>out on what it has to offer. In the meantime,

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<v Speaker 1>this is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making

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<v Speaker 1>the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.

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<v Speaker 1>If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach

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<v Speaker 1>me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,

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<v Speaker 1>please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

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<v Speaker 1>listen to your favorite shows.