WEBVTT - See the light

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to see the light. Making sure to

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<v Speaker 1>see some natural light can be tricky in winter, but

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<v Speaker 1>it goes a long way toward making winter feel more doable.

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<v Speaker 1>So my southern Hemisphere listeners are enjoying lengthening days right now,

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<v Speaker 1>so you all can just listen to this episode in

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<v Speaker 1>six months. But those of us in the Northern Hemisphere,

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<v Speaker 1>we are headed straight for the winter solstice. The days

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<v Speaker 1>are getting shorter, and with the clocks falling back, many

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<v Speaker 1>people will commute home from work or school in the dark.

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<v Speaker 1>You might see daylight in the morning for a bit,

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<v Speaker 1>but since mornings are often rushed, this might not be

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<v Speaker 1>much time, and some days you might not even get that.

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<v Speaker 1>The sun rises at seven twenty a m. Round the

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<v Speaker 1>solstice by me and sets around four thirty p m.

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<v Speaker 1>Anyone working a seven thirty to four thirty sort of

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<v Speaker 1>day would not be able to count on time outside

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<v Speaker 1>of work, and even folks who worked from say nine

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<v Speaker 1>to five would not have much time outside of it.

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<v Speaker 1>Winters can be dreary enough as it is. Natural light

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<v Speaker 1>is a known mood booster. Getting some time outdoors in

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<v Speaker 1>the light each day can make winter feel far more doable.

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<v Speaker 1>But that requires a conscious effort when there is little

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<v Speaker 1>light to be had, so you have to plan to

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<v Speaker 1>take breaks, and you have to plan to take them outside.

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<v Speaker 1>This is one of the reasons behind one of my

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<v Speaker 1>favorite time management rules, move by three p M. I

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<v Speaker 1>chose this as rule number three in my book Tranquility

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<v Speaker 1>by Tuesday, because getting some physical activity each day can

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<v Speaker 1>boost energy levels significantly. Getting that exercise outside in the

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<v Speaker 1>natural light, it's like hitting a reset button. Even if

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<v Speaker 1>you are tired or the weather isn't great, A quick

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<v Speaker 1>walk while they're still light can power you through the

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<v Speaker 1>rest of the day. But a walk break isn't the

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<v Speaker 1>only way to see the light. If you drive to work,

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<v Speaker 1>pause in the parking lot for a few minutes before

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<v Speaker 1>you go in to notice the winter sky. Same if

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<v Speaker 1>you go out to lunch with colleagues, take a minute

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<v Speaker 1>in the restaurant parking lot or before you walk back

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<v Speaker 1>to work to see the world around you. You might

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<v Speaker 1>also figure out a way to expand your outdoor time

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<v Speaker 1>in the morning if your schedule allows it. You could

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<v Speaker 1>wake up on time to take a little walk or

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<v Speaker 1>go for a run before work. Except during the darkest

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<v Speaker 1>days of winter, in many places, you could exercise from

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<v Speaker 1>seven fifteen to seven forty five, then get yourself going

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<v Speaker 1>and at least experience a half hour of light. We

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<v Speaker 1>talked in a previous episode about looking out the window

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<v Speaker 1>for a minute before clearing your inbox. It's not quite

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<v Speaker 1>the same as going outside, but it's better than not

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<v Speaker 1>looking out the window. Make sure you take several minutes

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<v Speaker 1>to look outside while the thin winter sun is doing

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<v Speaker 1>its best to light things up. And if that fails,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm in favor of taking some strategic time off. If

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<v Speaker 1>you've got paid time off, a half day every other week,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe on a Wednesday, where you make sure to enjoy

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<v Speaker 1>whatever sunlight there is can help you make it through

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<v Speaker 1>to the weekend. But as with any resource, when you

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<v Speaker 1>recognize that it is scarce at least for a period

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<v Speaker 1>of time, and that it is precious, you can see

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<v Speaker 1>that it helps to be mindful of it and optimize

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<v Speaker 1>your schedule around it. During the winter, it's a lot

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<v Speaker 1>harder to see the light than it is in the summer.

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<v Speaker 1>When you get the bounty of light after work, even

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<v Speaker 1>if you work quite late, but it is usually still

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<v Speaker 1>possible and definitely worth it. After the solstice, the days

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<v Speaker 1>will start getting longer and you can celebrate each extra minute.

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<v Speaker 1>But until then, seizing what you can of the lingering

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<v Speaker 1>light can make it feel more abundant than it is

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<v Speaker 1>in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and

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<v Speaker 1>here's to making the moose of our tip. Hey everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.

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<v Speaker 1>That's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>podcast at i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,

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<v Speaker 1>I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is

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<v Speaker 1>a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from

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<v Speaker 1>my heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast,

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<v Speaker 1>or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Cat