Know how to take back the day

0:03 Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's tip is to know how to take back the day. From time to time, we all have days that go off the rails. The key is to know how to get yourself back on track so that the whole day doesn't feel ruined. Today's tip comes from my recent interview with Jordan Kowalewski-Gorman for my other podcast, Best of Both Worlds.

0:43 Jordan is a speech and language pathologist and the mom of multiple little kids. She is also the founder of Eat, Play, Say, a website that provides resources to help parents understand their kids' development. In our interview, Jordan talked about what she called micro-resets. that she uses for taking back the day. Now you can probably imagine the kinds of days that might benefit from a reset, particularly if you've got a lot going on in your life. Perhaps a child wet the bed, and now you have to clean up and change the sheets before you head out the door for school drop-off and work. In a work meeting, a project you have worked incredibly hard on gets sent in a totally new direction.

1:28 You feel unappreciated, and stressed about the time required to redo everything. Maybe you accidentally set your alarm for 7 p.m. instead of 7 a.m. By the time you wake up, you realize you are going to be late for everything. Whatever causes your day to go off the rails, it helps to have go-to strategies for getting back on track.

1:55 You don't want to write off the day just because one thing or even several things went wrong. When Jordan needs to take a mulligan on the day, as she puts it, she tends to have a cup of coffee. Or go outside. Or put on a bright color. Do you have micro-resets that work for you? You might be able to reset with a few minutes of meditation. Deep breathing.

2:20 Or yoga. A quick session of intense exercise. Watching a funny short video. Taking a shower. Or calling a friend or relative. it would be a good idea to list these out. Take a few minutes to think of things that reliably make you feel better. What feels like a little treat? What lifts your mood? Put this list of micro-resets somewhere you can look at and consult whenever you feel like your day is going awry. For me, a brisk walk outside can often do this. If something has been truly terrible and stressful, I try to go for a run. Something I know not everyone can do during the day. But if you can, wow, is it helpful.

3:11 A video of an old comedy routine can be gold. If I've got time for a field trip, I like to go to a bookstore or art museum or botanical garden. These are my happy places. So I am happier after going. What's on the list for you? It is empowering to know how you can take back a day. A micro-reset means a bad day doesn't keep getting worse. And with an arsenal of micro-resets that you know work for you, you will feel more in control and less buffeted by external factors. What do you do when you need to take back the day? I'd love to hear about it.

4:01 you can reach me at laura at lauravandercam.com. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening. And here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at laura Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia.

4:41 For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Before Breakfast