Do you Feel Like You’re Drowning With Your Daily Tasks? — This 5-Minute Reset Will Help You ACTUALLY Finish What You Start & Get through Your To-Do List Easily!

Is your to-do list stressing you out? How often do you feel like you’re just trying to catch up? Today, Jay dives deep into the power of slowing down—not as a luxury, but as a necessary life strategy. He walks us through eight actionable and science-backed steps to feel more present and connected to your day–no yoga mat, silent retreat, or drastic life change required. Whether it’s taking five-minute tech breaks, adding little rituals between tasks, focusing on one thing at a time, or even just adjusting your posture, each practice is a reminder that mindfulness isn’t something we need to schedule, it's something we can embody. Jay reminds us that even the tiniest moments—like taking three deep breaths at a red light or saying your actions out loud—can pull us back into the present. Through real-life stories and powerful research, he shows how we can snap out of autopilot and find calm, clarity, and a sense of control, even on the busiest days. In this episode, you'll learn: How to Slow Down to Speed Up Your Day How to Use Time Anchoring to Manage Stress and Anxiety How to Transition Tasks with Micro-Rituals, Not Rush How to Narrate Your Actions to Stay Present in the Moment Whether you’re juggling back-to-back meetings, dealing with family chaos, or just craving a little peace, this episode is your gentle reminder to slow down, take a breath, and tap back into the calm that’s always been there—one mindful moment at a time. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here. What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 01:09 How to Reconnect with Your Day and Move with Intention 03:25 Step #1 Take 5 Minute Tech Breaks to Recharge Focus 06:45 Step #2 Pause Emotionally to Regain Clarity 10:47 Step #3 Simplify Your Choices to Avoid Overwhelm 12:47 Step #4 Are You Working on Too Many Things at a Time? 16:01 Step #5 Reset Your Posture to Shift Your Mindset 20:40 Step #6 Time Can Be Your Anchor—Not Your Stressor 24:08 Step #7 Create a Reset Ritual Before Your Next Task 27:56 Step #8 Narrate Your Actions Out Loud to Stay Present See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Jay Shetty?

  This episode is brought to you by AG1. Are you feeling September reset too? Shorter days, longer to-do lists, earlier alarms, all those routines you promised yourself you'd pick back up. It can feel like your whole life is recalibrating. And when everything around you is changing, it helps to have a few things you can rely on. AG1 Next Gen is one of those easy habits to keep. It's the clinically-backed, comprehensive daily health drink that supports your gut health, energy production, and foundational nutrition all in one scoop. AG1's ingredients are sourced from quality partners for absorption, potency, and nutrient density to deliver the foundational nutrition your body needs. And alongside a proper diet,

• 0:44Jay Shetty?

  AG1 Next Gen meets 94% of nutrient requirements and is clinically shown to enrich the gut microbiome. For a limited time, save 20% on your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro at drinkag1.com/onpurpose. That's drinkag1.com/onpurpose. This episode is brought to you by Mazda. Confidence isn't something Mazda finds, it's something they practice. That's the thinking behind every Mazda. With proactive safety features designed to help keep you more aware, more connected, and more engaged with the road ahead. It's why Mazda has been named Consumer Reports' safest new car brand

• 1:27Jay Shetty?

  and has won more 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Awards than any other car brand as of July 2026. Visit www.iihs.org to learn more. A lot can happen when an accident doesn't. Visit MazdaUSA.com to learn more. Consumer Reports does not endorse products or services. This episode is brought to you by Amtrak. You know that feeling when you're already tired and you haven't even gotten there yet? That's where Amtrak comes in. Leave the driving behind and settle into a comfortable seat with plenty of room to stretch out. Catch up on work with Wi-Fi, grab a snack at the café car, or just sit back and enjoy your favourite podcast. Choose a seller or North East Regional

• 2:12Jay Shetty?

  and get there without the stress of getting there. Visit amtrak.com to plan your next trip. You ever feel like you're just getting through the day? Like you're checking things off but not really feeling anything? I have definitely been there. I've been travelling, I've been working and it can feel like kinda numbing, right? You realise you're so busy being productive, you're not actually present. And I had this moment, sitting alone at a restaurant after a long day. And for the first time in weeks, I slowed down, tasted the food, watched the people, took a breath. And I thought, why don't I do this more often? And why do I have to wait for a moment like this to do it? So today's solo is all about that.

• 2:55Jay Shetty?

  How to reconnect with your day, your people, even your plate. Because you're not too busy to feel connected. You're just out of practice. We all are. So let's talk about the little shifts that bring you back to yourself.

• 3:09Speaker 01

  The number one health and wellness podcast.

• 3:12Speaker 02

  Jay Shetty. Jay Shetty. The one, the only Jay Shetty.

• 3:18Jay Shetty?

  Hey everyone, welcome back to On Purpose. It's Jay Shetty. Make sure you've subscribed to this channel if you haven't already, so that you never miss an episode. Today's conversation is all about how to reconnect with your day and how slowing down actually makes life speed up. How slowing down actually makes life more effective and how slowing down allows you to move as fast as you want. I think for a long time, we've told people, hey, if you have a busy, hectic, crazy life, that's just the way it is. And then we hope for a vacation where things slow and calm down. But the reality is, if we can move slow to move fast,

• 4:03Jay Shetty?

  it can change the way we think and live. And here are seven science-backed steps for a hectic day and the habits that transform it for us. The reality is, we live in chaos. The average person checks their phone 58 times a day, spends one hour, five minutes on social media and receives around 46 notifications daily. Now, if you're like me, times every one of those stats by four. Forty-seven percent of us can't focus on a task longer than two hours.

• 4:42Jay Shetty?

  No wonder we feel frantic, distracted and emotionally depleted even before lunch. But what if you could reclaim calm? Not by changing your schedule, but by reclaiming your mind. That's what I want to help you do today with my seven-step guide to being more present right now. No retreats, just real life, practical actions rooted in psychology. I think for so many of us, we think, yeah, presence is something that I can't even attain anymore. It's gone out the window. I have to wait to go on a retreat. I have to wait to be in meditation. I have to wait to be in yoga.

• 5:23Jay Shetty?

  And I think that's partly the challenge. We've drawn this narrative that your life is busy and you can't be present in it. Your life is crazy and that's just the way it is. And I've done that to myself sometimes as well. But I've also found a way of changing that narrative and shifting my reality. And I want to share that with you today. Here's step one. Take five tech breaks. Now, when I say five, I mean take five, five minutes, right? And maybe you can do these five times throughout the day, or if not more. I'm excited to continue this conversation. But first, a word from our sponsors. Whether you're booking a weekend getaway or embarking on your next grand adventure,

• 6:06Jay Shetty?

  Chase Sapphire Reserve is your ultimate travel companion. Let's talk about how Chase Sapphire Reserve takes your travels to the next level, especially when it comes to dining and exploring new destinations. When you're traveling, one of the most exciting parts is discovering new culinary hotspots and tasting local flavors. But sometimes the best food experiences aren't always found in the tourist guidebooks. They're hidden gems, exclusive spots and truly special locations. With Chase Sapphire Reserve, dining becomes just as memorable as the destinations themselves. Imagine this, you're exploring a new city and your Chase Sapphire Reserve card opens doors to incredible restaurants

• 6:50Jay Shetty?

  that you might not have found on your own. Whether it's getting the VIP treatment at a Michelin star restaurant, or securing a last minute reservation at that exclusive place you've been dying to try, Chase Sapphire Reserve has you covered. And it's not just about eating, it's about creating moments that make your trip unforgettable. But it doesn't stop at food. From booking your hotel with ease, to planning the perfect itinerary, Chase Sapphire Reserve is there to make your journey smoother and more rewarding. It's all about giving you access to the experiences that make travelling a true joy, without the hassle of worrying about the details. Want to learn more about Chase Sapphire Reserve and how it can make your next trip unforgettable?

• 7:35Jay Shetty?

  Head over to chase.com/sapphirereserve. Whether you're dining at world-class restaurants, or exploring new destinations, Chase Sapphire Reserve offers the ultimate travel experience. Discover more and make your next adventure one to remember with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Dr. Avita Singh from Ohio State University, found that taking five to 10 minute tech breaks every hour boosts focus and reduces stress. So here's what you want to do. Set hourly reminders. After 55 minutes of screen time, spend five minutes off devices. You can walk, you can stretch, you can breathe.

• 8:18Jay Shetty?

  Suddenly your attention becomes sharper instead of splintered. I think this is one of the issues with the way we think about meetings. Meetings are 30 minutes or 60 minutes in our calendar. Why can't they be 25 minutes or 55 minutes? What are we achieving in five minutes in a meeting that we would lose if we spent that five minutes walking, getting hydrated with water, or looking out of the window? These are the three habits you want to develop in those five minutes between meetings. You're gonna stand up and walk, you're gonna walk and get some water, and you're gonna get some water and go look out of a window. Now why? When you're moving every hour,

• 9:03Jay Shetty?

  it's gonna be great for your metabolism, it's gonna be great for your body, you're gonna get steps in without even trying. We all know the benefits of water, we need to be more hydrated. So many of us are missing out on the amount of water that we need to be having. The window pout's the most interesting. When you look into the distance, it actually allows your mind to feel relieved. Today, everything's up in our face, our laptops, our phone screens, everything. We've actually lost the ability to look off into the distance, to give our minds some space. If you look into the distance, find a cloud, find the tip of a tree, whatever it may be, it allows your mind to feel open. I want you to try and practise setting meetings for twenty-five minutes

• 9:46Jay Shetty?

  or fifty-five minutes instead of thirty minutes to sixty minutes. We all live in this world as if the next task is life or death, that these five minutes are gonna change the history of humanity. The reality is, maybe you'll spend five minutes all staring at your own laptops in between a meeting. Maybe that five minutes on Zoom is making sure that people are still knowing when they're on mute and when they're not. Like, we're not solving anything that's changing our lives in those five minutes, yet we make it feel. The stress, the hecticness makes us feel that we're solving some rare disease. Now, if you are, that's incredible. But for the majority of us,

• 10:31Jay Shetty?

  those five minutes back invested into our mental health and wellbeing could transform the rest of our day. So from tomorrow, start setting twenty-five and fifty-five minute meetings. And when someone asks you why, tell them what you do in that five minutes. It will actually start to inspire others. It will actually start to shift the culture. That's what we're really talking about here. How do we shift the culture? When the culture has made it so that we feel we're productive and effective when every second of the day is fully maximised and fully accounted for? Now, I believe in living an intentional life. But therefore, I also believe in intentional breaks.

• 11:13Jay Shetty?

  Getting five minutes every thirty minutes or five minutes every hour is realistic for each and every one of us. Studies show even brief mindfulness pauses reduce emotional reactivity and improve focus. So here's what I want you to do. At any stoplight or right before a meeting, take three deep breaths and refocus on your senses. You're no longer carried by the day, you actually pilot it. This is something that I've practiced when I'm in the back of an Uber, before I go into a meeting, before or after I send an email. If you just pause at any of these beginnings and ends that naturally happen throughout the day.

• 11:55Jay Shetty?

  Before a phone call, after a phone call, before a Zoom call, after a Zoom call. You use these micro moments to just take in three deep breaths. Let's do it together right now.

• 12:12Jay Shetty?

  In through your nose and out through your mouth.

• 12:33Jay Shetty?

  That's your reset. Notice how your body feels a little more relaxed. Your mind feels a little more at ease. And you don't have to carve out specific time to do this. You can actually do this anywhere you are, wherever you are, at your desk, in your home, while you're commuting. It's a beautiful practice that allows you to slow down. The way I like to describe it is almost like when you're watching slow motion footage of something incredible. You realize that that person felt like they had so much more time than you thought they did. If you ever watched a basketball player in slow motion.

• 13:16Jay Shetty?

  If you've ever watched an athlete in slow motion, a musician in slow motion, it feels like they have so much time. And even if you've played sport, when you realize you have more time than you think, you're actually able to do more with it. But when you're rushed, when you feel you don't have time, don't we all just make mistakes? When you feel you don't have time, aren't you more likely to trip over? Aren't you more likely to forget your wallet at home? Aren't you more likely to send the wrong email, not change the subject line? That's what happens when we're rushing. But when you think you have a little more time, you actually get to get it right. So I want you to trick yourself. When you slow down your breath, when you're breathing deeper,

• 14:01Jay Shetty?

  when you're breathing longer, right, when your breath is less shallow and less fast, you're literally slowing things down. And what happens when you slow down? You see things more clearly. Why is there a speed limit on the road? Why is there a different speed limit on the road? I remember learning that when you have a 30 miles per hour speed limit, the truth is because if you hit a child or someone on the road at 33, the difference in those three miles per hour could be catastrophic for that person. In three miles. And there's a reason why it's there. Those three miles could make all the difference.

• 14:43Jay Shetty?

  So I'm not asking you to slow down from 33 miles to 15 miles per hour. I'm saying, what if three breaths just slow you down by three miles per hour? All of a sudden, you're not leading to a tragic event, to burnout, to exhaustion. You've actually saved yourself. So think about that and think about how you can just slow down just a tiny bit. I think we think about being slow as being stopped. Right? We think about it as like, oh yeah, I just need to stop. I need everything to stop. It's not real. It'll be great if you can achieve it, but in reality, we're not going to get there every day or every week. But these micro moments could change it for us. Number three, chunk your choices.

• 15:27Jay Shetty?

  The human working memory says that we can just about deal with seven items at once. And otherwise, the overload drops our decision quality. Here's what I want you to do. If you're staring at a long to-do list, probably over seven things. Before your day starts, choose only three tasks that matter most and block them in your calendar. One of the reasons why our day feels fast is we're trying to do a lot with little time. Not realising that if we tried to do less with a bit more time, not only would we complete tasks, we would actually have the ability to move on to the next.

• 16:09Jay Shetty?

  You can create clarity amid the noise and win the morning before it starts. You wanna get seven done. At the end of the day, you realise you only got four done and that too with bad quality because you were rushing. But what if you just got three done really well? So well that you won't have to waste time on them in the future. When you got four out of seven done or five out of seven done, they were all done at like sixty percent effort, seventy percent effort. So you got more done, but actually got less done because in the long term it was less effective because you'll have to go backwards and solve the problem you created. But if you got three things done today at ninety percent, all of a sudden you're cruising and you can do the same thing tomorrow.

• 16:51Jay Shetty?

  Doing less can actually achieve more. Doing less can actually be more effective than doing more. Doing less can be more productive than doing more in the long term. But we all get trapped by this short-term thinking. Thinking that if I do more today, if I get more done, then that will help me in the future, not realising that, well, if I don't get quality done, the quantity doesn't matter. Step four is all about single tasking.

• 17:26Jay Shetty?

  Science shows that multitasking reduces efficiency and increases stress. So here's what I want you to do. When you're working, silence your notifications. Close your extra tabs. Set up a 25 minute timer and work with full focus. I see this often with someone who's got their laptop and their phone. And maybe you even have an iPad, you have all these devices. They're all connected up to personal and professional notifications. And you're trying to do some deep work. You're working on a report, you're working on a deck, you're editing something. And every 30 seconds, you have a distraction. One is from your mom, who wants to check in with you and find out what you ate.

• 18:11Jay Shetty?

  The other one is from a friend who wants a picture that you took at the weekend. The other is from a colleague who wants you to reply to the email right now. And the other is from your friend from three months ago, who's upset with you for not coming to their birthday. And you're trying to write a report. How's that ever gonna happen? How are you going to respond effectively to any of those people? The friend from three months ago who's upset you didn't go to their birthday? You need to connect with them with some depth and some clarity because they're upset. You're managing their emotions. The friend who wants the picture, you're gonna have to go through your camera roll this weekend of 67 pictures you took of the same exact pose, but find the one that they like. You're gonna send them through and they're gonna be like, no, there was one with the ocean in the background in this color.

• 18:56Jay Shetty?

  There was one where I was posing this way. All right, now you've lost a bunch of time looking for that image. Now you've got the person who wants you to email back right now, but you don't even have context of what's happening at work. We invite distractions when we're trying to do deep work. If you are truly, honestly trying to do deep work, you have to leave your phone out of the room. You have to turn your notifications off and you have to be locked in. And the problem with us is we think we'll achieve more or get more done if we're always connected. It's the opposite. You'll get more done if you're completely disconnected. You get the task done in less time with more quality, with more efficiency if you're not distracted.

• 19:40Jay Shetty?

  All of us are multitasking. Now, here's the interesting thing. Only 2% of the world's population can effectively multitask. You know what the funny thing is? When you hear that, everyone thinks they're in that 2%. But the truth is, most of us are in the 98% who can't multitask to save our lives. And even if you can multitask, you're placing so much stress on your brain and mind to stretch that far that often. How can you reduce distractions? How can you reduce everything when you're focused on a task? When I'm writing my book, when I'm preparing for these scripts, when I'm factoring this time in for the podcast,

• 20:24Jay Shetty?

  I can't write if I'm distracted by seven different tabs. Limit it. Limit it. You will achieve so much more in your life. I promise you. Give it a go. I have so much more to share with you, but we're just gonna take a short break for our sponsors and I'll be right back.

• 20:45Jay Shetty?

  This episode is brought to you by Indeed. I know how important every hire is for a business. If you need to make the right hire, this is a job for sponsored jobs. Indeed sponsored jobs helps find quality candidates when you need the most. You can reach who you need based on whatever criteria you're looking for, like skills, certifications, or location. In fact, people are finding quality hires on Indeed right now. In the minute I've been talking to you, companies like yours made 27 hires on Indeed, according to Indeed data worldwide. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit at indeed.com/podcast.

• 21:28Jay Shetty?

  That's indeed.com/podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. This episode is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is the chance to step outside of our routine. Travel is a way of slowing us down and shifting our perspective. And with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, every journey becomes even more rewarding. Earn four times the points on flights and hotels booked direct. Enjoy access to award-winning airport lounges, three times the points on dining, and reserve exclusive tables. Learn more at chase.com/sapphirereserve.

• 22:11Jay Shetty?

  Cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank, N A member FDIC. Subject to credit approval, terms apply.

• 22:19Speaker 03

  Your heart can tell you a lot about your health. Apple Watch Series 12 measures your heart rate every five seconds with the most accurate heart rate sensing and wearable. So your vitals app, now with heart rate variability, can tell you when something is off. And your readiness score can let you know when to rest and when to push. Hear the story in every heartbeat with Apple Watch Series 12. The features described are for wellness purposes only and not for medical use. iPhone 11 or later required. Based on Apple conducted study of heart rate accuracy, August 2026. Visit apple.com slash apple watch series 12.

• 22:51Jay Shetty?

  Okay, we're back. Let's dive right back in. Step five, posture reset, mind reset. We've been talking a lot about how the mind affects the body. We've forgotten how the body affects the mind. Upright posture raises alertness, positivity, and slouching actually reduces energy. So every hour, stand tall for 30 seconds. Feel your feet and breathe. I actually do this before I go on stage. Before I'm going on stage, I've noticed that I can be nervous. I still get nervous. We all still get nervous because I care. But if I slouch, if I close up my body, I actually get more nervous, I get more stressed.

• 23:34Jay Shetty?

  But when I stand in Superman pose, put my hands on my hips, pump out my chest, all of a sudden, I'm feeling that confidence, I'm breathing better. It's not some mental trick, it's physicality. If you're closing up your shoulders, if you're making your chest smaller, if you're going inward, you're actually making it harder for yourself to breathe. Making it harder for yourself to breathe means less oxygen, means less energy. So naturally, it works that way. Change your posture, all of us are sitting around all day, I'm sitting right now. If you're sitting in a chair right now, push back your shoulders, right? Even feel your arms wrap around the back of the chair so you can really push out, even if it's artificial, and even take your fingers behind your chair and stretch.

• 24:18Jay Shetty?

  Push your shoulders up right now. Notice if the back of your head is aligned with your spine, or if the back of your head is actually forward. Doing that for a few seconds, all of a sudden, you feel your body shifting, you feel your energy shifting. These are micro moments to become more present. These are micro moments to become more conscious, to become in touch with our body. Sometimes we're so lost in our mind, we don't even know what our body is feeling. How many times have you had it where a week later, you go, wait a minute, why is my ankle hurting? Don't even know what happened. Well, why have I got that backache? What, what happened? And then all of a sudden, you realise, seven days ago, you knocked it on something or something like that. But you ignored it because we're so disconnected from our bodies and our minds. We have to learn to reconnect our body and our mind.

• 25:03Jay Shetty?

  You will win at life when your body and mind are in the same place. You will lose at life when your body and mind are in different places. Because here's what happens. When you're at work, you're thinking about vacation. And therefore, when you're on vacation, you're thinking about work. Inattention bleeds. You can't turn it on and off. You can't say, I don't wanna be present at work, and then be present on vacation. Because you've trained your mind to be absent. You can't be absent at work and present on vacation. And you can't be present on vacation and absent at work. If you're present at work, you'll be present on vacation. And if you're absent at work, you'll be absent on vacation. That's how the mind works.

• 25:48Jay Shetty?

  It only knows how to be where your feet are or not, based on how you've trained it. Always check in when you walk into a new space. Practice five, four, three, two, one. What are five things you can see? The shades, the colors, the shapes. What are four things you can touch? What you're wearing, the temperatures, the textures. What are three things you can hear? Distant chatter, white noise, the sound of your own voice. Two things you can smell, a fragrance or a flower. And one thing you can taste, maybe lunch or a mint or whatever it may have been. All of a sudden, your body and mind are in the same place. Most of us, we walk into a room. Our mind is still in the last meeting, our body's in this meeting.

• 26:33Jay Shetty?

  We finish that meeting and your mind goes, oh gosh, I wasn't even present in that meeting. Now we're absent in the next meeting and our body's in the next meeting. Right? We're constantly messing around with this absence and presence. Our mind is absent, our body is present. Our body is absent, our mind is present. When they're both present, you actually have a better experience of life. Haven't you seen that? I'm sure some of you who have children, who love spending time with your kids or love spending time with a family member, love spending time with your friends. After it finishes, sometimes you think, I don't even know where I was. Where did the time go? Is it over already? That's because our mind and body weren't in the same place. When your mind and body are in the same place, you can absorb that moment, really feel it.

• 27:17Jay Shetty?

  And then let it go comfortably. That's the beauty of it. When you're present, you'll actually let go happily because you've absorbed the whole moment. But when you haven't absorbed the whole moment, you're still trying to hold on to it and go, I don't want this to end. Because you actually haven't been there the whole time. Number six, use time anchoring to calm your mind. When we mentally fast forward beyond a stressful moment, we reduce anxiety and emotional reactivity. So when you're overwhelmed, ask, will this matter in a week? Will this matter in a month? When you zoom out, it re-centers your brain and regulates emotional overreactions.

• 28:02Jay Shetty?

  Now, why did this work? You shift from reactive mode to reflective mode and you reclaim control over your perspective. I'll tell you why I believe this really does work. It's because when you're dealing with stress, you've now totally zoomed in. Have you ever had that when you go for a stressful moment in your life? You totally zoom in, even if it's the smallest thing. And now you turn that tiny thing into a huge thing. Asking a question like, will this matter in a week? Will this matter in a year? It allows you to zoom out and actually find balance. So you're not avoiding it. I'm not telling you to forget about it. I'm not telling you it's not important. You want to see things as important as they are.

• 28:43Jay Shetty?

  I encourage people to have what I call a stress scale in their life. Zero is not stressful at all. Ten is the most stressful you'll ever be. Actually, think of an event that is the most stressful event ever. Your family's unwell. Maybe someone passes away. Maybe you are losing your job and you have no money left. Like, that's ten on a stress scale, right? I've lost all my money. I'm broke. I have nothing. What's zero for you? Based on that being the most extreme, what's zero for you? Maybe zero is when I'm hanging out on the weekend and I've got nothing to think about. Now, when you stub your toe, is it really a nine?

• 29:27Jay Shetty?

  Or is it actually a two? Now, when you have a difficult conversation at work, is it really a nine? Or an eight? Or is it actually more like a four? Does that make sense? When you look at your stress scale and you know what the worst thing that could ever happen is, and what the best thing that could ever happen is, you now look at things in perspective. The biggest challenge for us is when we don't zoom out and look at life that way, everything feels like a 10. Everything feels like a 10 all day. You missed the bus, it's a 10. You missed the train, it's a 10. You had a falling out with a friend, it's a 10. Everything in our life will feel like a 10 if we don't have this stress scale. And we've realised what a 10 actually is. Losing my job or losing someone I love.

• 30:11Jay Shetty?

  Having no money, being broke, that's a 10. That's worth my stress. But actually, everything up until then is probably a five or a six. All of a sudden, I can deal with it for what it's worth. I'm not telling you your stress isn't valid. I'm not telling you that you don't have real stress in your life. What I'm saying is you want to deal with it for what it's worth. Right, a doctor would never treat a stubbed toe in the same way as they treat a broken foot. You just don't treat them in the same way. But we, in our mind, make a stubbed toe feel like a broken foot. And that's where our stress comes from. That's what creates more anxiety, more tension and more pressure, because everything feels like a 10.

• 30:55Jay Shetty?

  If you take one thing away from this episode, I want it to be that. Do not forget that stress scale. Make sure you're really clear on it. Number seven. Switch tasks with a ritual, not a rush.

• 31:08Jay Shetty?

  The brain takes up to 25 minutes to fully re-focus and switch tasks. So if you're gonna refocus, you're not gonna be able to do it immediately. If you wanna go from a numbers meeting to a creative meeting, your brain's gonna take 25 minutes to figure that out. If you wanna go from a tactical meeting and a strategic meeting to a free-flowing brainstorm, it's gonna take 20 minutes to figure out. Rituals help the brain reset faster, and this is research from Harvard Business. Before switching tasks, especially from work to personal as well, even coming home, create a micro ritual. Maybe you light a candle, maybe you stretch, maybe you put on some music.

• 31:53Jay Shetty?

  Think about that, even when you come home, it can take you 25 minutes for your brain to switch from work to personal. That's why sometimes a commute is healthy. I think one of the challenges that working from home brought around is that we actually don't get that 25 minutes. The commute in the morning allowed you to switch from being at home to being at work, and the commute home from work allowed you to switch from being at work to being at home. Today, you walk up or down the stairs. You walk in and out of a room, and you're meant to be at home. So all of a sudden, when your partner says to you, "Hey, what are we doing this weekend?", you're still thinking about the meeting. Your partner says to you, "Wait, you didn't do this for the kids yet. You gotta take them out." You're still thinking about the meeting.

• 32:37Jay Shetty?

  You walk into work and someone says to you, "Hey, have you got the report on my desk yet?", and you're thinking, "Wait a minute, I just put my kids' clothes on and like gave them a shout." Like, you know, where are we at now, right? So our brain doesn't even have the time to get to where we are. So now we need rituals to signal to your nervous system that it's safe to switch gears. So what you need to do... Is allow yourself to have a ritual that could be a word you say. Maybe it's a scent from a candle. And this is how I like to think about it. Rituals are sight, things you can see, scent, things you can smell, and sound, things you can hear. You walk into a workplace and you have music that feels like work.

• 33:21Jay Shetty?

  You walk into a kitchen and you have music that feels like home. You walk into your workplace and you have a scent that reminds you of work. You walk into your home and you have a scent that reminds you of personal casual life. And a sight, you walk into your office, you see a quote on the wall that inspires you. You walk into your home area, you see a picture of a family that relaxes you. You can use sight, scent, and sound to act as rituals for transitioning between things. Number eight, narrate what you're doing out loud in your head. Naming your present actions grounds you in the moment and interrupts autopilot behavior. Try this while washing dishes, brushing your teeth, or even walking.

• 34:06Jay Shetty?

  I'm brushing my teeth. I feel the water, I'm noticing the mint, I'm right here. You pull your attention out of spiraling thoughts and anchor it in your senses, instantly increasing presence. Become a narrator of your life. Talking things out loud actually gets them off your chest and out of your mind, where we feel so much stress. Have you ever had that? Stress makes you feel tight chested. It makes you feel heavy headed. When you talk it out, you get it out of yourself. Remember, you don't need to escape your life to find presence. You just need to choose it, minute by minute, moment by moment. Pause, slow down, and discover how much calmer, clearer, and stronger you can feel.

• 34:51Jay Shetty?

  Even on your craziest day. Thank you so much for listening. I'm so glad you joined me. Pass this on to someone who lives a busy hectic life. And I hope I'll see you here again soon. Take care. If you love this podcast, you'll love my episode with Lewis Hamilton. Lewis and I talk about why you should stop chasing society's definition of success and how to be more intentional with your goals. You don't want to miss it.

• 35:18Speaker 04

  Like, it's not about being perfect. It's about just every day, one step at a time, trying to be better, trying to do more. I'm learning a lot about myself. I had to break myself down in order to be able to be better.

• 35:28Speaker 05

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• 35:58Speaker 01

  Mr. President, my company informed me of the explosion on our rig. On October 2nd. Causing massive water displacement and triggering a tsunami. They all heap the blame on me. Tom Cruise is. Digger got us into this mess, and Digger's gonna dig us up. From the director of Birdman and The Revenant.

• 36:14Speaker 06

  What would happen if I stopped doing it? You're stalled, you're freezing there, that's what.

• 36:19Speaker 01

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• 36:22Speaker 06

  I'm not the first, then.

• 36:23Speaker 01

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• 36:28Speaker 07

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• 36:38Speaker 01

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