Why Tiny Disruptions Reorder Our Priorities
I was in the kitchen the other day, staring down a pile of dishes, reminding myself of three emails I hadn’t answered yet, and trying to remember where I put the shopping list… when suddenly my bladder chimed in with:
“Hi... yeah... Whatever we were doing here? Cancel it. We have a new plan.”
And just like that, the mountain of chores didn’t feel like a mountain anymore.
Not solved. Not gone. Just… not my immediate problem.
My brain took a breath, dropped the stress, and got laser-focused on what actually needed attention right this second.
Once that urgent moment hits, everything else instantly drops from Priority #1 to “let's deal with that later.”
No discussion.
No committee meeting.
No overthinking.
One second you’re feeling overwhelmed and slightly dramatic, convinced you’re behind on everything… and the next moment there is only one mission:
get to the bathroom without the plot taking a dark turn.
And the funny part is—it’s not just about peeing.
(Stay with me. I promise I’m going somewhere normal with this.)
It cracks me up because that’s exactly how our minds work.
We think we’re drowning in problems…
but the second something jumps to the front of the line, everything else suddenly looks way less catastrophic.
Your mind basically goes, “We’re done pretending everything is urgent.”
How One Urgent Need Makes Everything Else Smaller
And the moment that thing that was actually urgent is handled?
The original problems magically shrink.
Not solved. Not gone. Just…
smaller.
Less overwhelming.
Less urgent.
Your brain gets a quick breather and the dramatic soundtrack cuts out.
The Mini-Reset We Don’t See Coming
And it’s not just the bathroom thing — it can be anything tiny that snaps you out of your own head for half a second.
- Knocking over a water bottle.
- The dog doing something ridiculous.
- Catching your sleeve on the doorknob as you leave the house - as if it's trying to physically stop you from leaving.
Doesn’t even matter what it is.
It’s a half-second reboot that rearranges your whole day.
You go from full internal meltdown
→ to “Oh, I’m fine, it's all fine.”
→ to “Okay, that thing I was stressing about is actually manageable.”
→ to “I might even handle it like a functioning adult.”
Not because the problem changed, but because you did — briefly.
Your brain wandered off, tripped over something dumb, and came back with better priorities.
Perspective is weird like that.
We think it takes a big breakthrough — when really, half the time, it’s just something small interrupting the noise long enough for us to breathe again.
Intentional Ways to Reset Your Mind (Without a Bathroom Emergency)
And the good news?
We don’t have to wait for a bladder emergency to get that reset. Yeah, you can put down that water bottle for this exercise.
There are easier (and much less dramatic) ways to jolt your brain out of the spiral:
• Step outside for a minute and let the cold air smack you with the winter version of “wake up.” Instant reboot. Nature’s CTRL+ALT+DELETE.
• Take a slow breath with an essential oil — lavender, peppermint, whatever’s closest. The inhale is the magic, not the label, so it doesn't matter what else that oil is especially good for.
• Say a quick prayer.
Not a whole devotion, just a tiny, “Alright Lord… help me get my head on straight.”
• Give yourself 20–30 seconds of quiet before reacting, replying, or spiraling any further.
Not meditation with chimes — just existing for half a minute.
It doesn’t take much. An intentional moment, a breath, a tiny pause, a cold blast of air. Just enough to break the mental swirl so your brain can reset and come back with a more reasonable perspective.
Same effect as the bathroom rush… just less dramatic.
And way fewer opportunities for chaos.
The best part?
No urgent sprint involved.
If you’ve had a random “priority hijacking” moment lately, tell me about it — especially if it made you laugh. I love hearing those little everyday stories.
If you’ve made it to the bottom of this post, I’m guessing something here resonated—whether it’s navigating grief and growth, diving into natural wellness, or just trying to live a more intentional life in a fast-paced world.
This space is where I share what I’m learning (and unlearning), the tools that are helping me along the way, and the little things that bring joy, healing, and clarity—even on the hard days.
This space is where I share what I’m learning (and unlearning), the tools that are helping me along the way, and the little things that bring joy, healing, and clarity—even on the hard days.
Want in?
You’re invited to join my newsletter, Finding What Works—a weekly-ish note from me with practical wellness tips, nostalgic nods for GenX souls, and honest reflections from someone who’s still figuring it all out (but loves sharing the good stuff along the way).
This isn’t about perfection or pressure. It’s about finding what supports us, what lights us up, and what brings us back to ourselves—together.
You’re invited to join my newsletter, Finding What Works—a weekly-ish note from me with practical wellness tips, nostalgic nods for GenX souls, and honest reflections from someone who’s still figuring it all out (but loves sharing the good stuff along the way).
This isn’t about perfection or pressure. It’s about finding what supports us, what lights us up, and what brings us back to ourselves—together.
Click here to subscribe and come along for the ride. I’d love to have you in my corner.
Have a question or something to share?
✨ My blog exists because I know what it feels like to keep everything jumbled in your head — like a messy pile of clothes you can’t sort through.
Writing it all down brings clarity, calm, and sometimes even healing answers I didn’t know I was looking for.
Honestly, that’s why I keep showing up to write — it helps me make sense of things.
Even if you have no intentions of ever publishing your work, I highly recommend writing stuff down. It doesn't have to be a literary masterpiece or even full, grammatically correct sentences... just dump those random thoughts onto paper... you'll see what I mean.
*This blog centers the GenX experience, simply because that’s the lens I live through—but anyone looking for connection, natural wellness, grief support, or a little real-talk in this messy stage of life is more than welcome.
0 Comments