May 8, 2025 • 9 mins
Ever walk into a room and forget why you were there? Or open your phone to send a text and end up deep in a reel rabbit hole 15 minutes later? You're not alone—and it's not because you're lazy or scattered. In this first episode of Operation May Reset, we’re tackling memory overload with three super simple resets that help you feel calmer, focused, and in control—even during the chaos of May.
In this episode, you’ll learn why your brain defaults to survival mode when you're overwhelmed, how to give it a break (without waking up at 4 a.m.), and easy tools that make remembering what matters actually doable. These resets take minutes, but give you hours of clarity back. If your brain needs a breather, this one’s for you!
3 Key Takeaways:
- The One-Capture Rule: Learn how picking just one spot for all your reminders helps your brain relax.
- Anchor Habit Reset: Discover how to stack mini memory boosts onto things you already do every day.
- 2-Minute Brain Dump: A simple nightly offload to clear the mental tabs and finally rest easy.
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
- Atomic Habits
- Sign Up for the Slacker Hack Summit (Free Ticket!) (affiliate link)
Join me all month long for Operation May Reset—this episode is just the beginning. Then head over to the Slacker Hack Summit to grab your free ticket and learn from 40+ experts on how to get things done without the hustle. It’s free, it’s fun, and you’re going to walk away with real, usable hacks that actually make life easier.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Toni-Ann (00:00):
If your brain ever feels like it's playing bumper
(00:02):
cars lately, like bouncingaround from one thing to the
next, you're absolutely notalone.
Between wrapping up school,planning for the summer and
juggling work deadlines.
And also trying to remember whostill needs to bring snacks to
the soccer practice.
Things can feel really, reallycrazy.
(00:23):
And if you caught yourselfwalking into a room and totally
blanking on why you were eventhere, or opening your phone to
send a quick text message onlyto find yourself 15 minutes
later deep into a rabbit hole ofreels, wondering what you were
supposed to be doing in thefirst place.
Let me just say.
I feel the same way and the samething has happened to me too.
(00:47):
But the good news is it's notbecause you're lazy or
disorganized or just need to tryharder.
Your brain is actually doingwhat it's designed to do when it
comes to being overwhelmed, itprioritizes survival mode.
The even better news, you don'thave to overhaul your life or
work harder to sharpen yourmemory.
(01:07):
Hey there.
My name is Toni Ann.
I am the podcast host of TheReal Happy Mom podcast.
The podcast for busy workingmoms who want to gain more time
and achieve their big goalswithout pulling their hair out.
And today I'm sharing threesuper simple resets you can
start right now, even in themiddle of all the May Madness
(01:28):
all so that you can stay on topof things without feeling like
you're constantly forgettingsomething.
Because you deserve to have abrain that feels clear and calm
And this month, I'm so excitedthat you're joining me because.
We are gonna be doing somethingspecial all month long.
It's called Operation May Reset.
And this is the first episode ofthe series.
(01:51):
So let's dive in.
All right, so before we jumpinto the simple resets, I want
to quickly explain why ourmemories tend to go a little
haywire, especially during thebusy seasons like May when
you're juggling a millionthings, like deadlines into the
school, your events, summerplanning, and that mysterious
(02:12):
load of laundry used swore thatyou washed but somehow is still
not folded.
Your brain has one job and thatis just to keep you safe and
keep you moving.
And when your brain is insurvival mode, it starts to
prioritize only what feelsurgent or dangerous.
And spoiler alert, rememberingto call the dentist or to buy
(02:34):
more sunscreen doesn't actuallymake top of the list.
So if you're forgetting thingslately, it's not because you're
slacking.
It's literally how your brain iswired to handle overwhelm.
And pushing yourself harder oradding more to your plate isn't
the answer.
Instead, it's about giving yourbrain a helping hand, A few
(02:54):
simple systems that will gentlyguide you back into clarity, and
that's where these three memoryresets come in.
They're small, they're simple,and they'll make you feel like
you're operating with anupgraded version of your brain
without needing to wake up at4:00 AM or memorize every life
hack on Pinterest.
So here's the deal.
Your brain doesn't lovescattered information.
(03:17):
It wants to know there's onesafe place where all your
important thoughts to dos andreminders can live.
Maybe it's a Trello board.
Maybe it's the notes app on yourphone, or maybe it's a good old
fashioned notebook.
And honestly, it doesn't matterwhat tool you use.
What matters is that you useone.
(03:37):
Because every time your brainhas to wonder, wait, did I put
that in my planner?
Or did I text myself?
Or did I just dream that?
It usually uses up energy andadds even more mental clutter.
So your first action step is topick one capture system today.
Just one.
(03:58):
And the next time something popsinto your head, like a task or
an idea or a reminder, send itstraight to that one place.
It's like giving your brain acozy home for all of its stuff
so it can finally relax and stopreplaying things on a loop.
Alright, moving on to resetnumber two.
This one is a big one when itcomes to helping your brain
(04:19):
remember things naturally.
It's called the anchor habitreminder, or if you've read
James Clear book Atomic Habits,he calls it habit stacking.
So here's the idea.
Instead of forcing yourself toremember something new, you
attach it to something you'realready doing every single day.
Think of things like brushingyour teeth, making your coffee,
(04:41):
or putting on your shoes.
It's like hitching a little.
Don't forget sticky note onto anaction you're already doing
without even thinking about it.
So for example, after you brushyour teeth at night, do a super
quick glance at tomorrow'scalendar.
After you start the coffee makerin the morning, check your one
capture system for anything youjotted down.
(05:02):
After you buckle your seatbelt,mentally run through your top
three priorities for the day.
Why does this work?
Because your brain lovesroutines.
When you pair a new memory taskwith something automatic, it
becomes almost effortless overtime.
So no setting a million alarms,no sticky notes wallpapering
your house, no guilt because youforgot again.
(05:25):
So here's your action step.
Pick one small habit.
You already have something youdo every single day and decide
what mini memory check you wantto attach to it.
Keep it super quick and simpleand low pressure.
We're not aiming for perfection,just tiny nudges that make life
easier.
Alright, now let's talk aboutreset number three.
(05:47):
And honestly, if you're onlydoing one thing from today's
episode, this might be it.
It's called the two minute rule.
So here's the deal.
All day long things are bouncingaround in your head.
Ideas, reminders, worries,mental sticky notes, even
thinking about what's gonnahappen in your favorite episode
that's coming up tonight.
(06:07):
And if you don't get thosethoughts somewhere to land,
they'll keep swirling around,stealing your focus and your
energy.
That's why every night, and Imean literally just two minutes
or less, I want you to do aquick brain offload.
It could be a messy brain dumpin a notebook.
A quick couple of bullet pointsin your notes app or even a
(06:29):
voice memo if you're feelinglike lying in bed and too cozy
to write anything down.
The goal is to empty outanything that's sitting in your
brain before you go to sleep.
Think of it like clearing thetabs on your computer.
When you offload the thoughts,your brain can actually power
down and recharge instead ofrunning all night on background
(06:49):
stress.
So your action step is tonightbefore you hit the pillow, spend
just two minutes gettingeverything out of your head.
Big things, little things,random things, it doesn't
matter.
Just offload it somewhere safeso your brain knows it can let
it go.
And trust me, you'll wake upfeeling so much more clearheaded
(07:10):
when you start making this tinyhabit.
Now I know you've got a millionthings going on, and the idea of
adding one more thing might feela little too much.
But remember, these resetsaren't about working harder.
They're about giving your braina little more breathing room so
you can show up for your life,your work, and your family
feeling more present and lessscrambled.
(07:31):
So just to recap, you don't needa brand new planner or color
coded wall calendar or even abrain transplant to feel on top
of things.
You just need a few simpleresets.
The first one is one safe placeto capture all your thoughts.
The second is one small habit toanchor important reminders.
(07:52):
And the third one is two minutesa night to give your brain a
break.
And it's not about doing more,it's about setting yourself up
so you can feel more clear,calm, and confident, even when
life gets a little extra.
And it's usually a May.
And hey, if you're nodding alongright now, thinking yes, I need
(08:13):
more simple ways to clear mybrain and stay on top of life
without adding more chaos.
You've got to check out theSlacker Hack Summit.
I am one of the speakers, and mypresentation is called How to
Stop Forgetting Everything, evenwhen you're overwhelmed and
exhausted.
And in it I'll show you somesimple strategies to clear
mental clutter, create space inyour brain, and finally stay on
(08:34):
top of what matters withoutneeding a complicated system or
a 5:00 AM wake up call.
Plus there's 40 other expertssharing quick doable hacks to
help you get stuff done withoutfeeling like you're stuck in the
constant hustle.
It is free to attend and packedwith really great tips you can
start using immediately.
(08:55):
Make sure to check the shownotes or the description of this
podcast for the link so you cansign up and grab your spot
before it kicks off.
But seriously, you're not aslacker.
You're a smart, busy mom whodeserves tools to actually work
for you, not against you.
So that's it for this one.
Next week I'll be back withOperation May Reset, and I'm
(09:16):
talking about how to plan asmooth, low stress summer.
So you can spend more timeenjoying and less time
scrambling.
So I'll see you then.
Take care, and with lots oflove.
If your brain ever feels like it's playing bumper
(00:02):
cars lately, like bouncingaround from one thing to the
next, you're absolutely notalone.
Between wrapping up school,planning for the summer and
juggling work deadlines.
And also trying to remember whostill needs to bring snacks to
the soccer practice.
Things can feel really, reallycrazy.
(00:23):
And if you caught yourselfwalking into a room and totally
blanking on why you were eventhere, or opening your phone to
send a quick text message onlyto find yourself 15 minutes
later deep into a rabbit hole ofreels, wondering what you were
supposed to be doing in thefirst place.
Let me just say.
I feel the same way and the samething has happened to me too.
(00:47):
But the good news is it's notbecause you're lazy or
disorganized or just need to tryharder.
Your brain is actually doingwhat it's designed to do when it
comes to being overwhelmed, itprioritizes survival mode.
The even better news, you don'thave to overhaul your life or
work harder to sharpen yourmemory.
(01:07):
Hey there.
My name is Toni Ann.
I am the podcast host of TheReal Happy Mom podcast.
The podcast for busy workingmoms who want to gain more time
and achieve their big goalswithout pulling their hair out.
And today I'm sharing threesuper simple resets you can
start right now, even in themiddle of all the May Madness
(01:28):
all so that you can stay on topof things without feeling like
you're constantly forgettingsomething.
Because you deserve to have abrain that feels clear and calm
And this month, I'm so excitedthat you're joining me because.
We are gonna be doing somethingspecial all month long.
It's called Operation May Reset.
And this is the first episode ofthe series.
(01:51):
So let's dive in.
All right, so before we jumpinto the simple resets, I want
to quickly explain why ourmemories tend to go a little
haywire, especially during thebusy seasons like May when
you're juggling a millionthings, like deadlines into the
school, your events, summerplanning, and that mysterious
(02:12):
load of laundry used swore thatyou washed but somehow is still
not folded.
Your brain has one job and thatis just to keep you safe and
keep you moving.
And when your brain is insurvival mode, it starts to
prioritize only what feelsurgent or dangerous.
And spoiler alert, rememberingto call the dentist or to buy
(02:34):
more sunscreen doesn't actuallymake top of the list.
So if you're forgetting thingslately, it's not because you're
slacking.
It's literally how your brain iswired to handle overwhelm.
And pushing yourself harder oradding more to your plate isn't
the answer.
Instead, it's about giving yourbrain a helping hand, A few
(02:54):
simple systems that will gentlyguide you back into clarity, and
that's where these three memoryresets come in.
They're small, they're simple,and they'll make you feel like
you're operating with anupgraded version of your brain
without needing to wake up at4:00 AM or memorize every life
hack on Pinterest.
So here's the deal.
Your brain doesn't lovescattered information.
(03:17):
It wants to know there's onesafe place where all your
important thoughts to dos andreminders can live.
Maybe it's a Trello board.
Maybe it's the notes app on yourphone, or maybe it's a good old
fashioned notebook.
And honestly, it doesn't matterwhat tool you use.
What matters is that you useone.
(03:37):
Because every time your brainhas to wonder, wait, did I put
that in my planner?
Or did I text myself?
Or did I just dream that?
It usually uses up energy andadds even more mental clutter.
So your first action step is topick one capture system today.
Just one.
(03:58):
And the next time something popsinto your head, like a task or
an idea or a reminder, send itstraight to that one place.
It's like giving your brain acozy home for all of its stuff
so it can finally relax and stopreplaying things on a loop.
Alright, moving on to resetnumber two.
This one is a big one when itcomes to helping your brain
(04:19):
remember things naturally.
It's called the anchor habitreminder, or if you've read
James Clear book Atomic Habits,he calls it habit stacking.
So here's the idea.
Instead of forcing yourself toremember something new, you
attach it to something you'realready doing every single day.
Think of things like brushingyour teeth, making your coffee,
(04:41):
or putting on your shoes.
It's like hitching a little.
Don't forget sticky note onto anaction you're already doing
without even thinking about it.
So for example, after you brushyour teeth at night, do a super
quick glance at tomorrow'scalendar.
After you start the coffee makerin the morning, check your one
capture system for anything youjotted down.
(05:02):
After you buckle your seatbelt,mentally run through your top
three priorities for the day.
Why does this work?
Because your brain lovesroutines.
When you pair a new memory taskwith something automatic, it
becomes almost effortless overtime.
So no setting a million alarms,no sticky notes wallpapering
your house, no guilt because youforgot again.
(05:25):
So here's your action step.
Pick one small habit.
You already have something youdo every single day and decide
what mini memory check you wantto attach to it.
Keep it super quick and simpleand low pressure.
We're not aiming for perfection,just tiny nudges that make life
easier.
Alright, now let's talk aboutreset number three.
(05:47):
And honestly, if you're onlydoing one thing from today's
episode, this might be it.
It's called the two minute rule.
So here's the deal.
All day long things are bouncingaround in your head.
Ideas, reminders, worries,mental sticky notes, even
thinking about what's gonnahappen in your favorite episode
that's coming up tonight.
(06:07):
And if you don't get thosethoughts somewhere to land,
they'll keep swirling around,stealing your focus and your
energy.
That's why every night, and Imean literally just two minutes
or less, I want you to do aquick brain offload.
It could be a messy brain dumpin a notebook.
A quick couple of bullet pointsin your notes app or even a
(06:29):
voice memo if you're feelinglike lying in bed and too cozy
to write anything down.
The goal is to empty outanything that's sitting in your
brain before you go to sleep.
Think of it like clearing thetabs on your computer.
When you offload the thoughts,your brain can actually power
down and recharge instead ofrunning all night on background
(06:49):
stress.
So your action step is tonightbefore you hit the pillow, spend
just two minutes gettingeverything out of your head.
Big things, little things,random things, it doesn't
matter.
Just offload it somewhere safeso your brain knows it can let
it go.
And trust me, you'll wake upfeeling so much more clearheaded
(07:10):
when you start making this tinyhabit.
Now I know you've got a millionthings going on, and the idea of
adding one more thing might feela little too much.
But remember, these resetsaren't about working harder.
They're about giving your braina little more breathing room so
you can show up for your life,your work, and your family
feeling more present and lessscrambled.
(07:31):
So just to recap, you don't needa brand new planner or color
coded wall calendar or even abrain transplant to feel on top
of things.
You just need a few simpleresets.
The first one is one safe placeto capture all your thoughts.
The second is one small habit toanchor important reminders.
(07:52):
And the third one is two minutesa night to give your brain a
break.
And it's not about doing more,it's about setting yourself up
so you can feel more clear,calm, and confident, even when
life gets a little extra.
And it's usually a May.
And hey, if you're nodding alongright now, thinking yes, I need
(08:13):
more simple ways to clear mybrain and stay on top of life
without adding more chaos.
You've got to check out theSlacker Hack Summit.
I am one of the speakers, and mypresentation is called How to
Stop Forgetting Everything, evenwhen you're overwhelmed and
exhausted.
And in it I'll show you somesimple strategies to clear
mental clutter, create space inyour brain, and finally stay on
(08:34):
top of what matters withoutneeding a complicated system or
a 5:00 AM wake up call.
Plus there's 40 other expertssharing quick doable hacks to
help you get stuff done withoutfeeling like you're stuck in the
constant hustle.
It is free to attend and packedwith really great tips you can
start using immediately.
(08:55):
Make sure to check the shownotes or the description of this
podcast for the link so you cansign up and grab your spot
before it kicks off.
But seriously, you're not aslacker.
You're a smart, busy mom whodeserves tools to actually work
for you, not against you.
So that's it for this one.
Next week I'll be back withOperation May Reset, and I'm
(09:16):
talking about how to plan asmooth, low stress summer.
So you can spend more timeenjoying and less time
scrambling.
So I'll see you then.
Take care, and with lots oflove.
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