The Simple Things That Reset Everything
Life gets overwhelming sometimes… and what’s weird is, it’s usually the simplest things that bring you back to normal.
Not a vacation. Not some big life change. Not anything complicated.
Just small, random moments that, for whatever reason, hit the reset button.
And the more I think about it, the more I realize it’s not just relaxation…
…it’s catharsis.
But not in some dramatic, life-altering way.
It’s the kind of catharsis you find in simplicity.
At the end of the day, it only makes sense that it really is the simple things that reset everything.
A Quiet Store, After Hours
For me, it doesn’t take much.
If you gave me a Walmart or Target after hours—just me, the overnight crew stocking shelves, low lighting, music in my headphones… no rush, no noise, no expectations—I’d be completely reset.
Actually, let’s take it way back—make it a Caldor!
There’s something about it.
You’re there, but you’re not “on” for anyone. Nobody needs anything from you. There’s no schedule, no pressure, no sense of urgency.
Just movement. Just space. Just peace.
It’s simple.
And somehow, that’s exactly why it works.
As for my playlist?
I’d probably stick with instrumentals.
- Resonance
- Crystal Skies
- Amber Skies
- Merry-Go-Round of Life
- Blue Fields
- Symphony No. 9 in E Minor
- Megalovania
- John Hughes (the song, named after the person!)
- The entire Scott Pilgrim vs. The World video game soundtrack
You know… the essentials.
Being Able to Sleep Without an Alarm
There’s something about going to sleep without setting an alarm.
No time to wake up. No responsibility waiting for you in the morning.
Just sleep.
That might be one of the best feelings in the world.
It’s one of the rare moments where your time actually feels like your own.
It doesn’t happen very often anymore once you hit adulthood.
However, when it does happen, it’s one of the best feelings in the world.
Watching Laser Cleaning or Etching Videos
I don’t know what it is about these videos, but they’re hypnotic.
Something about watching something go from completely worn down, dirty, or faded… to perfectly clean and restored in seconds.
It’s satisfying in a way that’s hard to explain.
No thinking required. No effort.
Just watch… and let your brain breathe for a second.
It’s the sound of the laser.
Something about that sound just scratches an itch I didn’t even know I had.
I could watch those videos for hours.
The “Perfect Level”
This one goes back a bit.
Back when I was working in a grocery store, stocking shelves.
At the end of every shift, we had to “level” the department.
For me, that was Dairy and Frozen Foods.
And leveling, for anyone who doesn’t know, is when you go down each aisle and pull one of every product to the front so everything looks full and clean.
Simple enough.
But one night, my friend Mike and I decided we were going to take it a step further.
We said, “What if we did the perfect level?”
Not just pulling one item forward…
We pulled everything forward.
Every product. Every spot. Every shelf.
We went aisle by aisle, section by section, taking our time and making sure everything lined up exactly how it was supposed to.
It took over an hour.
Maybe even over two hours.
We were absolutely in the zone.
Every yogurt.
Every frozen pizza.
Every egg carton.
Every shredded cheese bag.
But when we were done…
the entire Dairy and Frozen Foods department looked like it had just been fully stocked from top to bottom.
Everything was full. Everything was aligned. Everything just… looked right.
And I remember both of us just standing there for a second, looking at it like:
“Yeah… that’s it.”
It was simple.
Repetitive. Focused. No distractions.
And for whatever reason…
it was completely cathartic.
Skipping Rocks on a Pond
This one feels almost too simple.
You’re just standing there, throwing rocks at water.
It doesn’t get much more basic than that.
But for whatever reason, it locks you in.
You’re focused on the angle, the spin, how many skips you can get.
Nothing else matters in that moment.
No noise. No pressure. Just repetition and focus.
The best part?
Unlimited rocks.
Feeding Ducks at a Local Park
There’s something about this that instantly slows everything down.
You’re outside, there’s no rush, and for a few minutes your only responsibility is tossing food to ducks that are way more interested in it than they probably should be.
It’s quiet. It’s simple.
And that’s enough.
Plus, let’s be real—who wouldn’t want a pet duck?
Also, side note… have you ever seen how swans land in water?
Mind. Blown.
When a Cat or Dog “Chooses” You
You could be in a room full of people… and for whatever reason, that one cat or dog decides:
“Yeah. You.”
And now they’re sitting next to you, following you around, or just existing near you like you’ve known each other forever.
You didn’t earn it. You didn’t ask for it.
But it feels like you did something right.
I’ve been “chosen” by quite a few cats and dogs in my life.
It’s always a great feeling.
Looking at Old Photographs
This one hits a little differently.
You go back and look at pictures you haven’t seen in years, and suddenly you’re right back in that moment.
You remember things you completely forgot about.
Where you were. Who you were with. What life felt like at that time.
It’s like time slows down for a second.
I have an entire album I can flip through whenever I want, and that’s pretty awesome.
Reading Old Conversations
This can go one of two ways.
Sometimes it’s funny—you see how you used to talk, things you used to care about, inside jokes you forgot existed.
Other times, it hits a little deeper.
You realize how much has changed. People, situations, even yourself.
But either way, it pulls you out of everything going on right now… and lets you just reflect.
I look back at some of my early Facebook posts, and I have no idea what I was saying back then.
I’m sure I thought it was “cool” at the time, but looking back at it now?
Mega cringe.
I went through a phase where I ended every status update with the phrase “And That’s Real.”
I just cringed having to type that again.
Sigh.
Writing and Recording (Without Feeling Like I’m Talking Someone’s Ear Off)
This is another one that probably doesn’t sound like a “reset” at first… but it is.
I’ve always liked sharing my thoughts, my opinions, just how I see things.
But at the same time, I’ve never wanted to feel like I’m talking someone’s ear off.
You know that feeling where you’re mid-conversation and you start thinking,
“Alright, I might be doing too much right now…”
With a blog or a podcast, that pressure just… isn’t there.
I can say what I want to say, get it out of my head, put it into something real—and then it’s up to whoever’s on the other side to decide when (or if) they want to engage with it.
No interruption. No overexplaining. No wondering if I’m dragging something out.
It’s just there.
Simple.
And for me, that’s part of the reset too.
Why Simplicity Works
None of these things are big.
They’re not expensive. They don’t take planning. They’re not something you schedule weeks in advance.
And yet, they do more for your mental reset than most of the “important” things we stress about.
Because they’re simple.
No expectations. No pressure. No performance.
Just a moment where your mind gets to slow down.
That’s where the catharsis is.
Not in doing more… but in needing less.
Closing Thought
Turns out, I don’t need much to reset.
Just a quiet place, a simple moment, and a break from everything.
And honestly…
that’s probably more than enough.
This is normally the part where I give my sendoff......
......but if you're still reading this......there's something else.
Something else that gives me catharsis.
It's also something that I keep VERY close to the chest.
You're probably wondering what I'm talking about.
Understandable.
So, if you wish, check out the link below, and as it says, headphones are recommended, and maybe we keep this between us lol
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