Last night I hosted the monthly zoom meetup for my online community on the topic of the small but important things we do to set ourselves up to feel good in our day, and little things we might add to our morning or evening routines to protect our peace as we move full speed into the holidays.
I speak to this one idea often: how the world can make us look for big dramatic leaps, but success is often in small shifts that change our course over time.
I was inspired to bring this back around by three things this week (thanks universe). First was an article that reminded me we are awake about 1,000 minutes a day, and spending just two of them intentionally was a good investment of our time. Second, a click bait article promising “happier, healthier lives if we acted more like Taylor Swift”, which since I was a showgirl for Halloween I of course needed to know if I was acting enough like her. And last but not least, a listing of “old fashioned” habits we might want to pick back up to improve our wellness.
The idea of routines and habits swirled through all three – it’s not what we do once that matters. I was thankful none promised instant joy, instead each in its way brought me to the idea of living with intention and offered reminders of simple actions that have surprisingly big impacts. I love simplicity, so to keep this easy I’m offering the list we co-created in last nights session of things we plan to prioritize to protect peace and ease in our life.
First – 1,000 minutes a day is a lot of single minutes and made me consider how often I bypass something that will only take “a few minutes” because I say I don’t have time. Only speaking for myself – I usually have time, the truth is I would rather do something else (conscious choice) or I’ve blown time away elsewhere (doom scrolling, online shopping, etc). So my #1 advice for adding a new routine to your day? Keep it around 1 minute (absolutely under five minutes) to minimize the busy excuse. I love to set a timer and see what I can get done in a minute.
Secord – accountability. Make your new micro habit measurable so “success” is a really clear yes/no and find an accountability partner to check in with. In my group we agreed to track our daily do, and check in with each other (at the bottom is a printable sheet you can use).
Little Routines
- Meditate – sit or stand quietly and watch your thoughts roll through for 1 minute
- Pranayama (Breathing Practices) – 5 in & out. You’re already breathing, ultra simple – just notice it.
- Read – for pleasure (poems and short stories count, long social media posts do not)
- Read – for growth (something you want to know more about)
- Walk 3 minutes – outside is best, inside is ok, resist having a purpose but taking the dog counts
- Writing by hand 2-3 minutes – gratitude, a journal prompt, a short note to a friend
- Create – tiny art, doodle, make plans for a future date, cut a design on your sourdough
- Connect – interact with a person IRL – yes, talking about the weather with a stranger counts
- Clean – pick one small thing and do it, your mental health will thank you.
- Help others – being on the lookout for ways to do this keeps your present. Open the door for someone, add one thing to your cart for your local food pantry, leave a positive review for a small business.
Journal Prompt: What little things do I already do that I know set me up to have a better day?
Physical Prompt: Turn on a song you love and dance like no one is watching. How do you feel after?
Guess what? The frog at the top is a photo I took in my backyard 4 years ago that I finally got around to pulling off a memory card last week. Celebrate the little wins.
All content I share here, elsewhere on my websites and in social media is created by me, Alison Gurevich – and not AI or other sources unless otherwise specifically attributed. This includes all photographs, writing, and ideas. All rights reserved by Alison Gurevich. “Making Space: Little Routines” was originally published to www.breathtomotion.com on November 21, 2025. When you find typos or grammar errors, celebrate humanity and enjoy a little song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3wKzyIN1yk (Human by Rag N Bone Man).