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Take Back Your Little Moments: A Call to Action for High Achievers
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a high-achieving, high-functioning person whose packed schedule may be impacting your overall life satisfaction. (This is me!) You might even be cringing at that description, but that’s exactly the evidence that proves it’s true! Your “ordinary” is someone else’s extraordinary, yet true fulfillment seems just out of reach.
Yet here’s what I know for sure: when our lives are packed with back-to-back commitments, we fall into a dangerous pattern of running from one thing to the next without pause. This relentless pace is a sure path to burnout, leaving us feeling disconnected in our relationships and constantly annoyed. It can also leave us feeling listless and depressed, thinking the only time we can take a deep breath is while on vacation. Since not all days are vacation days, let’s figure this out!
Start Here: Stop Sacrificing Our In-Between Moments That Impact Life Satisfaction
Think about those precious gaps in your day: the 10 minutes between dropping your kid at sports practice and starting dinner, or the brief window between meetings. What do you typically do during these moments?
If you’re like most of us, you automatically reach for your phone, engage in mindless snacking, or fall into “productive procrastination” (like half-opening emails without actually dealing with them). The question is: Do you feel better after these activities?
I had my own wake-up call recently when I realized I’d eaten six full-sized carrots during one in-between moment without even consciously deciding to have a snack. It was pure autopilot behavior that left me feeling worse, not better. Granted, it was carrots but with the checked-our mental state I was in, it could’ve been anything!
The Solution: Reclaim Your Mini-Moments for Greater Personal Fulfillment
This week on the Love Your Life Show, I’m challenging you to take back your little moments and choose something truly restorative instead. These small changes can significantly boost your life satisfaction. Here’s how:
Step 1: Think Ahead
Right now, brainstorm 10 things you could do in a 3-10 minute window that would actually bring you joy:
- Recline your car seat and do a brief meditation
- Write a quick journal entry
- Sketch something that catches your eye
- Play a round of solitaire with actual physical cards
- Do a crossword puzzle
- Lie down and breathe
- Stretch
- Write out 10 things you love about your life
Step 2: Make a Plan for Improved Daily Satisfaction
Look at your schedule for today (unless it’s 11 PM and you should be sleeping!) and identify one in-between moment where you can try something from your list.
Step 3: Expect Your Child Brain to Resist
When the moment comes, your impulsive “child brain” will pipe up with excuses: “You don’t have time,” “You should check your phone instead,” or “This is silly.” That’s normal. Give yourself permission to listen to your wise “adult brain” instead.
Why This Matters More Than You Think for Your Overall Life Satisfaction
Scientists warn that humanity’s inability to delay short-term gratification – our constant seeking of the next dopamine hit – poses a real threat to our wellbeing. By choosing intentional rest over reactive scrolling, we’re literally choosing our evolved, thoughtful brain over our impulsive one.
This isn’t about perfection. Use a growth mindset. If meditation doesn’t work for you, try the crossword puzzle next time. The goal is experimentation and kindness toward yourself.
Breaking Free from Internal Patriarchy
Here’s the deeper truth: many of us carry an internalized message that we don’t deserve rest, that we must work to “earn” our breaks, that everyone else’s needs take priority over our own. This mindset is exhausting our systems and leaving us feeling like we’re sleepwalking through our own lives.
Our job is to remove this patriarchal programming from our heads and recognize that you matter deeply. Your personal feeling state makes a difference in this world. When you’re constantly stressed and overworked, bouncing from task to task without consciousness, it doesn’t serve anyone; especially not you.
Your Challenge This Week
Will you try it? Will you take back just one little moment today and choose something that truly nurtures you? Remember: listening to advice is one thing, but taking action is where life actually changes.
You are not meant to be a human doing, constantly in motion. You’re a human being who deserves moments of ease and joy sprinkled throughout your day. These aren’t luxuries, they’re necessities for a life you actually love living.
Let’s make this the week we stop letting our precious moments slip by unconsciously. Your future self will thank you.
Next Steps: DO SOMETHING 💙 🙌🏾
⭐️Ready to dip your toe in? Sign up to get my wellness weekly newsletter full of helpful tips to help you live a life you love.
⭐️Ready to dive into the deep end? Join the Love Your Life community and share what’s on your list of 10 restorative activities. I’d love to hear what you’re trying – and I’ll share mine too.
💬 Share this with a friend who’s feeling flat or exhausted (or is angry at everyone and everything).
📸 Tag me on Instagram @smb.wellness so I can cheer you on!
