No. 9: Small Ways I Reclaim 10 Minutes of Peace Every Day

Tiny Acts of Self-Compassion That Help Me Come Back to Myself

When life feels heavy, complicated, or emotionally loud, I’ve learned that peace isn’t something I stumble into—it’s something I create on purpose, in the margins.

I used to think peace required a whole day off, a trip away, a perfectly quiet house. But waiting for ideal conditions kept me from noticing what was already available in small moments. Now, I practice reclaiming peace in ten-minute windows. Not because it fixes everything—but because it softens me back into myself.

And most days, that’s enough.

These Are the Quiet Ways I Come Back to Myself

These aren’t fancy rituals. They don’t require childcare or deep focus. They’re just small, loving choices I make when I feel the pull to disappear into tasks, overthinking, or emotional overextension.

1. Sitting on the porch without my phone.

Sometimes with coffee. Sometimes in silence.I let the light hit my face. I listen to the birds or passing cars. It’s not about “doing” anything. It’s about pausing the scroll of my mind.

2. Stretching in the hallway before bedtime.

Just a few minutes of grounding into my body. I don’t aim for productivity or fitness—just presence. A chance to exhale the day.

3. Putting on one song that matches my mood—and letting myself feel it.

Sad, tired, soft, hopeful. Whatever it is, I let the music hold it with me. No skipping. No multitasking. Just listening.

4. Lighting a candle before I do something mundane.

A signal to my nervous system that I’m allowed to bring gentleness into the ordinary. Even if I’m washing dishes. Even if I’m folding laundry.

5. Letting the sunlight fall across my face and not moving right away.

Especially in the morning. I close my eyes. I count ten breaths. It sounds simple, but it feels like a slow reentry into my own body.

6. Stepping outside barefoot, even if just for one minute.

The sensory reset—cool grass, warm pavement, morning air—pulls me out of my thoughts and into now.

7. Reading one page of something that nourishes me.

Not something I’m “supposed” to read—just something that feels like a soft place to land.

8. Saying a quiet affirmation out loud before reentering a hard moment.

“I don’t have to carry this alone.”

“I am allowed to take up space.”

“I choose peace even in small ways.”

9. Sitting on the floor instead of a chair.

It shifts something in me. Lowers the noise. Grounds the urgency.

10. Choosing not to respond right away.

To a text. A request. A tone.Instead, I pause. I ask: “Do I have the capacity right now?”That one pause changes everything.

Why It Matters

These small things may seem insignificant—but for me, they’ve become daily acts of reclamation. Ten minutes of peace is not a luxury. It’s a reset. A remembering. A refusal to abandon myself.

It’s how I stay soft in a world (and sometimes a home) that can feel sharp. It’s how I come back to the woman beneath the roles. And it’s how I remind myself: I get to matter, too.

A Gentle Invitation

You don’t need to overhaul your life to make space for peace. You just need a moment.Your breath. A little bit of noticing.

What’s one small thing you can do today—for ten minutes—that helps you return to yourself?

You deserve that moment. Not when you’ve earned it. Now. As you are.

—Steph