A Small Reset for a Big Day
No rituals. No fixing. Just a little less effort.
At some point today, you’re probably going to catch yourself holding your breath.
Not necessarily in a dramatic way. Just… subtly. Jaw tight. Shoulders a little high. Chest paused mid-thought.
It happens sometimes when you’re trying to keep things together.
When you’re timing the oven.
When you’re listening carefully.
When you’re being polite. Or brave. Or efficient.
The holidays are excellent at sneaking breath-holding into the body. So instead of asking you to add anything to today, I want to offer you a subtraction.
One less held breath.
Here’s all you need to do, right where you are: Let your next inhale come in naturally. No big breath. No fixing anything.
And then… let the exhale be slow. Unrushed. As if you’re quietly letting something go that you didn’t realize you were gripping.
That’s it.
A longer exhale nudges your nervous system toward ease.
Not joy. Not gratitude. (Though both are certainly welcome.) Just less effort.
And today? Less effort is plenty.
You don’t need to be present in the perfect way. There’s no pressure to savor every moment or make meaning out of any of it.
You’re allowed to simply be here breathing, imperfectly, in the middle of your real life.
If you remember, take another slow exhale later. If you don’t, this one still counted.
Consider it a small reset. No ceremony required.
Last Gasp
The ability to breathe is a gift. Wake up grateful each day for that gift.
~ Brant Reader
P.S. If this breath helped and you want something just as quiet for the days ahead, you’ll love my new Silent Reboot toolkit – simple, no-pressure resets you can come back to anytime. Download it here.
