“I Don’t Have Time for This”

When you feel resistance to rituals, playlists, or practices, it’s not because you’re lazy or “bad at self-care.” It’s usually because some part of you is already at capacity.

That part hears “new ritual” and translates it as:

• “Another thing I’m going to fail at.”
• “More work on top of what I’m already holding.”
• “One more place I’ll disappoint myself or others.”

Today, instead of pushing past that protector, we’re going to give it proof that this can actually make life easier, not heavier.

Your nervous system doesn’t count minutes. It notices quality of attention.

A two-minute, honest pause you actually take is more regulating than a 45-minute practice you never start because it feels overwhelming.

In the program, we design your ritual to work in:

• 2-minute resets you can do between tasks or texts
• 5-minute anchors for transitions (before a meeting, after school pickup, etc.)
• 10-minute deep dives when you have space to soften more fully

Today’s practice is a 2-minute version — so your protector part can see: “Oh. This actually fits.”

At some point today, when you’re about to switch tasks (work → dinner, scrolling → bed, car → house), try this tiny ritual:

• 1 Pick one song that feels like a soft landing — not your biggest hype song, just something that feels like a guided exhale.
• 2 Before you press play, put one hand on your body (heart, chest, belly, or thighs) and let out a slow, slightly longer exhale than usual.
• 3 Press play and give yourself just the first 60–90 seconds of the song with no other task: no emails, no replies, no fixing.
  Simply notice: breath, shoulders, jaw, and your pace.
• 4 When you’re ready, say quietly (or in your mind):
  “I’m allowed to arrive in this next thing as myself, not just as my responsibilities.”

If all you can manage is 30 seconds of this today, that still counts. You’re teaching your system that support can be small and still real.