Over the past year I've written about the small practices that help me slow down, reset, and find my way back to myself. These are the ones I keep returning to. They don't all show up at once, some belong to certain seasons, others appear when I need them most. Of course, painting is my greatest source of stillness. But these are the practices that support everything else, the ones that help me show up at the canvas with a clear mind and an open heart. This isn't a prescription. It's simply what's in my toolkit, in case anything here speaks to yours.
1. The journaling ritual
A few years ago I was diagnosed with a serious arterial disease - fibromuscular dysplasia - which resulted in three dissected arteries in my neck. It was frightening, and I needed somewhere to put everything that was swirling around in my mind. Journaling became that place.
The practice has stayed with me ever since, coming and going as life needs it.
I start by offloading, everything out, no filter, just get it on the page. Once I've emptied my mind I make a shift. I write down what I can actually control. Sometimes that's my diet, exercise, or simply gratitude. Those things then become my focus.
It doesn't fix anything. But it does ground me.
2. Music as a mood shift
Music has an amazing power to set a mood and I use it deliberately.
When I sit down to paint I don't want to carry any negative energy with me. My intention is always stillness, joy, and all things positive. Music helps me get there.
In the early stages of a painting the underpainting is fun and loose, so I put on the top pop hits and just groove. But as the work progresses and I need to settle into something deeper, I shift to calming piano, strings, or hz frequency music. It calms my soul and draws me into a relaxed flow, leaving everything else behind.
You don't have to be a painter to use this one. Next time you need a mood shift, think about what you put on and put it on with intention.
3. Move first, give later
Over summer I started walking early mornings. I would head down to the bike track by the beach before the day began, up to the rise, and look out across the water. I would take a deep breath and feel at peace.
I loved it because it felt like doing something for myself first. Filling my own cup before pouring into everyone else's. I came home ready to be a mum, a business owner, a human.
That rhythm has shifted now. Seasons change. I'm walking my daughter to school and back these days. But if it works with your schedule, this one is so good.
The key is to find the small thing that's yours, before the day takes over.
4. Show up for yourself, even when you're tired
Exhausted at the end of the day, I found I was hitting the pillow as soon as the kids' bedtimes had finished, then waking at 4am. I decided to try a meditative movement practice called tai chi.
Despite how tired I was, it actually felt really good. I was stretching my body and showing up for myself at the end of the day. It's slow, it's calming, and it became a quiet signal that the day was ending and I was winding down.
I didn't always feel like it. But I always felt better after.
5. Find your quiet place
For me, it's the beach. The vastness of it, the sound of the waves, the feel of sand between my fingers when I sit down and just be. Something about that space clears my mind in a way nothing else can.
I call the beach my church. It's where I feel most connected to God and nature. Most present. Most at peace.
You might have your own version of this. A garden, a forest walk, a quiet corner somewhere. The place that resets you without you even trying. If you know where it is, go there more often.
These practices come and go through my life as the seasons change. Some months I need all of them. Some months one is enough. Be gentle with yourself about which season you're in.
Rebecca x