Small Shifts for Big Impact: Healing the World Starts with Us

In our busy modern world, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of daily stress and the challenges we face. However, it is crucial to remember that positive change often begins with small but meaningful shifts. By adopting a proactive mindset and consistently incorporating tiny adjustments into our daily lives, we can make big change. So many people talk about wanting to change the world, and they forget that it starts with us, right here, right now. Let's explore how small shifts in our daily routine can create a big impact.

1. Cultivate Compassion

Compassion is the cornerstone of healing our world. Be compassionate with yourself, even (especially) when you want to be critical. So many times we extend compassion to others, and yet we forget to extend the very same compassion to ourselves. How can we create a pause to genuinely give space, acknowledge and be gentle with ourselves and others in all the layers of our human experience? Practicing compassion looks like actively listening to others without judgment, offering random acts of kindness, saying a kind word to someone for no reason, feeding a stray animal, offering our leftovers to a houseless person - the list could go on forever. By treating ourselves and others with empathy, we create a ripple effect that reaches out into the world in big and small ways.

2. Be Present

Make the commitment to be present. So many times our cellphone notifications, TVs, computer or other distractions pull us out of the moment. We regret the past, while we worry about the future ignoring the moment we are in. We eat while we scroll social media, we talk on the phone while we drive, and walk through life without really taking in the beauty of everything around us. How can we cultivate mindfulness and just be in the moment? It is so easy to tune out when we could be tuning in and being present. Give your self time to just be with whatever you are doing and cultivate true presence. Trust me, I get it. As busy human who juggles many things, I have to call myself on my own non-presence constantly. However, I have committed to make this a habit and you can too. Try to take each moment in with fullness, and use all of your senses to smell, taste, feel, see and hear all the details around you. Start by doing this when you notice you are stressed, and then shift to doing it with every action you take. The world is full of little wonders, in every moment, try to find them.

3. Breathe

We underestimate the power of our breath. Breath work is one of the fastest ways to calm our nervous system and bring us back into balance. While I recommend daily breath work for everyone, sometimes that just isn't realistic or you need something to support you in a difficult moment.

Here are two of my favorite fast techniques that you can use any time:

• When you are feeling stressed take 10 deep breaths in and out through your nose counting to 10 with each inhale and exhale.

• If you are mad or upset, take a deep breath in hold it at the top for three seconds and squeeze every muscle in your body before you exhale. Do this five times.

Click here to see some of my longer Youtube tutorials for daily routines.

4. Move

We sit at our desk all day for work or school, we are driving hours a day, and we wonder why our bodies are sore and we feel stagnant. Our bodies store so much energy from our emotions and experiences, so it is important that we commit to moving everyday. Our body is our temple. Try to get an hour of movement 5 days a week whether that is walking, running, yoga, or dance. If you can't do an hour, do 30 minutes. If you can't do 30 minutes do 15. Everyone can commit to 15 minutes per day. While you are working it's also helpful to shake your body, or dance, a few times a day. When you are working, if you can get up and move your body every 20 minutes it is proven to increase creativity and focus.

5. Meditate

Meditate for 5-15 minutes minimum every day. Yes, you can do it. I love when people tell me they are "bad at meditating" expecting me to tell them how many hours a day I meditate. The truth is, I don't meditate for huge amounts of time every day, but I do meditate even when I am "bad at it" and my mind won't shut off, or be quiet. Why? Because I understand the importance of sitting with myself, and being with myself in all the ways that I show up. Meditation is time for me, no one else. Even when I am "bad at it" fidgeting, trying not to go over my daily task list in my brain, or think about my next call, I still made time for me. I also know this time, even if it is a "5 BAD minutes", it's still good for my body and my mind. So don't be afraid or judge that you aren't a zen master meditating for hours in perfect comfort and stillness, just take a moment for you close your eyes, sit straight, and be with yourself in your own experience.

While so many of the things in this blog seem small, they can be game changers for our busy everyday lives. Never underestimate the power of making small changes because they add up. Rome wasn't built in a day, it was built brick by brick, and your good habits will be too, one day at a time. Don't wait to begin making changes that will benefit you, because when you create that shift in yourself and move towards greater self love and care that will be felt in the world.