After months of cold gray days and two significant back-to-back snowstorms, we finally had a sunny, spring day in the Northeast.
My response?
😎 Dragging a chair outside, setting my phone timer for 15 minutes, and sitting down to soak up the sun.
What I didn’t expect?
How that tiny moment would kick off what I jokingly call the, “If You Give a Mouse A Cookie” effect (IYKYK): when one small step leads to another, and then another…and suddenly you’re on a roll.
🥗After my sun break, I came inside through the kitchen and stopped to make a healthy lunch.
👕Walking past the laundry closet? Tossed in a quick load…
❄️Folding clean laundry? Might as well move the clean winter sweaters to attic storage…
🌲This led to packing up some straggling holiday décor, and tidying up the front porch.
🐶The doggos watching from the window? They just had to go for a walk.
👧And my kiddo offering to join? The best part of the whole day–an unexpected, lovely chat.
Nothing about the day was especially remarkable except the sunshine.
But I could’ve spent it stressing about all the things on my to-do list.
📱Or scrolling,
💻checking work emails,
📚or combing through a knee-high pile of academic research.
Instead, 15 minutes in the sun sparked activities I’d been putting off AND connections that filled me up.
💡Why this matters: If you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed today, you can try “habit stacking” or “micro-goal setting.” Both are well-researched techniques.
Or…
You can just relax and take a tiny step like sitting in the sun for a few minutes. Breathe. Let your body recalibrate.
It might just be enough to generate the energy you need to kickstart your day.
(And then reward yourself with that cookie when you’re done!)
***
I’m learning about resilience and burnout in real time–connecting dots across leadership, change management, coaching, behavior science and team dynamics. Whether you’re working on your own resilience, or you’re being asked to help your teams, your organizations or your loved ones get better and faster at bouncing back, adapting, and growing, join me as I continue to unpack these topics, and explore healthier ways we can work and lead together.
***
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist…just a voracious reader, leader, certified coach, and communications pro who is intensely curious about resilience and burnout and how it’s playing out in our workplaces and lives today. If you’re struggling with your mental health, please seek out a qualified professional.❤️
