Small daily practices make a Big difference

Written By Robbie Shaw

Therapy offers so much for our self-understanding, healing, and growth. We can have breakthrough moments, we can consider different perspectives, we can learn skills, and so much more. When we have a trusting relationship with a therapist, we can truly improve the quality of our lives. The limitation with therapy is that typically, at most, we spend 1 hour of our week with our therapist. A lot can happen in that 1 hour, but we are still left with the other 167 hours of the week. 

In addition, a big part of therapy can be learning new skills, tools, or strategies. A therapist may teach you to create a “safe place”, which is a space in your mind that you can retreat to when you’re overwhelmed by intense emotion. Breathing skills are also often taught by therapists to help you calm your nervous system in times of stress or anxiety. These are helpful tools and skills that really work. 

The key to getting the most from them is practice. With any new piece of information or new skills, in order to maximize its effectiveness, it needs to be practiced. The best way to do this is to develop a daily practice. It doesn’t need to take a long time and often it doesn’t require anything other than your attention. What matters is doing it, consistently. Of course, there will be days or even weeks when we forget or don’t prioritize it but we can always come back. 

To put it simply, practice is essential to realize the benefits of any intervention. In fact, consistent practice is more important than the particular skill or tool you decide on. Below is a list of simple daily practices that will improve the quality of your life (if you practice them). 

  • Breathing techniques (deep breathing, box breathing, mindful breathing)

  • Prayer

  • Meditation

  • Taking vitamins

  • Stretching

  • Consistent sleep/wake times

  • Walks

  • Reading

  • Visualization

  • IFS parts work

  • Mindful body scans

  • Journalling

  • Day planner

  • Affirmations

  • Mood tracking

There are so many different daily practices we can adopt and there can be so much gained from small daily efforts. It’s up to you to decide what works best for you. Again, consistency is key. Start today and if you notice you get off track, start again. 

Small daily practices make a big difference.

Robbie Shaw
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