Minimum effective dose
Do a 2–10 minute downshift daily, and protect it with one boundary.
- 6 slow breaths with longer exhales (anytime).
- 2 minutes outside (light + movement + context change).
- Write a one-line plan: “Today I will do ___ at ___.”
- A simple boundary: “No work messages after ___.”
Pick one:
- mindfulness practice (breath/body scan)
- journaling (3 sentences)
- relaxation / progressive muscle relaxation
- Review: what causes the most stress predictably?
- Design: remove one recurring trigger or add one recovery block.
| Day |
Do this |
| 1 |
Choose your daily practice + time |
| 2 |
Add a 2-minute “downshift” alarm |
| 3 |
Add one boundary (email/phone/time) |
| 4 |
Pair downshift with an existing habit (after lunch) |
| 5 |
Add a short evening shutdown to protect sleep |
| 6 |
Review triggers and remove one friction point |
| 7 |
Lock the plan for next week |