Small Habits Stack Up: A Mini Reset

Marianna Jaross

Being a therapist doesn’t make me immune to the challenges of life, or the mental blocks or habits that can hold us back.

I am starting slow, and starting again late in the year.

I don’t want to wait until the new year, a birthday, or a milestone to start building some new momentum in a more supportive direction.

1.) Morning routine.

We can fall into the chaos of our lives, the siren call of our phones, or the mental loops that we fall into when we wake up.

From my perspective, the way we set up our mornings can set up the rest of the day. We often know what might be helpful: Some variation of hydration, exercise, mindfulness, journalling, intention-setting, and planning for the day.

Implementing these habits can be the next step.

The good news is that you can start small, build over time, and ‘habit stack’ your way to a supportive morning.

2.) Values-alignment.

It can be challenging to cut out the noise of what we ‘should’ be doing, achieving, or going for.

Society, our social circle, and the expectations that we set for ourselves can muddle us from aligning to what is truly important to us.

Our values can be some of the guiding star from which we make decisions.

3.) Get quiet.

Our job is to filter out some of the noise, and tune into ourselves.

We are so used to be being ‘on’ that actual unfiltered time alone with ourselves or nature can be hard to come by.

Practice getting quiet, and stay curious about what emerges. You may be surprised.

4.) Acknowledge what is in your control vs. what is out of it.

This refers to our locus of control, and focusing on what is in our bandwidth to shift.

Usually it is ourselves, and how we are showing up.

Our job is to practice looking after ourselves and maintaining our habits and our lives in a way that looks after us.

When we are doing the best we can, being intentional about our lives, and practicing supportive behaviours towards ourselves; we are on our way.

© Marianna Jaross 2025