Hello beautiful souls,
This month, our word is Breathe.
Last week, we focused on the inhale: what gently nourishes us and fills us back up.
This week, we turn toward the exhale.
For sensitive people and caregivers, exhaling can feel surprisingly hard. We’re practiced at staying alert, responsible, ready.
Even rest can come with tension.
This week is an invitation to let something go.
Not everything.
Not perfectly.
Just one small thing at a time.
An unneeded explanation.
A clenched jaw.
A task that can wait.
A breath you’ve been holding longer than you realized.
No forcing.
No dramatic release.
Just allowing the body to do what it already knows how to do.
A Tiny Skincare Moment
Chamomile isn’t just calming in tea, it’s soothing for the skin, too.
This week, steep a strong cup of chamomile, let it cool, and use it as a gentle face splash or compress in the evening.
As you apply it, move slowly.
Let your shoulders drop.
Let your jaw soften.
Think of it as signaling safety — to your skin and your nervous system.
Nothing to fix.
Just something kind to receive.
A gentle practice for today
Once today, pause and bring your attention to your breath.
Notice the exhale.
Is it slow or quick?
Long or short?
You don’t need to change it.
As you breathe out, silently say:
​I don’t have to hold this.
Let the inhale arrive naturally afterward.
Take one more easy exhale if it feels right.
Then continue with your day.
That’s enough.
A journaling prompt
No pressure to solve anything.
What am I ready to loosen my grip on today?
It might be a thought.
An expectation.
A physical tension.
You can write it down or simply notice it and let it pass.
Both are valid.
Small radiant practices for the week​
Choose one or none. Let them stay optional.
• Exhale slowly before responding
• Unclench your jaw or hands once an hour
• Let something remain unfinished
• Lower the lights or volume
• Say less, explain less
• Release the need to do this “right”
Exhaling is not quitting.
It’s trusting that you don’t have to carry everything forward.
You are allowed to rest your body.
You are allowed to loosen your grip. You are allowed to breathe out.
May this week feel lighter.
May what’s unnecessary fall away.
May you feel supported in the spaces between.
With warmth,
​Carrie
P.S.
If you feel like it, hit reply and share one small thing you released this week: a breath, a tension, a thought.
P.P.S.
If you haven't joined us in the Moments that Matter group, you can join us anytime. I’ve created a free journaling practice called Moments That Matter, and alongside it, a Facebook group where we’ll move through the journal together over 30 days.
Watch for 10 small comforts that help me breathe on YouTube tomorrow.