Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been exploring the pressure of internal expectations, especially when it comes to our wellbeing. Not just the pressure to “do it all,” but to do it all well, and how that pressure often stems from good intentions, but poor foundations.
The Challenge: Busy mornings & rising pressure
This week, I want to share a real-life example from a client – a senior leader with a demanding role, back-to-back responsibilities, and very little time to spare. She came to me feeling stretched thin, with a constant low-level sense of morning anxiety. Her day would begin with pressure already rising, but she felt there simply wasn’t time to do anything about it.
We talked about meditation or starting a mindfulness practice, but she couldn’t see how to fit it in without sacrificing sleep or her existing morning routine, which included getting online an hour before her team, both non-negotiables for her wellbeing and performance.
Yet, she knew something needed to shift.
The Shift: Mindfulness that suits real life
So we looked for what could work, not what would be ideal in theory, but what was possible in real life.
The solution involved a compromise, but one still brought a lot of benefit. She started listening to a short mindfulness meditation while getting ready in the morning – when brushing her teeth, doing her makeup, and getting dressed. Phone on the bathroom shelf, volume up just enough to hear, and there was no need to sit still or block out extra time.
She focused on the words as best she could, and that small adjustment began to make a noticeable difference. It grounded her attention, helped her feel more present, and gave her just enough of a mindset shift to face the day with more calm and clarity. Even on mornings when her mind wandered, the content was still filtering in and imprinting on her subconscious.
It wasn’t perfect, but it worked – and that’s the key.
Why It Works: Rewiring the morning mindset
When we release the pressure to get it “right,” and start asking: what would be helpful, doable, and good for me right now? … that’s when real change happens.
I’m a big fan of getting your mindset right in the mornings, because our cortisol (the stress hormone) is naturally highest first thing, which is often why mornings can feel like the most anxious time of the day.
That’s why I often suggest some kind of audio-based support. For me, that might be a short YouTube motivational video or a podcast that helps reframe my mindset. Something that shifts me out of lack, stress, or worst-case scenario thinking, and into a space of calm, clarity, and possibility.
It doesn’t need to take long, and it doesn’t need to be “deep work”, but it does need to be intentional. Because how we start the day is really important.
Building a More Supportive Routine
Of course, this wasn’t the only thing she and I focused on. As we worked together, we also found simple ways to build more movement into her week and helped her manage the overwhelming volume of emails she faced at the end of each day, both of which were adding to her stress and mental load. Bit by bit, she started to feel more in control, more grounded, and more able to manage the demands of her role without burning out.
For so many of my clients, once we find their version of these practices that are simple, practical, and genuinely supportive – the difference is immediate. Not just in their mood, but in how they lead, perform, and show up for the rest of the day.
So if your mornings feel like a rush of stress, maybe it’s not about adding more to your to-do list. Maybe it’s about weaving something supportive into what you’re already doing in a way that is realistic for you. And/or it may even mean letting go of something, so your mornings feel a little more spacious.
Helping clients find what actually works – in real life, not just in theory – is at the heart of what I do. If that’s something you’re looking for, let’s talk.
Kate x
