I’ll be honest with you—there was a time in my life when I felt anything but grounded.
Too much rushing, too much worrying, and not enough time spent doing the things that actually anchored me.
Retirement helped. So did getting older. But the real change came when I stopped just hoping for peace of mind and started doing a few small things each day to invite it in.
These aren’t fancy hacks or morning routines lifted from billionaires. They’re simple, steady practices I’ve grown into over the years. And now, in my 60s, they help me feel more present, less reactive, and a whole lot more balanced.
So, here they are—seven habits that make a real difference in how I show up for my life.
1. I start the day without a screen
I used to wake up and reach straight for my phone—check the news, scroll emails, maybe peek at the weather. Before I even got out of bed, my mind would be pulled in five directions.
Now? I don’t touch a screen for the first hour of my day. I brew my coffee, open a window (even in the colder months), and sit quietly—sometimes with a notebook, sometimes with Lottie at my feet, sometimes with nothing but the sound of birds and my own breath.
It’s not about avoiding the world. It’s about choosing how to enter it.
As the Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius wrote, “People look for retreats for themselves, in the country, by the coast, or in the hills… but this is altogether unphilosophical, when you might at any moment retire into yourself.”
That’s how I treat my mornings now—as a gentle retreat before the world gets noisy.
2. I make movement non-negotiable
I’m not out here training for marathons, but I do move every day—and I treat it like brushing my teeth. Not optional.
Most days it’s a walk in the park. Sometimes with my grandkids, sometimes with Lottie, often just me and my thoughts. If I’m feeling stiff, I’ll stretch for a bit. A few squats while I wait for the kettle to boil. A light yoga flow on the living room floor.
Nothing dramatic. But consistent.
The Mayo Clinic notes that even moderate movement boosts mood, sharpens focus, and reduces anxiety. And I’ll tell you—on the days I move, I sleep better, think clearer, and feel like I’m inhabiting my body rather than just dragging it around.
3. I protect white space in my calendar
Do you know what I used to do? Fill every blank spot in my calendar.
If I saw free time, I booked something in it—appointments, errands, catch-ups, to-dos.
Now, I do the opposite. I leave white space in my day on purpose. I give myself unstructured time and I guard it.
Because here’s the thing: quiet time isn’t wasted time. It’s recovery. It’s reflection. It’s where the good ideas tend to sneak in.
Bill Gates is a big fan of what he calls “think weeks”—entire stretches of time with no meetings or distractions. I’m not on that scale, of course, but the principle holds. When you stop stuffing your schedule, you make room for clarity.
Even 30 minutes of nothing each day can be a reset button for the mind.
4. I check in with my thoughts—without trying to fix them
This one’s been a slow learning curve. I used to try and outthink my emotions. Push away stress. Analyze worries into submission. But that just left me mentally tangled.
Now, I check in with myself like I’d check in with a friend. “How are we doing today?” And I let the answer be what it is.
I don’t try to fix every feeling that shows up. I just listen. And oddly enough, that quiets most of them down.
Some mornings I write a few lines in a notebook. Other times I pause during the afternoon and notice where I’m holding tension. It’s not therapy (though I’m all for that, too)—it’s just self-awareness.
5. I connect with someone I care about
Every day, I make a point to reach out. Sometimes it’s a long chat with my daughter. Other times it’s a voice note to an old friend, or simply laughing with my grandson over something silly he said.
Human connection is grounding. Especially as we get older.
Harvard’s long-running adult development study found that close relationships are the strongest predictor of long-term happiness—not wealth, not fame, not even health on its own.
So even on busy days, I reach out. A simple text. A shared story. A check-in. It’s not always deep. It doesn’t have to be. But it keeps the heart soft and the spirit steady.
6. I do something tactile and offline
This habit snuck up on me. It started with repotting a plant. Then I got into sanding an old bench. Now I find myself seeking out tasks that involve my hands—cooking a slow meal, fixing a drawer, folding laundry slowly instead of racing through it.
Doing something physical and analog pulls me out of my head and back into my body.
It’s one reason I’ve come to appreciate simple chores. They create rhythm. They reset your brain.
Sometimes grounding is as simple as scrubbing a pan or kneading dough with your fingers.
7. I end the day by zooming out
I used to end my days mentally tallying everything I didn’t finish.
Now, I ask one question: Did I live aligned with what matters today?
Not perfectly. But intentionally.
Most nights, I jot down three small wins or moments of presence. Maybe it was a kind reply in an email. A decision I didn’t rush. A meal I truly tasted.
This isn’t toxic positivity. Some days are rough. But zooming out reminds me that life isn’t about perfect days—it’s about progress and presence.
Winston Churchill once noted, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” That, to me, is what this habit is about—marking the day, then letting it go with grace.
Final thoughts
I won’t pretend to have it all figured out, but these small, steady habits have changed how I move through the world.
They haven’t made life perfect. But they’ve made it feel more spacious, more centered, and more mine.
So if you’re feeling untethered lately, maybe start with just one of these. Try it on. See how it fits. And if it brings you a little more calm, a little more clarity—keep going.
What’s one habit you’d be willing to protect, starting tomorrow?
