Some days, the only real alone time I get is in the car. Not some scenic solo drive with a podcast and an iced matcha. Just me, parked outside preschool or in between meetings. It’s not glamorous, but it’s quiet. And right now, quiet time feels like the biggest flex.
For the longest time, I treated those little pockets of car time like extra work hours. I’d make calls, blast through voice notes on 2x speed, order birthday presents from my phone. And yeah, sometimes I still do. But lately, I’ve been trying something different: I just… sit. Ten whole minutes of not being productive, not answering to anyone, just letting my brain do its thing.
My therapist once told me to think of it like water. You don’t wait until the end of the day to chug an entire gallon, you take sips throughout. Rest is the same way. Those tiny pauses, like sitting in a quiet car with no music or stepping outside for five minutes of fresh air, actually help calm your nervous system so you don’t crash into bed both wired and exhausted.
