How to Reconnect With Yourself in the Middle of a Busy Day

Ever crawl into bed and think, “What did I even do today—and did any of it matter to me?”

You’re not alone. So many of us are moving fast but feeling… disconnected.

The alarm goes off. Coffee’s gulped between emails. You’re driving with one hand, answering messages with the other. Work bleeds into dinner prep. You hit the couch and wonder where the day went—and whether you were in it at all.

Somewhere in the middle of all that motion, you stopped checking in with yourself. You just kept going.

You’re about to see how all that movement leaves you feeling disconnected—and what it’s really costing you. I’ll show you one simple, body-based practice that helps you make choices based on what feels good, not just what’s expected. And the best part? Tiny pauses in your day—yep, just a few seconds—can start to shift how you feel in your day-to-day life.

This is an invitation to notice the cost of all that movement—and to begin choosing something different.

When I Knew It Didn’t Feel Right—But Almost Say Yes Anyway

Several years ago, my work team planned a volunteer day at a veterans cemetery.

When I read the email, I had a strong, visceral reaction.

Now you need to understand—my daughter was stillborn a few years earlier, and I couldn’t even bring myself to visit her gravesite, so how was I now going to volunteer at someone else's?

I found the courage to bring it up to my leader, and the response was...

“Maybe you can reframe it.” Yep… that’s the response—reframe it.

So, like the good girl I’d been taught to be, I decided, sure, I’ll try to reframe it. I told myself to be a team player. Just suck it up. At the time I was working this full-time job, I was also caring for my four-month-old, and I really didn’t have time to think about how to get out of it—or even that I should.

That’s what we do, right? Push through the discomfort. Do what’s expected. Even if it doesn’t sit right.

But it weighed heavey in my bones for weeks.

A few days before the trip, I was venting to my father-in-law, and he said something simple:

“Why don’t you just call the cemetery and change your plans?”

That question cracked something open inside me.

It made me slow down just enough.

But I still didn’t call for days.

Not until I was sitting alone in the busy airport about to go to the event and had a moment to check in with myself.

I opened my computer and emailed the cemetery directly. I asked if there was a different way I could contribute.

I was nervous and uncertain as I waited for their response.

They said yes, without hesitation.

On the day of the event, I stood with my team for a moment of reflection. No one had yet acknowledged my request for something different. My heart rate increased, and I thought, if they’ve forgotten and I have to do this, I will.

Then someone tapped me on the shoulder and quietly led me to the truck where my assignment was waiting.

As I walked away, I sobbed.

Big, deep-in-my-chest sobs.

I had slowed down enough to honor what I needed.

That moment changed me.

It showed me how easy it is to stay in motion out of fear—

Fear of judgment.

Fear of disappointing others.

Fear of standing out.

(I was the only one who left the group to do something different.)

But it also reminded me:

Every time I override what I know is true for me, I lose a little more of myself.

The Hidden Cost of Moving Fast

When you’re always in motion, you forget to check in.

You don’t pause to ask:
“What do I need right now?”

Instead, you default to what’s expected.
You prioritize what’s urgent.
You say, “It’ll be fine,” when your body is screaming otherwise.

I’ve lived that life—the one where you nod and go along, show up, do the thing—while quietly unraveling inside.

The Small Shift

Here’s the small shift that changed everything for me:

After that day at the cemetery, I started slowing embracing a new way of being.

Before I say yes, I check in with my body.
Not my calendar. Not my to-do list. My body.

I remove all distractions. Take three slow breaths. And imagine each option.

If my jaw clenches or my shoulders tense? That’s a no.
If my breath softens or I feel at ease? That’s a yes.

That’s your inner knowing. You Trueself speaking through your body.

It’s honest. It’s intuitive. And it’s always there.

You don’t have to overhaul your life to come home to your Trueself.
Just begin in the in-between.

The moment between one task and the next.
That pause between a work call and making dinner.
Ten seconds where you ask:

“What do I need right now?”

Sometimes the answer is water or rest.
Sometimes it’s grace.
Sometimes it’s a reminder that you’re already doing enough.

That tiny shift. It adds up.

It’s how you stop reacting—and find your center.

Moving Slowly Is the Fastest Way Home

Slowing down isn’t about doing less.
It’s about doing what matters to you.

When you pause, you reconnect with your inner wisdom.
When you choose from alignment instead of expectation, life starts to feel like it’s yours again.

And that’s the only “fast track” worth taking.

If something stirred in you while reading this, honor it.

That whisper inside? It’s your True Self.
The part of you that’s been quietly waiting for permission to slow down, breathe, and choose differently.

💜 I made something to help: Download my free ebook “5 Gentle Ways to Break Free from Autopilot” — a guide for women who feel stuck in other people’s timelines.

Inside, you’ll find:

• Grounding body-based practices

• Soulful prompts to help you listen inward

• Tools to help you make choices from self-trust—not self-sacrifice

Because the hustle version of your life isn’t the real one.

What’s one transition in your day where you could pause and check in with yourself? I’d love to hear—share it in the comments.