Outside: Allow Me to Interrupt You
Everyone knows being outside is good for you. Fresh air, sunlight, trees—yes, yes, yes. But let’s skip the obvious. The real benefit of stepping outside is this: you get to interrupt the story running in your head.
Inside, our brains loop the same noise. The to-do list. The comparison scroll. The “what if” soundtrack.
Step outside, and suddenly the script changes.
The wind brushes your arm, and you’re reminded your body is more than a screen holder.
A bird darts past, and for two seconds, you’re not thinking about work—you’re just watching.
The sun lands on your face, and it feels strangely personal, like it showed up just for you.
It’s not about exercise or steps or burning calories. It’s about shaking yourself free.
Nature doesn’t ask you to perform. It doesn’t care if you’re successful, or late, or wearing yesterday’s sweatshirt. Outside, you’re allowed to simply be.
Once you’ve felt that—really felt it—you’ll crave it. Not because you “should,” but because your nervous system finally remembers what calm feels like.
So today, don’t go outside to “be healthy.” Go outside to let the world interrupt you.
The Art of Pivoting: How to Adjust Without Losing Yourself
One of the lessons I’ve learned online is this: success looks a lot more like a switchback than a straight line.
You can start strong, build momentum, and then suddenly realize you’re heading in a direction that doesn’t feel right anymore. That’s where pivoting comes in.
Why Pivoting Matters
Most of voices online say: “Double down. Don’t stop. Keep feeding the algorithm.”
But here’s the truth: refusing to pivot is how creators burn out. Pivoting doesn’t mean you failed—it means you’re listening. You’re studying the data and studying yourself.
Because both matter.
The data tells you what people want. Watch time, comments, shares—these are signals worth paying attention to.
Your inner compass tells you what you can sustain. Energy, excitement, creativity—these are also data points.
The real sweet spot is finding where the two collide: where the audience is hungry, and you actually want to feed them.
My Story in Pivots
I’ve been through this cycle. Candy ASMR gave me wild numbers—hundreds of millions of views. But the longer I did it, the more I felt out of alignment.
Pivoting wasn’t easy.
Every part of me wanted to cling to the numbers. But deep down, I knew I couldn’t sustain it. So I studied the data again—what kinds of videos actually held people’s attention? What kind of content was gaining traction with the same audience? And then I asked myself: what do I feel excited to make?
The answer wasn’t candy anymore. It was nature. Writing. Calm. Content that resonated with who I was becoming, not just what would earn fast money.
How to Know It’s Time to Pivot
The numbers are strong, but you feel empty.
The audience is shrinking, and you’re resisting change.
You imagine doing the same thing a year from now and feel dread, not excitement.
Any of these are signs that it’s time to step back and recalibrate.
The Balance That Keeps You Going
Pivoting is not about abandoning your audience—it’s about evolving with them.
The internet is big enough to carry you through seasons. I’ll say this again - the internet is big enough to carry you through seasons.
The audience that resonated with one version of your work will often follow you into the next if you’re honest and consistent.
So study the analytics. But also study yourself. Because views without alignment won’t keep you going. And alignment without views won’t satisfy the urge to leverage the internet for income. The art of pivoting is learning to hold both.
Don’t be afraid to adjust. The creators who last are the ones who pivot—who listen to the data, listen to themselves, and find the overlap between the two. That’s where longevity, growth, and real success live.
Creating What Aligns With You (Even When the Internet Tells You Otherwise)
Spend five minutes online and you’ll hear it: “It doesn’t matter what you want. Create value for your audience and you’ll be successful.”
That advice works—for a while. But here’s the truth most people won’t say out loud: if what you’re creating doesn’t align with you, you won’t last.
Many of us start out on this path of making money online to move ourselves away from a corporate or other job that we’re not fully aligned with. Consistency is the real engine behind any long-term success online, and consistency requires alignment.
So, if we’re not aligned - what’s the point?
My Candy ASMR Chapter
A few years back, I started creating candy ASMR videos. At first, it was fun. I had already studied the internet, and I knew that if I became the best in the space, traction would come fast. And it did — monetized, millions of views, then hundreds of millions.
On paper, it was everything creators dream of. But here’s the catch: it wasn’t aligned with me.
I wasn’t passionate about candy or quick hit low effort content, but I also didn’t want to let my audience down. The internet was telling me, “This is what the people want—don’t you dare stop.” But deep down, I knew: if it’s not aligned, it’s not sustainable.
The Internet Noise vs. Your Inner Compass
I think it’s fair to say - we live in an age of noise.
Algorithms shout at you. Comment sections tell you what to make next. Trend cycles demand you keep up.
And yet, your inner compass matters more than all of that.
Because when you build your creative life around trends, you’ll eventually burn out. When you build it around what lights you up—even if it’s slower, quieter, or less “viral”—you can actually keep going. And that’s where the real magic happens.
Why Alignment Matters
Consistency grows from passion. If you actually enjoy what you’re making, you won’t need to drag yourself to the camera or the keyboard. You’ll naturally show up. Which brings us back to the why: why bother trying to break free from working for someone else, if we’re still going to spend our time doing things that don’t align with who we are?
Your audience feels it. People can sense when you’re aligned. Energy is contagious - even through a screen.
Your success compounds. The internet rewards staying in the game. If you create something you can keep doing for years—not months—you give yourself time to build a body of work, a brand, and a business.
What I’d Tell Any Creator
There’s always going to be a trade-off.
Creating what aligns with you might mean a slower start. It might mean fewer views at first. But you’ll still be standing when the trend-chasers have burned out.
Your best bet? Yes, study the internet, consider the data, find what’s already working. Then, create the thing you could do every day without losing yourself. The thing you’d still make even if nobody watched. That intersection exists - I promise.
The real freedom isn’t just in making money online—it’s in doing it in a way that feels like you.
✅ Takeaway: Success without alignment is a trap. Create what actually resonates with you, because that’s the only way you’ll have the energy and consistency to see it through.
Balancing Online Creativity with Real-World Connection
In the rush to “make it” online, it’s easy to forget that our minds and bodies weren’t built for endless scrolling, filming, and editing.
Yes, building an online brand can be exciting and even life-changing—but it can also eat away at your mental health if you let the digital world fully replace the physical one.
The good news? You don’t have to choose between creating online and living well offline. You can do both.
The Trap of Living Entirely Online
When you’re chasing views, likes, or revenue, it’s tempting to pour every waking hour into content. But this often leads to:
Burnout: The constant pressure to produce.
Isolation: Less face-to-face connection with people who matter.
Numbness: Forgetting what sunlight, fresh air, and stillness feel like.
Why Grounding in the Physical World Matters
Our nervous system resets in ways no screen can replicate.
Touching grass, walking under trees, or simply hearing real birds—not a sound effect—brings us back into balance. This isn’t just “self-care.” It’s fuel.
The more connected you are to the real world, the more original and grounded your work becomes.
Practical Ways to Balance Both Worlds
Set Creative Hours, Not Creative Chains
Treat your creator work like a job with opening and closing hours. When the laptop or editing app shuts, so does your online self.Build Rituals that Anchor You
Morning sunlight, evening walks, or even cooking dinner without your phone nearby. Rituals give your day a spine beyond content.Create in the World, Not Just About It
Inspiration is everywhere—markets, beaches, neighborhoods, even conversations. Make it a practice to step into the world and gather creative material offline.Use Movement as Reset
Walks, stretches, even just standing outside for five minutes when you’re stuck in the edit loop. These micro-breaks protect your mental clarity.Keep Real Relationships at the Center
No online metric will ever replace eye contact with a friend or the simple joy of laughing with someone who knows you. Protect that.
The Payoff
When you balance online ambition with offline grounding, your content feels richer, your ideas fresher, and your wellbeing stronger.
Audiences can sense when a creator is running on fumes versus when they’re creating from a life fully lived.
Build online, but live offline.
The internet rewards consistency, but life rewards presence. Balance them, and you’ll create with both stamina and soul.
The Reset Walk: Why Stepping Outside is Better Than Scrolling
We have a tendency to reach for our phones, or some other vice, when stress hits—but what if the real reset is just outside your front door?
A short walk can do more for your mental health than endless scrolling ever will.
Why Walking Works
Clears your head: Walking lowers stress hormones and boosts blood flow to the brain, helping you think more clearly.
Improves mood: Even a 10-minute walk can release endorphins and reduce anxiety.
Breaks the loop: Stepping away from screens interrupts the cycle of comparison, overstimulation, and digital fatigue.
Walking as Moving Meditation
When you walk, especially outdoors, you can turn it into a walking meditation:
Focus on your breath.
Notice the rhythm of your steps.
Pay attention to sounds, colors, and textures around you.
It’s mindfulness in motion—no app or subscription required.
How to Start Your Reset Walk
Keep it simple: 5–15 minutes is enough.
Leave your phone behind (or at least in your pocket).
Pick a familiar loop or just wander.
5 Unexpected Grounding Tricks That Actually Work
Anxiety has a special way of pulling you away from your own life.
Here are five grounding moves that pull you back fast.
1. Count Backwards by Sevens
Sounds silly, but math makes your brain too busy to spiral. Start at 100 and go: 93, 86, 79… You’ll either calm down or get distracted trying to remember what comes next.
2. Carry a “Reset Object”
Keep something small in your pocket (a coin, smooth stone, or ring). When your thoughts race, grip it. The familiar weight brings your body back to safety.
3. Re-Write the Room
Pick one object in front of you and describe it out loud in absurd detail—as if you’re writing its dating profile. (“This mug is sturdy, a little chipped, definitely loyal.”) Humor + focus = calm.
4. Hum One Note
Humming vibrates your vagus nerve, which literally tells your nervous system to chill.
5. The “Name Your Anchor” Trick
Choose a phrase that steadies you—something like “Right now, I’m okay.” Every time anxiety swells, repeat it like you’re throwing yourself a lifeline.
The Tiny Rituals That Quiet Anxiety in Under 5 Minutes
When anxiety spikes, you don’t always have the time or resources to flow directly into yoga or meditation.
Sometimes you just need quick ways to calm anxiety—rituals you can reach for anytime, anywhere.
These small, repeatable actions signal safety to your nervous system and restore calm in minutes.
1. The 4-7-8 Breath
Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8. This breathing pattern slows your heart rate and shifts your body out of stress mode.
2. Warm Cup Reset
Make tea, or even just hold a warm mug of water. The steady heat in your hands and chest sends a “calm down” message to your brain.
3. Five Senses Check-In
Name one thing you can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste. This daily ritual for calm grounds you in the present instead of spinning in “what ifs.”
4. Write a 3-Sentence Journal
Jot down what’s on your mind in exactly three sentences. The limit forces clarity and helps release racing thoughts.
5. Move Your Body Quickly
Stretch, shake out your arms, or walk briskly around the room. Just two minutes of movement clears anxious energy.
Practice one or two daily so they become your automatic reset when anxiety rises.
Micro-Journaling: The 3-Sentence Trick That Clears Your Head
When your mind feels cluttered, you don’t always have the time or energy to write pages in a notebook. That’s where micro-journaling comes in—a simple method that can help you feel lighter in just a few minutes.
Here’s the trick: write only three sentences.
One about what’s on your mind right now.
One about how it makes you feel.
One about what you want to focus on next.
That’s it.
Three lines.
No pressure to be profound or perfect.
This quick journaling practice is powerful for mental health because it clears mental space, reduces overwhelm, and builds self-awareness without feeling like “homework.”
If you’ve struggled to stay consistent with journaling, try this simple journaling prompt every morning or before bed—it might just become your easiest mental reset.
The Morning Reset Routine That Feels Like an Ocean Breeze
Looking for a simple morning reset routine that clears your mind and sets your day up with calm?
Think ocean breeze: light, refreshing, steady.
Step 1: Walk Outside
A few minutes of morning movement wakes up your body and lowers stress.
Step 2: Find the Sunlight
Natural light resets your circadian rhythm, boosts energy, and lifts mood.
Step 3: Breathe Deep
Slow, intentional breaths bring calm to your nervous system before the day rushes in.
Start small. Repeat daily. Let your mornings feel like a freeing breeze.
Looking for a simple morning reset routine that clears your mind and sets your day up with calm?
Think ocean breeze: light, refreshing, steady.
Step 1: Walk Outside
A few minutes of morning movement wakes up your body and lowers stress.
Step 2: Find the Sunlight
Natural light resets your circadian rhythm, boosts energy, and lifts mood.
Step 3: Breathe Deep
Slow, intentional breaths bring calm to your nervous system before the day rushes in.
Start small. Repeat daily. Let your mornings feel like a freeing breeze.