Give Yourself a Break - You’re Doing Great | A Short Walk to Release the Pressure You Put on Yourself

Listener favorite!

This episode is of the most downloaded and shared walks on The Healing Mile. If you’re new here, this is a beautiful place to start. And if you’ve walked this one before, consider this a gentle invitation to return and notice what feels different today.

If you’re constantly pushing yourself, setting goals, and feeling like you should be doing more - this short walking episode is for you.

This walk is a reminder that growth doesn’t only come from pushing harder. It also comes from pausing, breathing, and giving yourself credit for showing up — even in small, quiet ways.

You’ll also hear about the 365 Daily Wellness Deck, a simple daily tool created to help you stay connected to yourself with short encouraging messages, gentle movement ideas, and moments of stillness — all without rules or perfection and you can find it here:

https://stan.store/carriewalks/p/the-daily-wellness-deck

Take this walk as a reminder:

• You’re doing more than you think.
• You’re allowed to grow at your own pace.
• And giving yourself a break is part of real self-care.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Welcome to the Healing Mini Mile. I'm Carrie, your walking bestie, and today we're talking about something most of us need more than we admit or even know, and that's giving yourself a break and actually letting yourself see the good you're doing. I want you to finish this walk feeling lighter inside, less pressured, less self-critical, and more aware of the quiet progress you've been making all along. Because here's the truth. So many of us are doing better than we think, but we rarely give ourselves credit for it. Since you're here, I think I might know this about you already. You have goals. You care about growing. You want more for your life, more peace, more health, more stability, more confidence, whatever it is. That's a beautiful thing. But here's where so many of us get tripped up. We're always looking ahead, always focused on what's next, what still needs fixing, what still isn't where we want it to be. And in doing that, we completely skip over something really important. You've already done a lot. You've already grown a lot. You've already handled things that once felt heavy, confusing, or overwhelming. You're standing here today because you kept going, even on days when it would have been easier not to. That counts. All of it counts. Progress doesn't only show up as big milestones or dramatic changes. Sometimes it looks like showing up again. Sometimes it looks like choosing differently than you used to. Sometimes it looks like resting instead of forcing. Sometimes it looks like being kinder to yourself than you were last year. And if you never pause long enough to acknowledge that, it can start to feel like you're always behind, even when you're not. So this walk is an invitation to stop rushing yourself, to loosen the pressure just a little, to recognize that growth and grace can exist at the same time. You're allowed to want more and appreciate where you are. You're allowed to work towards your goals and celebrate the version of you who's already showing up. So as we walk, let this be a gentle check-in, a reminder that you don't have to earn rest. You don't have to prove progress. You're already doing enough to be proud of. Alright, let's walk this out together. Let's warm up your body a bit. Take a slow breath in through your nose. And an easy exhale out through your mouth. Let your shoulders relax. Let your face soften. Feel your steps settle into a comfortable pace. Right now you're giving yourself a moment you probably don't give often enough. A moment to breathe without rushing, without judging, without trying to fix anything. Just steady movement, just presence. That's enough. So for most of my life, I pushed myself way too hard. Every day felt like a test I had to pass. I'd go through my day thinking about everything I didn't finish instead of noticing all the things I did. And the wild part, I could have the most productive day ever. Work done, meals prepped, house clean, workout finished, and still go to bed feeling like I didn't do enough. It was exhausting. There were seasons where life asked more of me, and instead of adjusting my expectations, I pushed myself harder. I felt tired, irritable. I thought I needed more discipline. If I slowed down, I thought I was falling behind and was lazy. But over time, I learned something simple and real. You cannot grow from a place of constant pressure on yourself. You grow from steadiness and self-respect and giving yourself room to be human. Now this shift didn't happen overnight. It happened in tiny moments, moments just like this walk, where I paused long enough to say, wait, I'm actually doing okay. I'm trying, I'm showing up, and that counts. When you give yourself a break, you don't lower your standards. You give yourself space to rise in a way that feels natural, sustainable, and kind. Okay, let's keep going with a few simple ways to give yourself a break without losing momentum or lowering your goals even after this walk. Choose one small thing to let go of today. Just one. One expectation, one should, one pressure that keeps sitting on your shoulders. Letting go of one thing creates room for what matters and helps you breathe a little. Notice what you did get done. Like I was saying, sometimes our brains naturally focus on the missing pieces and what we haven't done yet. Shift your attention to the follow-through, the effort, and the tiny wins that show that your intention is still there and you're still getting things done. Give yourself credit out loud. Say, I handled a lot today. Say, I'm proud of how I showed up today. These simple acknowledgments build trust and confidence from the inside out. Match your energy, not a perfect routine. Some days you'll move more, some days you'll rest more. Adjust the plan instead of judging yourself. That's it. You're still showing up, and that consistency matters. These small shifts help us move through life with more clarity and less weight on our shoulders. As we wind down this short walk, here are a few affirmations to support you today. Repeat them silently, out loud, or just listen and notice how they feel inside. I give myself credit for the good I'm doing. I treat myself with patience and respect. I'm allowed to grow at my own pace. I trust myself to show up in ways that feel right for me. I'm doing better than I realize. Take one more deep breath in. And a slow, easy exhale out. You're doing more than you see. You're showing up in ways that matter, and giving yourself a break is a part of taking care of yourself. This walk is proof that you chose something supportive today. A moment to breathe, reset, and connect with yourself. If you want a simple way to keep this connection with yourself going on a daily basis, I highly recommend the 365 Daily Wellness Deck in the show notes. It's a digital set of daily cards you can pull one at a time, and each one gives you a short, encouraging message for the day, plus one small idea for movement and one for stillness and breath. You can keep it on your phone, your laptop, or by your bed and use it whenever you want a quick reset or a little direction. It's there to help you stay consistent with caring for yourself, without pressure, rules, or perfection. I'll put the link to a sample in the show notes so you can see it. Alright, I'm so happy you walked with me today. These small steps matter and you matter, and I'm grateful to be on this walking journey with you. As always, thank you so much for joining me here on the Healing Mini Mile, and I'll see you on the path again soon.