Feeling Off? Try These 6 Small Physical Shifts for a Reset
We all have moments when we feel a little off and can’t quite explain why.
Maybe you’re a bit tired. Or a little anxious. Or you just can’t quite get motivated to start the thing you meant to do.
Lately, I’ve been noticing how our bodies are always shifting—quietly, subtly—without us having to think about it. Like the small adjustments we make when we’ve been sitting in one place too long. Or our breathing slowing down as we start to fall asleep.
Our bodies are always working to bring us back into balance—even without our conscious help.
But there are also shifts we can choose.
They don’t have to be big, dramatic changes. Just small, almost invisible ones. The kind you can do anywhere, anytime. The kind that won’t necessarily fix anything—but are still powerful enough to gently nudge your day in a better direction.
Here are six of my favorite physical shifts for a mental reset:
1. Soften your face
Pause for a second and notice your face. Is your jaw tight? Brow furrowed? Eyes strained?
Loosen it all. Unclench your jaw. Smooth your forehead. Close your eyes. Maybe even let a small smile show up, just for a few seconds.
Sometimes releasing tension on the outside creates a little more ease on the inside too.
2. Drink a glass of water
You don’t have to wait until you’re thirsty to benefit from a drink of water.
It’s such a simple thing, but it’s easy to forget. When your body is hydrated, everything works a little better—including your ability to think clearly.
3. Step outside for a minute
Fresh air has a way of resetting things. Maybe you’ve noticed how a crying baby often gets quiet when you walk them outside.
It doesn’t have to be a long walk or a hike through the woods. Just stepping outside for a minute or two—feeling the air, noticing the light—can shift something small inside you.
4. Drop your shoulders
I don’t usually notice my shoulders until I do—and I realize how tense they are. Let your shoulders fall. Roll them back. Sit or stand a little taller.
It’s a subtle shift, but it can send a signal to the rest of your body: you’re allowed to ease up and lift your heart to the sky.
5. Take a couple deep breaths
When my grandmother was nearing the end of her life, I noticed her breaths became so shallow. Watching her breathe made me want to take deeper breaths myself.
Try it now. Slow down for a couple full inhales and long exhales.
Sometimes that’s enough to remind you to appreciate what’s still working, still moving.
6. Stretch your body
Reach your arms overhead. Roll your neck. Stand up if you’ve been sitting.
Stretching is a quiet way of noticing: I’ve been contracted. And then responding: I can expand a little now.
Not just physically—but mentally too. Our minds often follow where our bodies lead.
“Make the ordinary come alive…The extraordinary will take care of itself.”
—William Martin
None of these shifts will solve your problems or change the world.
But stepping out of autopilot—even briefly—might change you a little in this moment.
It might remind you that you do have some say in how you move through your day.
And sometimes one small shift is enough.
What’s one tiny shift your body is asking for right now?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
Read more Shift ideas here. It’s my One Word for 2026.
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- This Month’s Wordy Invitation: Write a Poem or Blessing
This is stellar advice, Lisa! I’m glad that I practice most of the things you’ve listed here every day. Those slight and simple shifts can truly boost our perception of our day and our world. Blessings!
Isn’t it amazing that even small things can make a difference? Maybe not a huge difference in the grand scheme of things, but enough to make our day a little better.
This post reminded me that I’d left a glass of herbal tea steeping on the kitchen counter, growing colder with each distracted minute. Hydration IS vital for optimum health–thank you for the reminder, Linda–and the other tips for perking up ourselves throughout the day!
I hope you were able to enjoy your tea, Nancy! 🙂 I’m reminded that I need to go refill my water bottle. Some days it’s easy to drink a lot, but other days I just forget. lol.
Tx for great small-shift recommendations, all of which most of us can do. I now drink 8 (8oz) glasses of water daily. seriously. I take a water bottle everywhere and feel dehydrated if I don’t have it. I was staggered when my PCP told me several years ago I was low on water, and recommended I drink 64 oz daily. I thought I would die — or die, drowning! BUT I had no idea how dehydrated I was. Now my body craves water. I shifted to small sips, and they add up. I also drive Mike and Sheridan crazy w/ measuring out my allotment. They say I’m being too punctilious and perfectionistic. I certainly can be that way about many things. But this works for me.
We also don’t realize the tension we carry in our shoulders And deep breathing and reoxygenating is good for the body and soul. Breathing helps relaxation. I”m a singer, and life is in the breath, in more ways than one.
Another good shift, Lisa, would be to get up and walk every 1/2 hour to 60 min. if you are sitting at the computer. It’s harder for me to do, b/c I feel so dizzy, rising. But it’s good to shift from that stationery position.
Tx for great reminders.
xo
Lynn
That’s amazing that you drink so much water, Lynn. I drink a lot too, some days more than others. Water is basically all I drink. I never learned to like coffee, although Jeff does. However I do like either a lemonade or a diet cola in the afternoon for snacktime. 🙂
Yes, I’m always surprised at how crunched up I get with my body without even being aware of it. When I stop to notice, I can consciously unwind and it feels good. Thinking about you often, friend!
These are great– many remind me of how wonderful I feel after my Tuesday Yoga class… though I tend to hold more tension in my jaw than my shoulders.
I hold tension in my jaw too–I realize it more when my TMJ acts up. It’s the perfect reminder to relax more often. 🙂
Glad you enjoy yoga too. It’s taken me years to finally really appreciate it. But now I do! It feels so good to move my body in gentle ways (although there are still a lot of poses that I cannot do and probably never will, ha).
Great ideas. What surprised me the most was the dropping of my shoulders. How quickly i relaxed! I won’t forget that trick. Thanks Lisa!
Isn’t it amazing how that little shift in our body can make such a difference!
These are all excellent suggestions, Lisa. I carry a lot of stress in my shoulders. I’ve been doing private pilates lessons since October, and my instructor’s phrase is “Get your shoulders out of your ears.” I know that doing that regularly will help me, so I try to remember that when I’m not in her studio.
I love that you mentioned this doesn’t change the world but that you feel better today. And THAT makes a difference. 🙂 It really does!
Visiting from the Crazy Little Lovebirds linkup.
Thanks for sharing this, Jennifer. I smiled at your instructor’s phrase because it reminds me of what “Yoga with Adrienne” also says about putting a lot of space between your ears and shoulders. In the past I would have never even thought of that! But I do feel the difference it makes now. Thanks for visiting!
Thanks Lisa, simple but doable shifts we can all make. I never notice my shoulders are creeping up until I stop and let them go! It makes such a difference doesn’t it?
Same for me with my shoulders, Debbie. I don’t even notice I’m tensing them up. Awareness is so crucial, to so many things!
Thank you for these tips, Lisa — I know them, I really do.
But while reading, I suddenly thought, oh yes… my face. I need to relax my face.
I had been cycling for an hour, straight into the sun and the wind, squinting my eyes a little to see and to avoid all the little bugs.
Ah… such a relief to finally let my face relax.
As I was reading your words, I noticed my face wasn’t relaxed either. Over and over, I need reminders. So thank you for another one, Aritha! 🙂
Now that is a “workout-plan” that I can get behind. ????❤️
I love this list. I think these small shifts can actually make a big difference, especially if practiced regularly. Being in a state of unconscious tension causes all kinds of problems over time.
Another little trick I’ve learned is to put a gentle hand on my belly or heart. It is also a signal to our body to relax.
Lisa, great list! I’ve been practicing calming breathing exercises that my fitness watch provides. They truly help me relax, especially when my stress levels rise.
For me, stretching my neck helps me to relax. Putting my chin to chest and rotate my head left to right. This helps me the best.
I love how simple and practical – and do-able! – each of these little shifts are. Relaxing tension and giving myself a chance to reframe my outlook is so helpful when I’m not feeling my best or feeling overwhelmed. I see a couple of things here to add to my anti-stress toolbox. Visiting from ST&F today
These are great physical shift resets Lisa.
Thanks so much for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friend’s this month sweet friend.
Happy June Lisa. Just popping back over to let you know I’ll be featuring your post at our Sweet Tea & Friend’s June Link Up.
{{hugs}}