The White Wall Firebreak

The White Wall Firebreak

In the middle of a busy coaching programme, I asked one of my clients to do something that seemed… odd.

“Stare at a white wall for 5 minutes a day. No phone. No music. No distractions.”

He did it. For a while.

Then life got busy again — and he stopped.

A few weeks later, his wife said to him:

“You were a much nicer person when you were doing that wall staring. You need to start again.”

We laughed together when he told me. But she was right.

That tiny pause — that daily firebreak — gave him space to reset between the chaos of work and the people he loves.

And it wasn’t really about the wall.

It was about creating stillness.

A moment to wipe the screen clean.

A break in the noise so you can show up differently.

✨ You don’t need a retreat, a yoga mat, or hours of meditation to change your life.

Sometimes, 5 quiet minutes can shift everything.

🧘 Mini Practice: Your Firebreak

Try this today:

Find a blank wall (or window, or even the sky).

Set a timer for 5 minutes.

Soften your gaze. Just be.

If your mind wanders, simply come back to the stillness.

Notice how you feel afterwards — and how you show up for the next thing you do.

✨ It’s a simple firebreak.

A pause that stops the flames of busyness from burning through your life.

💬 I’d love to know — what’s your version of a daily firebreak?