The Parents’ Wind-Down
Designed by BearmoreFor when the day never seems to end.
You’ve helped everyone else off to sleep. Now it’s your turn. Tidy up a bit, make yourself a hot drink and leave your phone in another room, then take some long, deep breaths.
The runsheet
When you're regulated as a parent, the home tends to follow. A short tidy-up of the day's mess, in low light, without the radio. The act of tidying is help start the wind-down.
15 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing tidying & cleaning (mindful) before eating (mindful)
This works well because eating mindfully in a clean space can feel more calm and satisfying with a fresh environment around you.
Hot drink, no screens
Eating (mindful)A real cup of tea or warm milk, sat down, phone in another room. Ockwell-Smith (who this Burst was inspired by) writes about the parent's own wind-down being the bit nobody schedules.
15 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing eating (mindful) before breath work
This can be a good pairing because both involve awareness, so breath work feels like a natural extension of mindful eating.
Ten minutes of long exhales
Breath workThis is a simple practice for kids that works for adults too: long exhales, longer than the inhale. Five to ten minutes is enough to bring you down a notch.
10 min activityTime well spent.
54m spent doing something good for yourself.
The breakdown
Burst evaluation
Wellbeing focus
About this Burst
This Burst is for parents but scales to anyone whose day ends with other people's needs still needing to be taken care of. It's the parent's wind-down: a small tidy-up at home in low light, sit down with a hot drink, and a brief breathwork session to settle before bed. None of it asks for self-discipline you don’t have.