On adjusting your pressure dial, plus a mobility minute.

Welcome to the first of what will now be weekly posts where I offer an anecdote, an exercise and an inspiration.

Anecdote: I was talking with my 11-year-old about the pressure parents put on kids (and themselves) to fulfill their academic, athletic or other potential. He said, “It’s like baking a cake. You need to turn up the dial to give it some heat, but not so much that you burn it.” Where in your life are you under- or over-cooking?

Exercise: This video gives you a head-to-toe routine for joint rotations in a minute. Slow down any of the movements if you have more time. I love to do this as a computer break.

Slowly nod the head yes, and shake it no.

Shoulder circles in both directions.

Standing cat/cow.

Standing hip circles (a few in each direction).

Knee circles.

Ankle circles.

If you try it, I’d love to know how you feel.

Inspiration: This recent episode of the Mel Robbins Podcast on caregiver burnout encourages small steps toward sanity reclamation. One particularly resonant tip: Every day, no matter how busy you are, sit down without a device to eat your lunch. I am constantly tempted to scarf on the go, especially in the mornings when I’m racing to get my kids out the door. But eating more mindfully helped a lot when I was struggling with digestive problems.

You deserve to chew your food.