When softening doesn’t feel easy

January 19, 2026

When softening doesn’t feel easy

Soften

🌿 January’s Soft Things
A small collection for tender days.

The sound of water heating in a kettle
Socks warmed on the radiator or straight from the dryer
Turning your phone face down
A softer playlist than usual
Lip balm applied slowly, twice
Pausing before answering a question
Letting one thing be “good enough"

Something to Keep

Choose one ordinary place your hands land each day —
a counter, a table, the side of the bed.

Each time you touch it this week, pause for a single breath.
Let your shoulders drop just a little.

No intention.
No meaning-making.

Just letting your body notice that it’s supported.

Hello beautiful souls,

Welcome to a gentle start to the week.

This month’s word is Soften, and I’m noticing something tender about it: softening doesn’t always feel safe.

For many of us, especially sensitive hearts and caregivers, we’ve learned to brace. To stay alert. To hold things together. So, when we’re invited to soften, even a little, the body sometimes hesitates.

This week isn’t about forcing rest or letting your guard all the way down. It’s about choosing softness where it feels safe.

Small. Quiet. On your own terms

A gentle practice for today

Once today, or sometime this week, maybe right before bed when the house finally settles, pause for one breath with your hands on your body.

Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly.
Inhale gently. Then let your exhale be a little longer than your inhale.

If it feels good, apply hand cream, facial oil, or moisturizer afterward — slowly, with light pressure.

No fixing.
No improving.

Just letting your body know it doesn’t have to brace in this moment.

A journaling prompt

You don’t need to answer this perfectly.

What does softening look like when I don’t feel ready to rest?

Write a sentence. A phrase. Or simply notice what comes up.

That’s enough.

Small radiant practices for the week

Choose one — or none. Let them stay optional.

• Exhale slowly before entering a room
• Replace overhead lights with one lamp
• Let silence exist without filling it
• Touch something warm before sleep
• Choose comfort once, without explaining it
• Stop one task slightly earlier than planned

Softening isn’t giving up.
It’s choosing kindness as a starting place.

Especially on Mondays.

May this week meet you gently.
May you feel a little more at ease in your own body — even for a moment.

With warmth,
Carrie

P.S.
If you feel like it, you can hit reply and tell me one small way you’re softening this week.
Even a single word is enough.

P.P.S.
This month on YouTube, I’m sharing Tiny Treasures, The Space Between, Scent Stories, and 3-Minute Glow Rituals — all rooted in the word Soften. You’re always welcome there.

My YouTube channel