Healing in the Small Moments

Tiffanie Trudeau
Aug 4
3 min read

How Micro-Shifts Create Meaningful Change

Tiffanie Trudeau, LMHC

Many people begin their healing journey after a critical moment that shakes the foundation of their life. A relationship ends, a burnout breakdown forces a pause, a diagnosis delivers unexpected news, or a loss brings grief to the surface.

These events disorient us, strip away illusions, and demand that we confront the discomfort we've been managing or avoiding. When healing begins from such grief or upheaval, it makes sense that we long for drastic transformation. We want the pain to mean something. We want to see change, fast.

And while change is a hallmark of healing, sustainable, embodied healing unfolds slowly. It doesn’t usually come in big, sweeping transformations, but in small, consistent shifts. The kind of change that often happens beneath the surface before it’s visible to the outside world.

What Invisible Healing Can Look Like

Healing work often begins internally, in ways that are subtle but powerful:

Speaking to yourself more kindly when you make a mistake
Sitting with the discomfort of setting a boundary—and not rushing to undo it
Choosing rest over productivity, even when guilt whispers that you're being lazy
Committing to a bedtime routine, not as self-punishment or optimization, but as an act of care

These moments might not look impressive from the outside, but over time, they transform your inner world. You begin to notice differently, respond more intentionally, and honor yourself more consistently.

That is the real work of healing: becoming someone who chooses themselves with love, not fear. It’s a gradual process that builds a life rooted in alignment and self-respect.

Micro-Healing: The Power of Small, Consistent Choices

If you’re in a season of healing, or simply longing for more ease and connection with yourself. I invite you to embrace micro-changes. These aren’t grand gestures or dramatic overhauls. They are gentle, doable practices that accumulate over time to create meaningful shifts.

Here are a few invitations for micro-healing:

Micro-Moments of Stillness

If you’ve been living in a state of chronic busyness, either as a distraction or because your boundaries are blurry, stillness can feel unfamiliar, even uncomfortable. But micro-moments of stillness can reintroduce peace in digestible doses.

Try this:

Drive in silence and sit with stillness at each red light
Take 30 seconds of focused breathing before you get out of bed
Pause for one minute to feel your feet on the ground and notice your breath

Micro-Moments of Joy

Healing isn’t just about processing pain. It’s also about reclaiming your right to feel good. To smile. To laugh. To feel light.

Try this:

Watch a funny video and let yourself laugh, out loud
Play your favorite upbeat song and dance for one minute
Step outside and savor the sunset or the warmth of the sun on your skin

These moments are not distractions from healing. They are healing.

Micro-Moments of Connection

Because healing is often described as an “inside job,” people sometimes assume it must be done alone. But we heal in relationships too. Others can reflect back the progress we might not see in ourselves. They can meet us in our vulnerability, celebrate our growth, and remind us that we’re not alone.

Try this:

Make eye contact and smile at the grocery store cashier
Text a friend a genuine “thinking of you” message
Share something honest with someone you trust

Don’t let isolation wear the disguise of “protecting your peace.” Sometimes peace is found in presence, not just our own, but in being present with others.