What's Good for Busy Mums Who Need a Quick Reset?

By Lola Olajide, Founder of Ruthy Michaels

Ruthy Michaels, founder of therapeutic colouring book brand Ruthy Michaels, smiling and holding two colouring markers against an orange background — self-care and mindfulness colouring for busy mums and caregivers.

It's 3 pm. Someone has shouted "Muuum!" for the fourteenth time today. The kitchen looks like a cereal factory exploded. And you can't remember the last time you sat down with a thought that was entirely your own.

If that's you, you don't need a spa weekend. You need ten minutes.

Here are five quick resets that genuinely work for busy mums, especially in the school holidays:

1. Colour one page. Just one.
Colouring lowers your heart rate and quiets the mental noise faster than scrolling ever will. Keep a colouring book and a few pencils somewhere you can grab them, a kitchen drawer, a handbag, or a car. One page is enough.

2. The 4-7-8 breath.
Breathe in for 4, hold for 7, out for 8. Three rounds. It signals your nervous system that you're safe, even if the living room says otherwise.

3. Write down three things, then close the book.
Not a full journal entry. Just three lines: what's heavy, what's okay, what's next. Getting it out of your head and onto paper is the reset.

4. Step outside for two minutes.
Back door, front step, garden, anywhere. Daylight and fresh air reset your body clock and your mood, even on a grey day.

5. Say one kind thing to yourself.
You'd never speak to a friend the way you speak to yourself on a hard day. One affirmation, said out loud, counts: "I am doing enough."

Want all of this in one place?
I've put together a free 10 Minute Reset Kit — a colouring page, a breathing exercise, and a gentle affirmation, designed for mums who only have 10 minutes. And there's a bonus inside: our Wellness Bingo, a playful way to fit small moments of care into your week.

Download both free here: bit.ly/4tFKPNL

Colour. Journal. Breathe. 🌸