A Five-Minute Reset That Helps Me Begin Again

You don’t have to go anywhere.You don’t have to buy anything.

All it takes is five minutes.

I call it a five-minute vacation — a small reset I return to when things go sideways.

Let me show you what I mean.

Last Saturday, I was demonstrating at Lake Effect Gallery, painting front and center in the window. When I demonstrate, my setup is temporary — a folding table, an easel, and far less room than I have in my studio.

Every inch mattered.

The tabletop was packed: mixing palette, paint jars, brushes. Just enough space remained for my travel coffee cup — a tall, wobbly cylinder of motivation.

I was humming along, lost in the rhythm of painting, when a couple wandered in. The woman paused to watch while her husband moseyed ahead. A moment later, he called out her name.

She turned quickly.

Her suitcase-sized purse clipped the edge of my portable table.

The table wobbled.

The coffee tipped.

A jar of vibrant red paint followed.

In seconds, bright red streaks splattered across my soft pastel landscape.

This was not a Jackson Pollock moment.

The fresh oil paint began blending with the red, bleeding into places it had no business being.

The woman stood frozen — wide-eyed, apologetic, horrified.

Instinct kicked in. I reassured her everything was okay while lifting the painting off the easel before red drips could reach the gallery floor. I hurried out of sight and scraped away the paint.

All of it.

But before surrendering an entire day’s work, I knew exactly what I needed.

A five-minute vacation.

I stepped outside. Let the cold, crisp air nip my nose. Took slow, deliberate breaths. Little by little, my heart rate slowed. My shoulders softened. My stomach untwisted.

No one was hurt.No paint landed on the floor or walls.Nothing was ruined beyond repair.

It was simply one of life’s unexpected surprises.

Yes, the shock stung.But everything was fixable.And sometimes, a setback becomes an improvement — once we give ourselves a moment to reset.

That’s the quiet power of a small pause. A gentle shift. Just enough space to begin again.

Here are a few five-minute vacations that help me reset:

Energizing resets

• Turn on music and move your body

• Sing out loud (volume optional 😉)

• Do a quick side-shuffle or tap dance

• Walk briskly — better yet, take the stairs

Soothing resets

• Shoulder rolls: full circles forward, then back, eyes closed

• Stretching arms overhead, twisting gently at the waist

• Doodling or scribbling — then smiling at the shapes

• Starting with a chuckle and letting it grow into a real laugh

• Making a cup of tea and gazing at art you love, feet propped up

Ahhh… five minutes can change a lot.

Sometimes all we need isn’t a solution — just a pause.A breath.

A small reset that lets us return with steadier hands and a clearer heart.

This is what I call a five-minute vacation.