On my drive to work, I hit anywhere between 5 and 10 red lights. In my parents’ neighbourhood, they’ve installed speed bumps as a new “traffic calming” measure.

In our own lives, we don’t have time to do the creative practices we love in the middle of the day. I’ve recently tried to integrate small pockets of creativity into my day in small ways; I think of these reprieves as traffic calming for my nervous system.

Examples of activities that can be calming under 5 minutes:

Doodling or colouring with pencils or markers
Writing in a journal or diary
Guided or Walking Meditation

It can sometimes be overwhelming thinking of what to draw or doodle beforehand. One practice I find helpful, is sourcing inspiration in nature or online and saving references to an album on my phone. Recently, I’ve found doodling paisley pattern meditative and relaxing.

Not sure what to draw? Try the paisley pattern prompt:

Cover your page with “leaf” shapes
Fill in each leaf with its own design:
- Repeat motifs like flowers, stripes and swirls
Enjoy your day