Breathe/Fast/Move
Three daily practices that helped me move forward
Over the years I'd picked up a little bit of everything on the self-improvement front — books, podcasts, techniques, supplements. In the last 4–5 years, I decided to boil it down to the simple few, and the ones that have obvious proof — you either do them, or you don't, no messin'.
What follows isn't a program. It's a framework — three practices, each with a physical and a mental component, that stack on top of each other each day. They're simple, free, and backed by decent (if imperfect) evidence. No magic beans.
Give it three months. That's the minimum to feel the shift. These are slow to work and won't give magic results overnight, and ask for a little commitment.
Breathe
I sit somewhere, breathe in slowly through my nose, into the diaphragm. I try and breathe as slowly as I can handle, for about 10–20 minutes. No apps or complex technique. From here I try and carry it into the rest of the day — little moments, even in conversation, to take a breath and slow things down.
I noticed that when I breathe slower, I react slower too. Not sluggish, just less on autopilot. I studied a lot of meditation over the years, but it got in the way. This is simpler — be still, breathe slower, get on with your day.
Worth reading: James Nestor's Breath
Fast
I started with 16:8 — skip breakfast, have lunch and dinner. It was a way to build a little discipline. I felt a bit of hunger, which is good to reconnect with. These days I do 20:4, but approach that slowly, it can be a slog. I also aim to do a 24-hour fast once a month. You learn pretty quickly that hunger comes in waves — it peaks, and then it just passes. Most of what I thought was hunger was just habit. Careful with this one though as it can push the body and isn't great for everyone.
The unexpected part was how much quieter things got. Less eating, less snacking, less reaching for something every time I was bored — it all added up to less noise in general. I started noticing how much of my day was just consumption on autopilot.
Worth reading: Jason Fung's The Complete Guide to Fasting
Move
I've never had a love of the gym, the rest is just more fun. Walking, stretching, yoga, calisthenics, a good hike, carrying the groceries a few extra blocks — it all counts. My goal is more movement, not more punishment, and as I've gotten older it's paid off. It's why the concept is called "move" — building motion throughout the entire day rather than cramming it into a heroic gym session.
I found that when I move more, I get stuck less. Not just physically — I'm more likely to send the email, start the thing, make the decision. I used to have major analysis paralysis, and honestly was half bored to death. Regular movement seems to loosen all of that up.
Then?
PLACEHOLDER — What comes after establishing the practice? Where this leads, what opens up, what you're working toward. This is the Earth section — the grounding, the integration, what it all adds up to in daily life.
Why these three?
Because they're free, portable, and they can't be bluffed.
I've tried plenty of things that worked short-term — supplements, productivity systems, mantras, super special meditation techniques. These three survived because they don't need willpower, equipment, or a subscription. They build self-reliance. You're trusting yourself to eat less, find your calm, and take action with exactly what you have on hand right now.
Brisbane-based, not a guru, just found a few things I love doing every day