Denise Pyles (@infopyles) header
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Denise Pyles

@infopyles

Former nun + contemplative writer helping high-achieving women quiet the after-work mind through micro-mindfulness. Start with one sentence. ⬇️

 Edmonds, WA
denise-pyles.mykajabi.com/one-sentence-for-a-noisy-mind
Joined February 2014
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Photo by Denise Pyles (@infopyles)Photo by Denise Pyles (@infopyles)Photo by Denise Pyles (@infopyles)Photo by Denise Pyles (@infopyles)Photo by Denise Pyles (@infopyles)Photo by Denise Pyles (@infopyles)Photo by Denise Pyles (@infopyles)Photo by Denise Pyles (@infopyles)Photo by Denise Pyles (@infopyles)Photo by Denise Pyles (@infopyles)
Replying to @infopyles
The book is now available. Get your copy today. a.co/d/8GI38zE
Image from Denise Pyles (@infopyles)
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Tension shows up in your body long before your mind catches it. When you read a tense email or switch between high-stakes tasks, check in with your breath. Are you holding it? Try the 6-second reset: • Inhale for 4 seconds • Exhale slowly for 6 seconds • Repeat 3 times You don't need a quiet room, just your attention.
Image from Denise Pyles (@infopyles)
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Your day has had a moment of your attention. Name something that matters.
A screenshot of an essay titled 'Let One Sentence Be Enough'. The text discusses the value of taking a moment to reflect at the end of the workday by writing down a single sentence that captures a meaningful thought or observation from the day. It encourages readers to think about what stood out to them, whether it was handling a conversation well or recognizing the need for assistance. Examples of sentences include ‘I gave myself time to think before answering’ and ‘I felt stretched today, and tomorrow I’ll ask for help.’ The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of acknowledging one’s experiences before transitioning to personal time.

ALT A screenshot of an essay titled 'Let One Sentence Be Enough'. The text discusses the value of taking a moment to reflect at the end of the workday by writing down a single sentence that captures a meaningful thought or observation from the day. It encourages readers to think about what stood out to them, whether it was handling a conversation well or recognizing the need for assistance. Examples of sentences include ‘I gave myself time to think before answering’ and ‘I felt stretched today, and tomorrow I’ll ask for help.’ The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of acknowledging one’s experiences before transitioning to personal time.

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🫶
Jane Grismer (@janegrismer) profile pictureJane Grismer
@janegrismerOct 30
The real deal. Denise @infopyles is the real deal.
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When I hit my burnout wall, I didn’t need more hacks, productivity tools, or hustle. I needed less pressure, less pushing, and less pretending I was fine when I wasn't. I stopped glorifying exhaustion. Rest became my quiet rebellion. When you subtract what depletes you, you finally make room for what restores you.
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Amid demanding projects and endless Slack pings, overthinking your journaling is the fastest way to drop the habit. Try the One-Sentence Reflection: At the end of your day, distill your biggest insight, win, or obstacle into a single sentence. One sentence is enough to close out work without carrying it to dinner.
Image from Denise Pyles (@infopyles)
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When you’re accustomed to being capable and available, tending to yourself can take some practice.
A screenshot essay titled 'A 60-Second Pause to Help You Feel More Grounded Between Calls.' The essay emphasizes the importance of taking a moment between phone calls to ground oneself and reflect on the day’s stresses. It describes feelings that accumulate during conversations and suggests using intentional pauses to foster mindfulness at your desk. The text encourages readers to notice their physical and emotional needs, like feeling tired or needing water, and highlights the significance of self-care in maintaining awareness before transitioning to the next call.

ALT A screenshot essay titled 'A 60-Second Pause to Help You Feel More Grounded Between Calls.' The essay emphasizes the importance of taking a moment between phone calls to ground oneself and reflect on the day’s stresses. It describes feelings that accumulate during conversations and suggests using intentional pauses to foster mindfulness at your desk. The text encourages readers to notice their physical and emotional needs, like feeling tired or needing water, and highlights the significance of self-care in maintaining awareness before transitioning to the next call.

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For anyone in tech moving screen-to-screen and meeting-to-meeting: Try the doorway pause. Before you cross the threshold: • Pause with your fingers on the handle or frame • Feel your feet receive the floor • Take one slow breath in and out, like you're laying something down Fifteen seconds shifts the day's texture and lets your nervous system arrive.
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Mindfulness doesn't require a silent retreat, a meditation cushion, or 20 uninterrupted minutes. The biggest mistake is assuming it needs ideal conditions. It just requires you to start. When your day feels nonstop, taking 60 seconds between calls to pause and lengthen your exhale resets your nervous system before the spiral takes over.
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I learned to stay with a question long enough to hear what mattered beneath the first answer.
Screenshot essay titled 'Stay With the Question a Little Longer'. The essay reflects on the author's experience as a nun and the importance of deep reflection on questions regarding vocation and life choices. The author emphasizes the significance of staying with a question to uncover what truly matters, such as finding energy for loved ones after a busy day. They introduce the 'Micro-Mindfulness Method' and the practice of reflection, starting with the question 'What matters here?'. The text discusses the need for quiet time and planning to retain energy for personal connections, illustrating a mindful approach to daily life. The essay is accompanied by a photo of a sunset in Edmonds, WA.

ALT Screenshot essay titled 'Stay With the Question a Little Longer'. The essay reflects on the author's experience as a nun and the importance of deep reflection on questions regarding vocation and life choices. The author emphasizes the significance of staying with a question to uncover what truly matters, such as finding energy for loved ones after a busy day. They introduce the 'Micro-Mindfulness Method' and the practice of reflection, starting with the question 'What matters here?'. The text discusses the need for quiet time and planning to retain energy for personal connections, illustrating a mindful approach to daily life. The essay is accompanied by a photo of a sunset in Edmonds, WA.

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You close your laptop, but a moment from the meeting follows you into the kitchen. You replay what you said. You turn over what you wish you’d said. If you’re carrying a mistake this evening: tend to whatever repair is genuinely yours to make. Then feel the chair beneath you. Take a breath. Quietly remind yourself: "I can care about this and still let myself be here." Feel the warmth of your cup. Let yourself arrive in your own evening.
Image from Denise Pyles (@infopyles)
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In a culture that glorifies constant work, taking an intentional pause is a quiet reset. Schedule 5-minute breaks across your workday just as you pencil in meetings. Use those minutes to step away from the screen, close your eyes, and take a deep breath. These brief moments are non-negotiable appointments with yourself.
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In the Micro-Mindfulness Method, this movement is called Notice.
Screenshot essay titled 'Giving Your Tiredness a Moment of Attention'. The essay discusses the importance of acknowledging feelings of tiredness through micro-mindfulness techniques. It encourages pausing to recognize physical sensations and emotional states related to fatigue, such as tight shoulders and the desire for quiet. The author reflects on past experiences that may influence current energy levels and emphasizes curiosity about these feelings. The piece concludes with a thoughtful question on how to approach the day with more care. The background of the essay includes a photo of a serene morning scene at Lake of the Woods in Woodinville, WA.

ALT Screenshot essay titled 'Giving Your Tiredness a Moment of Attention'. The essay discusses the importance of acknowledging feelings of tiredness through micro-mindfulness techniques. It encourages pausing to recognize physical sensations and emotional states related to fatigue, such as tight shoulders and the desire for quiet. The author reflects on past experiences that may influence current energy levels and emphasizes curiosity about these feelings. The piece concludes with a thoughtful question on how to approach the day with more care. The background of the essay includes a photo of a serene morning scene at Lake of the Woods in Woodinville, WA.

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Choose a five-minute pause and pencil it into your calendar, with the same care you give a meeting.
A screenshot of an essay titled 'A Five-Minute Pause for Burnout Recovery.' The essay discusses the importance of taking short breaks throughout the workday to combat burnout. It emphasizes the need to prioritize self-care, suggesting that individuals schedule five-minute pauses with intentionality, similar to meetings. Key points include stepping away from the desk, standing by a window, and taking a moment to appreciate one's surroundings, such as autumn leaves. The essay concludes with the idea of carrying the calming experience back to the desk. The final part includes a photo of autumn leaves taken in Woodinville, WA.

ALT A screenshot of an essay titled 'A Five-Minute Pause for Burnout Recovery.' The essay discusses the importance of taking short breaks throughout the workday to combat burnout. It emphasizes the need to prioritize self-care, suggesting that individuals schedule five-minute pauses with intentionality, similar to meetings. Key points include stepping away from the desk, standing by a window, and taking a moment to appreciate one's surroundings, such as autumn leaves. The essay concludes with the idea of carrying the calming experience back to the desk. The final part includes a photo of autumn leaves taken in Woodinville, WA.

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A Word for the Afternoon Before you close your journal, choose a word to take with you. Perhaps the word is listen. At three in the afternoon, someone begins explaining a problem. Your mind starts assembling an answer, and the morning word returns. Listen. You give the person a little more time. As they continue, you hear something that helps you understand. In the Micro-Mindfulness Method, I call this Carry. A word you wrote at the kitchen table finds its way into a conversation. What you heard in the quiet morning begins to shape how you meet another person.
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Over time, I came to value that same listening in the middle of an ordinary workday.
A screenshot essay titled 'When You’re Tired Before the Day Has Begun'. The essay discusses the feeling of fatigue in the morning and the need for self-care. It describes a scene at the kitchen table with a warm cup, reflecting on upcoming tasks and responsibilities. The author encourages taking a moment to listen to oneself and consider how to approach the day with care. There is a focus on the importance of mindful listening, asking oneself what might help to meet the day better, and acknowledging fatigue. The essay concludes with the idea that answers may take time and that small moments for self-reflection can lead to greater awareness.

ALT A screenshot essay titled 'When You’re Tired Before the Day Has Begun'. The essay discusses the feeling of fatigue in the morning and the need for self-care. It describes a scene at the kitchen table with a warm cup, reflecting on upcoming tasks and responsibilities. The author encourages taking a moment to listen to oneself and consider how to approach the day with care. There is a focus on the importance of mindful listening, asking oneself what might help to meet the day better, and acknowledging fatigue. The essay concludes with the idea that answers may take time and that small moments for self-reflection can lead to greater awareness.

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A Few Seconds Before the Next Thing During my years at Microsoft, I learned to value the seconds before a call and the moment after pressing Send. My attention had somewhere to gather. You may recognize this at the kitchen table. Your hands are around a warm cup while your mind moves through the meetings ahead. Feel the chair beneath you. Let it hold your weight. Notice where the morning light falls. In the Micro-Mindfulness Method, I call this Arrive. You give yourself a few seconds to register where you are, then turn toward what comes next.
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The Micro-Mindfulness Method

The Micro-Mindfulness Method

Article · @infopyles
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That takes energy, too: the quiet effort of proving yourself again.
A screenshot of an essay titled "Let Yourself Rest After a Mistake at Work." The essay discusses the emotional aftermath of making mistakes at work, highlighting the importance of self-reflection, self-care, and learning from failures. The author emphasizes the concepts of "Fail Fast" and "Faithful Focus," illustrating how these lessons from their past as a nun have influenced their approach to mistakes in their current tech career. The essay encourages readers to acknowledge their mistakes, practice compassion towards themselves, and take time to rest and rejuvenate. An accompanying image captures the tranquil evening light, symbolizing reflection and presence.

ALT A screenshot of an essay titled "Let Yourself Rest After a Mistake at Work." The essay discusses the emotional aftermath of making mistakes at work, highlighting the importance of self-reflection, self-care, and learning from failures. The author emphasizes the concepts of "Fail Fast" and "Faithful Focus," illustrating how these lessons from their past as a nun have influenced their approach to mistakes in their current tech career. The essay encourages readers to acknowledge their mistakes, practice compassion towards themselves, and take time to rest and rejuvenate. An accompanying image captures the tranquil evening light, symbolizing reflection and presence.

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Try this over your next cup of coffee or tea.
Screenshot essay titled 'How to Make Room for Yourself When Everyone Needs You'. The text describes the author's reflections on balancing caring for others with the need for personal time. It includes advice on self-reflection during a quiet moment, asking oneself what deserves care today, and considering personal desires. The author shares a personal anecdote about their time as a nun and the importance of listening to one's own needs. The piece encourages readers to recognize their own aspirations and integrate them into their day. The accompanying image captures the essence of appreciating life in Porto, Portugal.

ALT Screenshot essay titled 'How to Make Room for Yourself When Everyone Needs You'. The text describes the author's reflections on balancing caring for others with the need for personal time. It includes advice on self-reflection during a quiet moment, asking oneself what deserves care today, and considering personal desires. The author shares a personal anecdote about their time as a nun and the importance of listening to one's own needs. The piece encourages readers to recognize their own aspirations and integrate them into their day. The accompanying image captures the essence of appreciating life in Porto, Portugal.

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Let that noticing become one small choice.
A screenshot essay titled 'Honor What You Need With One Small Choice' discusses the importance of self-care and honoring personal needs amidst busy schedules. It describes a scenario where someone puts their lunch back in the refrigerator due to work commitments, leading to feelings of hunger later. The essay encourages readers to make a conscious choice to address their needs, suggesting a formula for self-awareness: 'Because I noticed _____, I can _____.' It emphasizes the value of taking time for oneself, starting with something as simple as enjoying a packed lunch. An image of autumn beauty from Woodinville, WA, serves as a reflective visual, symbolizing the beauty of choosing to notice moments of care.

ALT A screenshot essay titled 'Honor What You Need With One Small Choice' discusses the importance of self-care and honoring personal needs amidst busy schedules. It describes a scenario where someone puts their lunch back in the refrigerator due to work commitments, leading to feelings of hunger later. The essay encourages readers to make a conscious choice to address their needs, suggesting a formula for self-awareness: 'Because I noticed _____, I can _____.' It emphasizes the value of taking time for oneself, starting with something as simple as enjoying a packed lunch. An image of autumn beauty from Woodinville, WA, serves as a reflective visual, symbolizing the beauty of choosing to notice moments of care.

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