#133: Micropractice with Eli Susman, PhD#133: Micropractice with Eli Susman, PhD
Sun & Moon Sober Living Podcast
Psychologist Eli Susman, PhD, talks with host Mary Tilson about micropractices—brief, everyday tools for well-being—and how they can support people in recovery. The conversation touches on research, trauma-sensitive practice, playful movement and practical habit tips that fit into busy lives.
1:05:16•2 Nov 2026
Thirty-Second Practices for Big Shifts in Sobriety with Eli Susman, PhD
Episode Overview
- Very short practices, such as three mindful breaths or 20 seconds of self-compassionate touch, can be linked with meaningful improvements in stress and emotional well-being.
- Long, formal meditation sessions may be difficult or risky for people with trauma histories or sleep issues, while brief practices can offer a safer way in.
- Eli’s framework of move, touch, breathe and flow shows how body-based and everyday activities can become accessible micropractices.
- Dance and laughter-based practices can support release, playfulness and authenticity, especially for those stuck in perfectionism or over-control.
- Planning for “emergency skip days” helps habits stick, shifting self-care from a perfectionist project into an ongoing friendship with yourself.
“Danger isn't in skipping, it's in quitting.”
Get ready to be moved by real-life accounts of how tiny moments can shift well-being in big ways. This conversation centres on psychologist Eli Susman, PhD, and his research on "micropractice" – well-being tools that take 30 seconds or less and fit into everyday life.
The chat starts with Eli’s formative retreat experiences in Thailand and at Plum Village in France, where a monk’s comment, "How about three breaths?" sparked his lifelong question: does well-being really require stepping away from life, or can it happen right inside it?
From there, he shares research showing that just 20 seconds a day of self-compassionate touch – placing a hand on heart and belly with a kinder inner voice – can be linked with better self-compassion, lower stress and improved emotional health. You’ll hear why long, formal meditation isn’t always a good fit, especially for those with trauma histories or sleep difficulties, and how very short practices can offer a gentler entry point.
Eli breaks his approach into four simple categories: move (brief yoga or movement), touch (supportive self-contact), breathe (short, regulating breaths), and flow (bringing awareness into daily tasks like walking or doing the dishes). There’s plenty of lightness too: dance and laughter yoga come up as playful, accessible ways to release tension and reconnect with joy, especially for people who feel stuck in perfectionism or chronic self-control.
Eli also talks practical habit tips, including his favourite "emergency skip days" idea, where planning for two missed days a week actually helps people keep going rather than quit. Throughout, host Mary Tilson connects these ideas back to addiction recovery, overwhelm, and the pressure of modern wellness culture. The result is a relaxed but research-rich conversation that makes inner work feel simple, kind and doable in the busiest of lives.
If you’re sober or sobriety-curious and craving practices that don’t demand hours you don’t have, this one might be worth your time.
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