Self-Care in Fifteen Minutes or Less
Self-Care in Fifteen Minutes or Less
What do you think of when you picture self-care? Serenely meditating on the beach, sipping tea in a scenic café, and preparing all-organic meals? Do you have time for that? Me neither. It’s always hard to prioritize self-care. It’s true that the kids are hungry, the dog just vomited on the rug, and your boss keeps texting you. But self-care only works if we do it when our lives are messy. It doesn’t help if we only do it when our houses are clean and our lives are calm. So, let’s talk about some ways to prioritize your physical and mental health in fifteen minutes or less.
If you’ve got one minute: Get a glass of water and drink it. The whole thing. Yeah, I’m serious that this is important and counts as self-care. Dehydration can have a very real impact on our mood, anxiety, focus and concentration.
If you’ve got two minutes: Take your medications and vitamins if you haven’t done so already today. This is a big one that people often forget. I like to tie it to brushing my teeth since I know I do it every morning and night. Every morning it’s teeth and vitamins and medication, all in one go (sort of like pairing shampoo and conditioner).
You don’t take pills or vitamins? Consider asking your physician about whether vitamin supplements could be helpful for you. Deficiencies in vitamin D can cause or worsen depression and they are common in Michigan because of our northern latitude and cloudy skies. B vitamins, vitamins C and E, omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics are some of the other nutrients that have been shown to benefit mental health.
If you’ve got three minutes: Pick a friend you haven’t spoken to and send them a text letting them know you are thinking about them. You don’t need any earth-shattering reason to reach out, and you don’t even need a reply. Do it just to say hi. You will brighten their day and help keep the friendship alive. Alternately, send a quick message to your significant other if you have one. You could send a compliment, a goofy GIF, or just say you are thinking about them. Relationships are built on the little things we do regularly. Little acts of kindness can have a huge impact on the health of our relationships.
If you’ve got five minutes: Sit in silence and listen to your mind for just five minutes. Really try to check in with yourself. First, ask yourself how you are feeling. It’s okay if you are not sure right away. Sometimes the answer is surprising. I often realize there are feelings under the surface that I was not tuned in to. Just observe your thoughts without judgement. What’s going on with you internally? Are your thoughts fast, slow, orderly or scattered? Is there a connection between what you are thinking and how you are feeling? It’s amazing how disconnected we can become from our thoughts and feelings. This exercise just helps us root in to ourselves. There is no right or wrong way to think or feel, thoughts and feelings just are. But by being more aware of them, we increase our ability to make change.
If you’ve got ten minutes: When people are anxious, stressed or depressed they tend to lose hope that they are going to feel better and that life is going to be better. If you have ten minutes, plan out something you can look forward to in the next week, month, and six months.
If you’ve got fifteen minutes (or less): Go outside! I know you have things to do and the weather could be better, but do it anyway. Stand up from your chair and take a short walk. The goal here is not fitness, but reconnecting with your body and with nature. Shake out your arms and legs. Notice the feeling of sunshine (or rain) on your skin and the feel of fresh air in your lungs.
Give these a try, and share your own self-care tips and tricks in the comments!
