Self care is something I have really struggled with in the past. For a long time I thought it was overly indulgent. I had visions of an expensive spa day or meditative retreat and knew that wasn’t for me.
But I realized I needed to do something when I felt like I was spending more time snapping at my kids than playing with them. My marriage was suffering because I was stressed and crabby all the time. I finally realized that what I was doing wasn’t working.
I’ve talked about self care on my own blog, but it’s an evolving journey. I’m always looking for ways to take better care of myself. That’s why I was so excited to partner with Savannah to share this list of self care practices you can do in five minutes or less!
Drink Water
Drinking water is one of the best things you can do for your overall well-being.
When you don’t drink enough water, you can become crabby and irritable. You get headaches and you’re prone to sore muscles and cramping. Nothing feels right and your body doesn’t work the way it should.
Fortunately, avoiding these problems is simple by drinking water throughout the day. Keep your water bottle close by and sip your way to wellness.
And if you don’t like the taste of water, add a squeeze of lemon or lime to punch up the flavor!
Stretch
As we get older, we tend to lose our flexibility. You might notice when it’s harder to get down to the floor when playing with your kids or grandkids. Or you might feel it when you wake up in the morning and you feel stiff.
Beyond these annoyances, flexibility is highly correlated to balance. How many of us have older loved ones that have been injured due to falls?
Staying limber and maintaining flexibility is a great way to reduce your chances of balance problems and falls. So take a few minutes to stretch when you wake up and before you go to bed. Do neck and shoulder rolls when you’ve been sitting at your desk for awhile. Do toe raises while you’re brushing your teeth. Find little ways throughout the day to work in stretches. You’ll feel better immediately, and you’re helping to protect yourself against injury as you get older.
Breathe
You probably know that deep breathing lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, and can help with the “flight or fight” reflex during times of stress.
My advice though is to not wait for periods of stress or anger to practice deep breathing. By taking time to slow your breathing throughout the day, you train your body to lower its heart rate and blood pressure.
What’s more, you’re less likely to reach periods of high stress if you consciously slow your breathing throughout the day.
What helps me to remember to slow my breathing is to tie it to activities I do throughout the day. Everytime I do that activity, I also take a few deep breaths. For example, maybe every time you get up to get a glass of water you take a few deep breaths. Or every time you go to the restroom, or every commercial break when you’re watching TV.
You don’t need to take deep breaths the entire day. Strive for several times throughout the day and see if it helps you manage your stress.
Have a Healthy Snack
I am often in such a rush that eating sometimes becomes secondary. I go from errand to errand until I realize it’s been hours since I ate. By that point I’m usually low on energy, tired, and cranky.
When I’m hangry, I have a tendency to reach for something unhealthy like cookies or chips. While these certainly taste good, they don’t do anything to refuel my body with the nutrients and energy it needs.
If you have this problem too, or if you’re a stress or emotional eater, go for a healthy snack instead. I get it – it might not be what you’re emotionally craving, but it’s what your body needs and wants.
If you have a sweet tooth, reach for a piece of fruit or a cup of yogurt instead of a cookie. If salty snacks are your thing, go for nuts, string cheese, or pretzels and hummus. Try different dips to mix with raw veggies.
Find the food that will fuel your body rather than lead to a crash and burn.
Daydream
When playing with my kids the other day, I was struck by how imaginative they were. They concocted far-fetched stories, with complex plot lines, and tons of characters.
I remember being like that too when I was a kid. But as I got older and had kids, the to-do list became overwhelming. It’s constantly cycling through my head, crowding out most other things.
Lately, I have been trying to give myself a mental break and allow myself more time to daydream.
Sometimes I might imagine what I would do if I won the lottery. Other times I mentally plan out a dream vacation. And sometimes I take a cue from my kids and pretend I’m an astronaut or royalty from some far off kingdom.
It’s a lovely break from reality, and I find it to be incredibly recharging. When we’re so focused on the things we have to do and need to do, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut, feeling like we’re on a giant hamster wheel. Allow yourself to take a break for a few minutes and daydream like you did as a kid.
Pamper Yourself
I’ll be honest: before I had kids, I was better at keeping up with my appearance. I got haircuts more regularly, my skin was moisturized, and I didn’t have chipped toenail polish for weeks at a time.
Now, by the time I get the kids to bed, it’s all I can do to take a quick shower and brush my teeth before collapsing into bed myself.
The last couple of months I have been making more of an effort to improve my confidence in how I look and feel. When I get out of the shower I take a minute to lather up with a favorite lotion. Right before bed, I use some cuticle cream to prevent hangnails. While the kids are bathing I grab the nail polish remover and take off the nail polish that has probably been on my toenails for months.
You can also scour your kitchen cabinets and whip up a quick sugar scrub, deep hair conditioner, or facial mask to feel extra indulgent!
Most of these simple self care things take less than two minutes, but it helps me go from the hot-mess mom to the mildly put together mom. When life is so chaotic, it helps to look and feel slightly more in control!
Put the Phone Down
It seems like someone is always ready to lecture you for being on the phone, doesn’t it?
I like to be on my phone. Usually, one of the first things I do after getting the kids to bed is pop on Pinterest or check out Facebook. I need a few minutes to do what I want, rather than what my kids want to do.
But I noticed that I never read anymore. Reading was a lifelong hobby but until recently, I hadn’t finished a book in a year or more. I made the excuse that I didn’t have time, but the truth is, I do. I can put down the phone a few minutes early at night and get a chapter in before I go to bed. Or I can keep my phone in my bag on my commute to work and pull out a book instead.
Reclaim a few minutes of phone time for doing something you love, whether it’s reading, journaling, meditating, or whatever.
Make a Doctors Appointment
This may not seem to fit with the others on the list, but it’s one of the most important things you can do to take care of yourself.
Preventative care is so much easier and less expensive than treatment. So take a few minutes and schedule the doctors appointments you’ve been avoiding, whether it’s a physical, well-woman exam, spot check with a dermatologist, or dentist appointment.
Reframe Your Situation
Gratitude, and being more grateful for the good things in your life, is popular these days. If you’re tired of seeing #Grateful everywhere, believe me, I get it. Instead, I try to reframe my situation.
For example, rather than getting stressed about getting dinner on the table after rushing home from work and picking up the kids, I try to focus on how lucky I am that I can provide a healthy dinner for my family.
Rather than begrudging having to get up and go to work, I try to be thankful that I have a good job that provides for my family.
Am I always successful? Certainly not.
But every time I can reframe my situation and realize my fortune rather than focusing on my stress, I find myself becoming calmer. The little things don’t seem as big, and my overall perspective improves. It takes a lot of conscious thought to transition from a burden mindset to a grateful mindset, but the effect on your overall well-being and mental state can be tremendous.
Little Victories
Ideally, you will have more than five minutes a day to take care of yourself and recharge your batteries. I’m a busy working mom of two young (energetic!) boys, so believe me, I get how challenging it can be to find a few minutes for yourself.
If you can’t seem to work simple self care into your daily or weekly routine, start with this list. Five minutes is all you need to start on the path of a healthier, calmer you. So go get a big glass of water, take a few breaths, and do a few stretches. Sometimes, five minutes is all it takes to give yourself a boost.
Be well!
Author:
Amanda helps busy families save time and money with frugal living ideas and parenting tips on her blog, Pinwheels and Piggybanks. She is the exhausted mom of two boys, and lives with the little goons and her husband in New Jersey.
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