If you are often short on time but have a lot going on, I have 15 easy self-care ideas that take only 5 minutes or less that will always help put you in a positive space when you are feeling overwhelmed.
How often you practice self-care will be the glue that holds you together in times of emotional distress. That’s why no amount of self-care is too small. Now don’t get me wrong; your body would love it if you could spend more time nurturing it. However, because you sometimes lack the time, even the smallest amount of self-care can be a difference between you yelling at someone for thinking they looked at you the wrong way or breaking down in the middle of a presentation because you feel overwhelmed.
Why is self-care so important, you ask? Great question!
Self-care is a necessary part of your life. Without self-care, you are susceptible and vulnerable to becoming overwhelmed with routined life stressors.
Self-Care is Like a Savings Account
Self-care is like an emotional savings account. The more you practice it, the more positive emotions (joy, peace, happiness, gratitude, hope, etc.) you experience and therefore deposit into this savings account, the more you have to withdraw and spend in times of distress. In other words, the more you nurture your mental, emotional, physical, etc., part of you, the less likely you are to become overwhelmed when you temporarily lack time to continue pouring into those areas.
For example, if you have had a healthy self-care routine that you practice every day for a good six months, you’re not going to fall apart if you go a week or even a couple of weeks without practicing self-care. However, if you do something nice for yourself every now and then, you are definitely more likely to become overwhelmed in stressful situations.
Just like with a regular money savings account, the less you put in, the less you have to take out in times of emergency. And in some cases, your account might even be in the negatives if you take anything out at all!
Emotionally, when you’re in the negative, that’s not a good thing. At this point, you’ve lost all of your patience and only breath out negative emotions (anger, hate, fear, resentment, jealousy, disgust, anxiety, sadness, etc.).
That’s why I am so passionate about self-care. As a psychotherapist I know and have seen how much of an impact lack of self-care can have on the average person.
If you don’t have the time for an hour-long self-care routine, I at least recommend creating a 5-minute list with ideas that you can incorporate into your daily routine.
Personal Experience With Lack of Self-Care
It was in graduate school that I learned the importance of self-care. At the time, I was working a full-time job, going to classes, all while completing an internship at a rape crisis center.
Although the internship environment was very supportive, I quickly learned that I would not be successful at this rigorous program if I did not develop a self-care plan.
When I found myself crying in the bathroom on more than a few occasions, I knew then and there that it was time for me to be more intentional about caring for myself.
I then came up with a list of self-care ideas that I knew would only take 5 minutes or less to implement when I felt overwhelmed with what was going on in my life at the time.
Since I made that small change, I noticed a difference in myself. I felt more present, was able to focus on succeeding at my internship, and oh yeah, I was no longer crying in the bathroom.
Now that you’ve heard my personal story and I am sure you have yours, we can agree on one thing; that self-care is a fundamental part of maintaining a well-balanced life.
Always being on the go, it was essential for me to find techniques that would take 5 minutes or less. I have added to the list over the years, and since becoming a mom in December of 2016, I find this list to be particularly useful.
No matter how busy life gets, as a wife, mother of two, and a therapist, I always remember that “I cannot pour from an empty cup.”
I alternate between these self-care ideas on any occasion, at any given time, sometimes even right before going into a session. I guess you can say that a few of these activities have become my coping skill in stressful situations.
Here’s a list of 15 self-care ideas that take 5 minutes or less!
1. Pray
2. Take 5-10 deep breaths
3. Drink a cup of water
4. Go outside for fresh air
5. Hug your children/spouse
6. Go for a walk
7. Listen to your favorite upbeat music
8. While you’re at it, bust a couple of dance moves
9. Wash your face
10. Put on some lipstick
11. Call a friend
12. Drink a cup of tea
13. Take a break from your phone
14. Stretch
15. Cuddle with your pet
Ultimately if you start thinking of self-care as an emotional savings account, I think you’ll be more intentional about depositing more positive emotions into it. Feel free to download this free self-care PDF here.
I would love to hear about your experience with self-care or lack thereof. Do you have a go-to 5-minute self-care routine that you use when you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed?
