There is so much hustle and bustle in daily life that it seems like we are always on the go! Although we are all very busy and have 100 things to do, it is so important that we take time for ourselves! Self-care is extremely important but is something that often gets neglected because we are so busy and everything else seems more important. It reality taking care of yourself needs to be high on your priority list!
Here are some super easy self-care ideas that you can do in less than 5 minutes, so you can do away with the excuse that you don’t have time to look after yourself!
15 Easy Self-Care Ideas That Take 5 Minutes
Make a cup of tea. Tea can be so incredibly relaxing! Be sure to have a cup of herbal tea before bed to help you relax.
Read some quotes. Go to Pinterest and search for some positive and uplifting quotes to inspire you. Some quotes my readers love are 14 quotes that prove you are more successful than you think & 12 quotes to help you conquer a rough day.
Get some fresh air. If you don’t have the time or the motivation to go for a walk, that’s ok. Just go outside, even if only for 5 minutes and get some fresh air!
Stretch. Let’s be clear I did not say exercise (though that would be a good idea too). Just get up and move around. Stretch out your legs and your arms.
Shoulder check. Where are your shoulders at? Are you so stressed out that your shoulders are sitting up around your ears? Make a conscious effort to bring them down. You can do this by pulling your shoulders down and stretching your arms and back.
Hang out with your pet. Petting an animal has been proven to help reduce stress, tension and anxiety. Your pet will love the attention, it’s a win win!
Drink some water. Are you keeping yourself hydrated? Go have a nice glass of water!
Take a Shower. Go take a nice relaxing hot shower. You may need to give yourself a few minutes more than 5 minutes for this one. Make it a 10 or 15 minute shower… you deserve it!
Reach out. Send a quick text, Facebook message or email to a loved one. As humans we love connection. Reaching out to others, even if only to check in is so important!
Paint your nails. Well, maybe you would only be able to do one hand or one coat on both hands in 5 minutes but you get the idea. Painting your nails doesn’t take long to do and it can result in a great confidence boost!
Use Essential Oils. Use a relaxing essential oil such as lavender. Apply 1-2 drops of lavender to your palms, cup your hands over your nose. Breathe in through you nose and out through your mouth. You can learn more about essential oils here.
Deep Breathing. Take some time to focus on nothing else but breathing. Until you take time to slow down and observe your breathing, you may not notice how shallow of breaths you were actually taking. Sit in a comfortable position with your feet on the floor. Breathe in and then breathe out (try to breathe out for 5 seconds).
Listen to Your Favourite Song. It is crazy how a song can take you to a whole other world! Turn on one of your favourite songs- sign at the top of your lungs, dance around and have some fun!
Watch a Funny YouTube Video. I love watching videos on YouTube when I need a good laugh! Some of my favourite channels for funny videos are Buzzfeed, Jimmy Kimmel, and Ellen!
There you have it, some very easy self-care ideas that you can do in 5 minutes (for the most part).
What self-care activities do you like to do?
It’s so important to take a few minutes each day to take care of ourselves. I love reading great quotes. They always motivate and encourage me. I like funny ones, too. Laughter is the best medicine!
Stretching and breathing are two of my daily rituals. Sometimes if I can’t sleep, I get out of bed and stretch for a few minutes and it helps so much. I also use the app Headspace for meditation once in awhile and I love that it brings me into the present moment.
Great list! I love the shoulder check! I literally realized that mine were scrunched under my ears as I was ready this. Sometimes we have to just focus on ourselves for a few minutes to find our sanity again.
You reminded me that I do need to stretch out my shoulders of it. I kind of forget about that sometimes. I’ll give myself a break about every two hours get up walk around drink water and if it’s lunchtime at lunch.
I need to look into the essential oils for relaxation. The other stuff isn’t quite covering the amount of stress presently! Thank you.
I find the easiest thing to do is to take a deep breath. No matter where I am or what I”m doing, a full lunged deep breath always calms me down.
Thanks for the great reminder to take some time for ourselves. It’s nice to remember that it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or time. These are great suggestions.
These are all great suggestions and tips. I love to p lay with my dog and take a hot shower when I start getting stressed. The breathing exercises I learned in nursing school helps as well.
I love spending time with our dog, Lila. She just helps me refocus and always shows me a lot of love.
These are all great ideas. I’m constantly checking my shoulders and pausing for a few deep breaths.
These are indeed great ideas for easy self care. I do know watching a funny video does change how I feel or even an adorable video that my sister posts about my nephew. Thanks for sharing these self care ideas.
Thank you so much for these ideas. I’m always way too busy and indeed my shoulders are above my ears most days. Can’t wait to check these out on youtube.
I love your ideas for caring for ourselves. I do try and get as much laughter in as I can. It is good belly exericise too 🙂
My favorite is to grab a shower. I always feel refreshed and ready to get going again.
I am a quote reader and they certainly give me inspiration. I’m going make it a point to pay attention to my shoulders
♥♥♥ those ideas. The items you have, everyone knows about them, but everyone forgets about them when they’re needed. Gracias for the reminder, will definitely by pinning/sharing this post! BB2U
P.S. Got yourself a new subscriber, can’t wait to learn more about essential oils!!
I love your ideas for taking care of ourselves. I do try some of the items on your list, but need to work on others, thank you for sharing it!
I drink a ton of green tea everyday. It definitely keeps me relaxed!