6 Self-Care Practices That Take Less Than 10 Minutes

What’s the first thing to come to mind when someone mentions they need a “self-care day”?

If it was an image of facial scrubs, spa days, and mani/pedis, we need to dig a little deeper, friend. 

Don’t get me wrong! I love getting pampered as much as the next girl.. BUT.. all those things are external. 

They end eventually. 

You don’t get multiple days in a row to lavish in luxurious treatments unless you’re one of the housewives of Beverly Hills. If you are, DM me and let’s be best friends. 

However! If you’re a normal everyday gal like me, you need sustainable forms of self-care that don’t cost more than the utility bill. 

What does that look like? 

If you take out all the external fluff, you’re left with the basics. 

True self-care comes from getting back to the basics. 

Below is a list of simple practices you can start implementing TODAY for a more centered you TOMORROW. 

Ready? LET’S LEARN STUFF

#1: MEDITATION

Don’t scroll past this one! There’s a reason it’s first!

I’m not talking about sitting in a corner, wearing a monk robe, and chanting OMMMM repeatedly. 

(Though, I have done that and actually is pretty dope)

There are SO many different ways to meditate. 

The basic premise of the practice is to settle the mind. 

What makes us go from a chaotic state to a calm one? Really, I’m asking you. 

For you, is it driving? Is it sketching? Going on walks? Making a macrame wall hanging?

That last one is actually how I like to meditate. 

Whatever it is, whatever activity makes your brain go from 100 to any number less than 100 (except zero, that’s death) is how you can meditate. 

5-10 minutes every day. You can manage that much to start. 

All the activities on this list can technically fall under the meditation umbrella. 

You don’t have to do them all, but if even one resonates with you, I encourage you to try. 

I guarantee you will feel more centered than when you start. 

#2: BREATHE

Unclench your jaw first. 

Whether you’re sitting or standing, have both feet planted on the ground. Spread your toes. 

Hands go over your heart or on either side of your abdomen, holding your belly. 

Close your eyes. 

Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 7, out for 8. This is called 4-7-8 Breathing. 

Your belly should push your hand out when you inhale and sink in as you exhale.

This technique ensures you breathe using your diaphragm-- something we, as a society, don’t do very often. 

This will allow more air into our lungs. With more oxygen in our lungs, and ultimately the rest of our body, the fight against stress is a lot more achievable. 

Always come back to your breath.

#3: GET OUTSIDE BEFORE YOUR MORNING COFFEE

I’m not going to tell you to replace your cup of coffee with tea every morning. 

I get it. Coffee is LIFE for some of us. 

Without it, it’s a bit harder to navigate the mornings. 

And frankly, I’m working on the caffeine addiction myself. 

HOWEVER, bright side. A way to ground yourself in the mornings without having to make such a big sacrifice is simply by stepping outside barefoot before that first sip. 

This is called grounding or earthing, a therapeutic technique that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the earth. 

There’s little research behind grounding but smaller studies have reported benefits for inflammation, pain, mood, and more. 

You can use grounding techniques (such as walking barefoot, put your hands in water, picking up or touching items near you, savoring a scent) to help create space from distressing feelings in nearly any situation. 

After a few minutes of reconnecting back to the earth, reassess your need for caffeine. 

Sometimes all our bodies need in the morning is a little extra love and attention. 

If the desire to have a cup of coffee is still there, drink a cup of water first. 

After a few days of this practice, you may find your coffee consumption goes down from 2-3 cups in the morning to 1-2. 

Progress over perfection. 

For more tips on GROUNDING, read HERE.

#4: WALK AROUND THE BLOCK 

Step outside. Breathe deep. Move your body. 

A short walk is a great daily ritual that gets you sunshine, fresh air and a chance to take in and appreciate the beauty that surrounds you.

Try not to combine this with a dog walk! 

This is time for YOU to reconnect with yourself. 

#5: GET DRESSED

This can be one of the MOST important things you can do for your emotional, mental, and psychological health, especially during a time when working from home has become more common.

Getting OUT of our jammies, and INTO some actual day attire gets us out of the cycle of staying in that place of inaction. 

If we’re wearing athleisure when working out, going out, and when working, it could potentially impact our ability to transition into work mode when we’re wanting to focus on work. 

Quite literally, what we wear helps us make those transitions mentally. 

Each morning, I choose an outfit I feel great in (which, for me, does not include yoga pants), fix my hair, apply lip gloss and put on my favorite fake diamond earrings. 

I began this practice in the middle of the 2020 pandemic.

Immediately I noticed an increase in productivity and an overall happier mood because I was  dressed for ACTION, not lounging.

It doesn’t take much time at all and all the compliments are a nice bonus.

#6: SHAKE IT OUT 

I said what I said! 

Get off your keester and DANCE! 

Be it the latest TikTok dance, a shimmy, or a quick yoga flow with added fist pumps, movement at any point in the day can only benefit you. 

I won’t list the endless benefits because we all know how good we feel after exercise and/or a brief dance sesh. 

I will, however, recommend Youtube-ing some fun TiKToK DANCE tutorials and/or beginner SHUFFLING videos. Trust me. It’s a freaking blast! 

Plus, you’ll have some cool dance moves the next time you’re randomly in a room full of scary teenagers and you wanna find a way to relate to them. 

Totally speaking from experience. 

THE SELF-CARE GUARANTEE

Now if I’m being honest, I’ve done all of these inconsistently. 

There are days where I make the excuse of there not being “enough time”. 

OBVIOUSLY A LIE.

We will always make time for whatever is most important to us. 

A balanced and calm mind should always be a priority. 

Stay focused. 

Practice.

If you’re the type of person that needs gentle reminders or maybe needs an accountability partner, reach out to a friend or partner. 

Sticky notes on the mirror or alarms for certain times during the day also work wonders!

Five minutes every day is do-able. Make that commitment to yourself.

You’re important too, friend.

Happy self-care-ing!

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