Ten Minute Self- Care Rituals
The phrase self- care is abuzz everywhere. Therapists are recommending it to clients, as are coaches and spiritual teachers, even in some places of business, the phrase is being used to make sure employees are taking care of themselves. What does self- care mean? The act of self- care is to attend to ones own mental, physical and *spiritual health. These are key components of human existence. When we don’t attend to our personal needs for whatever reason, we can slip into depression, become angry and bitter, disappear into isolation, or fall to unhealthy habits such as drinking heavily or using drugs to hide how we are feeling. Caring for ourselves is shown to improve mood, connectedness with the world, and improve our physical well-being.
What does self- care look like? It can look like many things. For example hiking in the woods, to yoga, meditation, or reading a good book. The possibilities are as many as there are people that make up the world. One of my favorite forms of self- care is curling up someplace with a book and reading until I lose track of time. (Rarely happens but when it does, it is a treat.) However, we don’t always have long periods of time to attend to our self-care. We may only have the amount of time that it allowed on a work break or in between classes, or between picking kids up from here and there. I have put together a list of ten minute self- care ideas that you can do on your own or with the help of a smart phone, or a couple of simple tools.
Meditation: This is one of the most obvious ones and the one I seem to hear that most people are afraid to try. They are afraid they will fall asleep or do it incorrectly. What I have learned is that there really is no wrong way to meditate. It is all about taking the time to find a way to reconnect with yourself and if you believe in one, you higher power. It can be as simple as focusing on your breath for as little as five minutes. Letting thoughts go as they pop up instead of keeping them around to interfere with your quiet reflection. Another great thing to use is your smart phone and download any number of Apps that will guide you through a meditation. I currently love the App Calm. It plays soothing ocean waves when you open it and you can select different meditations that last about twelve minutes. Or use your computer or phone and go to YouTube to find an abundance of guided meditations that last from five minutes to an hour. One of my favorites for when I am particularly cranky is one called, “F*** That”, a two and a half minute mediation that lightens my mood when I need to let go of something that is bothering me.
Mindset Work/Affirmations: I love writing affirmations. They got me through some really rough times. I love them so much I currently have three decks of cards with different positive affirmations on them for sale on Etsy. I still work on affirmations (almost) daily. I do forget to do my mindset practice and it throws me off a bit. But working with a practice in the morning, for me, helps set my day up to be more positive and invites into my life the things that I want. I am not talking about just material objects, but ideas such as experiencing more kindness or compassion. When I write down what I want, I tend to look for it in my day on a subconscious level. I can spend around thirty minutes on my practice, however, the simple act of reading or writing affirmations to start the day doesn’t have to take more than ten. Sometimes, I just pull a card or two and reflect on them in journal writing or in a meditation.
Get Moving: Our bodies need to move. The more they stay at rest, the more they want to be at rest and over time, we end up feeling worse. Exercise/ Movement, even in small increments has shown to have positive results on our mood and our physical health. In this article by Forbes, a study is cited that shows that even a ten minute stationary cycling experience at a moderate level showed improved health benefits. When we physically feel better, our moods tend to be better as well. A peer counselor I knew in the mental health field used to say, “Take your a** and your mind will follow.” So throw on some music and dance your heart out for ten minutes, walk, or ride a bike. Make those ten minutes count for your physical and mental well-being.
Develop a Creative Practice: Acts of creativity are good for our minds and our souls. We are born to be creative people. It is part of who we are. We are inventive and innovative. A creative practice does not mean you have to sit down and devote hours to a painting, though you are welcome to. It means we set aside time to let our imaginations out to play. This can be done in any number of ways. The boom in the coloring book market for adults is born from the discovery that even the act of coloring an already drawn picture, is an act of creative work and causes us to engage our imaginations.You can doodle, take out watercolor paints, or even use play dough. Play dough can be kept in a desk drawer and taken out to use during a ten minute break. So can color pencils and a coloring book. Looking for something a little more challenging, a painting does not have to be done in one sitting. Break it up into smaller pieces of time that you can fit into your schedule. Creativity is an act of playing and we need that playfulness for our spiritual and mental well-being.
Eat Mindfully: This is a harder one but can have benefits to your physical and mental health. We often rush through meals, not really tasting what we are eating as we run off to the next thing on our to-do list. I know I used to do this regularly. However, I have begun taking the time time to taste my food. I take smaller bites, and therefor eat more slowly, setting my utensils down between bites. I realized I feel full sooner and am more satisfied because I actually tasted my food. I am not wanting for flavor because I was able to enjoy what was already before me. In slowing down and realizing I am full, then I stop eating. So often, we (in general) eat until we are stuffed and we can’t possibly eat another bite. By then we have consumed more calories than we needed and we, usually, feel like we can’t move because we are so full. Mindful eating keeps that from happening. I have more leftovers now, and I am ok with that. I am learning that I don’t have to eat my whole plate (an idea that was instilled in me as a child by my dad and step-mom.) It is a freeing way to eat. Paying attention, being mindful bleeds into other areas of our lives over time, and I am learning the art of slowing down and not rushing through everything.
These are five, fairly simple, and easy to implement activities to attend to your self- care. Only you can be responsible for your self- care. It is especially important if what you do during your day job is to attend to other people’s needs such as being nurse, a therapist, or a teacher. I am sure there are more out there. But we can only be our best self if we take care of our own needs as a person. I challenge you to pick one and try it today to see how it feels to take ten minutes and devote it to the care of you. Just you. Dance. Buy a coloring book. Listen to a meditation. Eat your lunch more mindfully. Take care of you.
(*Spiritual does not mean religious here).
Hello Everyone! I’m Susan: a Writer, Speaker, Coach and Creator.
Creativity and I have been friends since I was a kid. I was always involved in a creative project…from putting together neighborhood skits and plays, writing stories, dance, theater. I loved to play with my creative side from painting, photography, to writing... 