Self-Care in 15 minutes or less.
Self-care is so important for your mental health. The more you neglect yourself, the more you are prone to burn out and exhaustion. Have you ever heard a flight attendant explain, “In the event of an emergency put your mask on before you put a mask on your child?” They say this because you need to take care of you before you can take care of someone else. You cannot give out what you don’t have. There are several reasons you can give to not take care of you. Believe me when I say, I understand the busy life and how difficult it can be to find time to take care of you. I raised four kids by myself. I was a single mom for 15 years, I worked full time, my kids were in extracurricular activities, and I was very involved in my church. It can be done! If you want to have enough of you to go around it must be done! Below is a list of restorative self-care activities you can do in 15 minutes or less!
Laugh out loud.
Journal everything you did right that day – time yourself for 15 minutes and think of as many things as you can, each day try to beat the previous.
Exercise – find a couple stretches you can do, alternate them, go for a brisk walk for 15 minutes, or dance with your kids while you cook dinner.
Drink water – make sure you get plenty of water every day.
Start a new skin care regimen.
Have a warm cup of coffee/tea while sitting in nature.
Cuddle with your pet.
Value yourself without judgment.
Start a gratitude journal – write out what you are grateful for, make sure they are different each day.
Take the stairs as much as possible.
Park as far away from the store as possible.
Organize your space.
Declutter one space each day for 30 days.
Enjoy a smoothie.
Get sunlight.
Focus on your breathing for 15 minutes and imagine stress leaving your body with each exhale.
Do nothing.
Play your favorite song.
Learn to Say no- It is not selfish to say no. Remember just because you can, does not mean you have to.
Show kindness – practice smiling at people you encounter. Think of one kind act you can do for another person today and do that. Maybe it’s picking up an extra coffee for a co-worker, paying for someone’s lunch, or giving a complement or encouraging word.
Water your plants.
Watch butterflies.
Draw, paint, or color in a coloring book.
Turn off all electronics including your phone and enjoy quiet.
Unfollow negative people.
Dress nice.
Write a love letter to yourself.
Watch a funny video.
Arrange flowers around you.
Read an article on self-care.
Self-care is not selfish.
Take care of you so that you can be all you need to be to take care of those around you. Subscribe to our blog at redeemingtherapy.com to get more mental health tips and tricks. You can also find these tips in a downloadable pdf form on our website. Go to the home page and select free mental health resources.