Top 5 self care acts that can be done in 5 minutes.

Self care is so important, it can actually change your body's chemical state to a healthier one. Yet, it can so easily drop to the bottom of the to-do list some days. It's not until after I crash and burn that I kick it up to where is should be. In order to get better at making self-care a priority, I wanted to come up with a list my top 5 self-care actions that can be done in under 5 minutes. Here is that list for you.

1.       Inhale.

Many studies validate that deep breathing can calm the body and mind. When practiced regularly, breathing exercises can even help reduce the risk of depression, anxiety, nervousness, and help you feel grounded or balanced. I like to build on that by inhaling essential oils too. Smells have a direct route to the limbic system in the brain which is location where many stressful emotions are processed. Essentials oils support the body and can even support the mind by helping it clear blocked receptors, support better cell communication, and may even balance the chemistry of our brain.  I like to inhale a pleasant scent because it makes the process of deep breathing a little more enjoyable.

2.       Writing.

If we only have 5 minutes, let’s be a little more intentional.  A gratitude list can cheer our  mood. A focus list can encourage. Here's is a link that explains how to soft focus. Perhaps a thank you card to someone that has been supportive, inspiring, or even overlooked lately can shift how we feel.

3.       Movement.

A short walk gets our blood flowing and lungs engaged. This can be enough to clear our mind and mood. Sometimes a good stretch of the muscles, or chair yoga to work out some sore spots and ease the body is what I crave. Our minds and body are connected, a gentle self-massage can stimulate and relax the mind and body.  Rub the feet, massage the legs, stretch the arms, just getting things flowing can help get things moving in our mind.

   4.       Observe.

What do I see? Flowers, shapes in the clouds, co-workers needing a hand, a long to-go list. Do we tend to look at what work needs to be done? (dirty floors, pile of papers to sort, a cob web in the corner) or do we see things that are pleasing? (a kid laughing, someone relaxing, a card from a friend) What has your mind been consumed with? (worry, planning, difficult emotions OR appreciation, creativity, or learning?) We have the ability to chose what we think about. If we are holding thoughts that don’t serve us, like regretting things in the past or worrying about something in the future that might never happen, it can exhaust our mind. Taking a minute to observe what your mind has been thinking about lately and think about higher thoughts like gratitude, creativity, and learning something new can change your mood, develop the mind, and change your body’s chemistry. Becoming aware of thought patterns that are exhausting, lead to negative emotions, and don't serve us is the first step to changing that tendency.

5.       Declutter

We tend to hold onto stuff that only ends up as extra weight, physically and mentally. Take those 5 minutes and see how much you can clear out. Or look at your to-do list and cross off anything that isn’t getting you to your goal, get focused on what matters. Keep going, take those 5 minutes and mentally forgive someone that upset you recently. You don’t have to do any actual actions, just imagine giving them forgiveness, letting go of hurt feelings, and moving forward successfully, for both parties. Next time you see them, take action from this healthy state. You might find it more powerful if you imagine someone offering you forgiveness. Follow the same steps but from the receiving end. Bottom line here. Let go of what is not serving us where we are now.

5 minutes may not seem like a lot but that's enough dramatically change how our mind is working, our body's chemistry, our mood, and how we treat other's around us. If you need to, write it in your schedule a couple times a day.  Have more time? or want more ideas? Here is a post from a friend the was featured in Lifehack blog. She lists 40 ideas for self care. Click here to read. Take Care!

Courtney Juhl

Pin it,

Gratefulness leads to abundance. + 2015 goal.

I can't say what exactly started this habit, I've actually done it for years. I was able to embrace it in a new and impactful way 2 years ago. It's a habit I will keep for the rest of my life. This tool was awkward at first, but has improved my relationships, stress levels, finances, and more.

Let's start with the year I challenged myself to begin every journal entry with 10 things I'm thankful for. I committed to writing at least 2x a week same the year I was planning our wedding.  As a DIY bride there were many stressful days as I was trying to create the wedding of my dreams on our simple budget. After the wedding I took some time to look over the journal. I was so grateful, the memories I will keep forever will not be the stress, mental blocks, obstacles, or challenges along the way. It will start with all the love, support, encouragement, and victories I had during the journey. It focuses myself or any reader to look over that time period as a very joyous phase.

So what does gratefulness have to do with abundance? Great question, but let me finish my story.

The following year, I cut back on the list. I only required myself to write 5 things I was thankful for, but added 5 blessing, miracles, affirmations, or lessons to the list. This was the year I became an entrepreneur. I almost gave it up, more than once. It is scary and hard to create your own business. By journaling this way, I was able to see the lessons, not the failures. It was a great addition to my list of things I'm thankful for. It trained my mental eye to become more sensitive to my gut feelings, see God's hand in things, and embrace all the affirming encouragement to keep going.

There are many life lessons I hope to share from this year. This one is such a joyful one. Here is how being thankful has allowed abundance to enter my life.

1. When I am thankful for all that I have, I'm more confident and creative. I am able to approach challenges with the tools I have, feeling confident I have what it takes to complete it. In the past I found myself focusing on what I wanted. It was often followed with a sense of lacking. I would struggle to get through challenges thinking I "needed" something to achieve it. I had thoughts like "if I just had more sleep", "if I just had more help", "if I just had product X". When writing my thankful list I was able to sit back and see I was getting help, support, and I did have many tools to use.

2. When we are grateful, we are happier. I found that even on the hardest days, when hitting that goal of 10 things (I tried not to repeat any item during a month, so sometimes I had to be creative) when I was finished, I had changed my mood. It felt like moving from a space of struggle to a space of completeness or wholeness. During the second year, when I added other items, I was able to see the lessons vs. failures, growth and development vs. struggle and hardship, my abilities and strengths vs. weaknesses or short comings. I began to fall in love with the journey instead of simple wishing for the end. I was happier and fascinated discovering who I was, and where I was gong.

3. When I am thankful and happy, I don't need "more". I had more control over "retail therapy" and emotional eating. I was crossing things off a want list and found myself sharing more. I started seeing ways to simplify my life by getting rid of what was only taking up space in my home. I was spending less.

So I'm taking it to the next step. My goals for 2015 will continue down this path with a few new changes. I will continue to write 5 things I'm thankful for plus 2 affirmations or blessings, and finally my act of abundance.

What is a daily act of abundance? Well, here is how I'm going to define it, as I challenge myself.
Everyday I will give to another from a place of gratitude and abundance. This may include encouragement, support, aid, act of kindness, or even a gift. I hope this will help deepen some friendships and create new ones. I hope that by giving to others, life will give back to me. This is about sharing what I have, so others may find joy and abundance too. As we hope to buy a house this year and take on other dreams, I hope that cultivating abundance will allow me to enjoy what I have and the quest ahead.



 
 


I'm not sure what this will look like over the course of a year. I'm nervous about it. But any goal that makes you a little nervous is always worth trying. I hope everyone that reads this will be on the receiving end some day. I trust that 2015 has many great things in store for my husband and I. I'm supper excited for 2015. Let's have a great year!

Courtney Lathrop-Juhl