10 Self Care Ideas That Take Five Minutes or Less

OHC Contributor: ASHLEY BEAUDIN

Ashley is a heart encourager, speaker and movement-maker to women on a mission. Ashley is passionate about helping women turn their messages into movements so that they can increase their audience and impact. She is also the visionary behind #theimperfectboss; a movement that is making imperfect normal for thousands of women. 

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Self-care is necessary to living a thriving, abundant life. The more well taken care of you are,

the more you show up to your life and the more you can give out of the overflow of who you are.

In you, there are gifts that the world needs and in order to bring them with confidence, you need to be living out of a full place, not one that is burnt out or running on empty. As well, the more nourished you are, the easier it is to stay connected and full of hope no matter what is going on in your life. And that’s a really good thing.

I believe that it is possible to stay in a place of feeling nourished and taken care of consistently. And to do that, self-care doesn’t need to be this intense thing, but you can create a handful of things that take five minutes or less that will inject self-care into your daily routine.

I’ve come up with ten that I use and you can adopt these right away! Try one even after reading this article and see how you feel. You ready?

Journal.

Take five minutes to open up your journal or a blank notebook and start free-style writing. Write about whatever is on your mind. Write about what has been stressing you out. Write about the things you are thankful for. Write about the emotions you want to let go of.

Diffuse Lavender.

To me, lavender is one of the most calming essential oils there is. It instantly relaxes me and puts me at ease. Take your diffuser, put a few drops of lavender oil in it and let it fill the room and make you feel taken care of.

Rub the inside of your wrist.

This is seriously one of my biggest go-tos. Take your hand and gently rub the inside of your wrist. If it doesn’t tickle you, it will instantly make you feel relaxed. This especially works well if you’re in the middle of a stressful situation or hard conversation because it can be literally done anywhere at anytime.

Repeat 1-2 affirmations with your favorite essential oil.

Sometimes what I do is take one of my favorite oil blends such as Inner Child or Release and I smell it straight from the bottle with 2-3 deep breaths. Then I repeat a needed affirmation in my life such as, “I am enough” or “I am here.”

Say thank you.

Maybe you say it to yourself, in prayer or to another human being, but say thank you. Say thank you for the gifts in your life to the things you’re looking forward to the people who have changed your life for the better.

Put a few drops of Peace and Calming on a washcloth.

Place a few drops into a washcloth, drop it at the bottom of your shower and get in for five minutes! Let the water rush over you and take deep breaths as it creates an instant vapour. Be in that moment completely unplugged.

Dance for five minutes.

Sometimes you just need to move, so put on your favorite anthem or body-shaking song, and put it as loud as you can. For five minutes, just lose total control and move your body. Let go of what it looks like and just move.

Drink a tall glass of water with 2-3 drops of Lemon Vitality EO.

An easy way to feel taken care of and also experience refreshing is through that classic tall glass of water. Add some Lemon Vitality EO in for that extra zing and give yourself that little boost of energy and nourishment that you need.

Brush your hair.
Sounds so simple, but taking time to actually brush your hair, slowly and well can add a real sense of self-care in your routine.

Smile. Seriously Try it.

Wherever you are, just smile really big. And try not to giggle or laugh while you do it. You’ll feel totally silly, but it will give you a feeling of joy. Sometimes joy doesn’t hit us out of nowhere. We gotta cultivate it and give ourselves the opportunity to experience it.

Which one of these will you try first? Share with us and tag #OHCSelfcareSeptember!