5 Minute Self Care Ideas When You Need a Quick Boost

Last Updated on August 4, 2022

Taking time off to reflect and refresh is an utmost self-priority. However, finding time to step back in a decade where everyone is always out and about is quite hard. Did you know you can quickly boost your mood in minutes?

Well, there are 5 minute self care ideas you can easily do to improve your concentration, mood, and efficiency for optimal health. Let’s start by first discussing what self-care is.

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What is Self Care?

Self-care is any behavior that promotes health or actively manages illnesses. Most people are aware of their benefits, so they engage in daily activities that encourage caring for themselves. This can be seen in their food choices, sleep patterns, exercises, and dental care. 

There are various forms of self-care. They include emotive self-care, bodily self-care, practical self-care, psychological self-care, spiritual self-care, as well as social self-care. 

Let’s take a closer look at this package of caring activities:

• Emotive Self-care: Practices geared at helping you process and connect with your emotions. For example, writing a journal, going to a therapist, or playing music.
• Bodily Self-care: Activities you do that are geared to helping you improve your overall physical health. For instance, sleeping for 8 hours or drinking a lot of water.
• Practical Self-care: Activities you embark on to fulfill essential aspects of your life so that you don’t have stressful situations in the future. For example, creating a budget.
• Psychological Self-care: Activities you embark on to stimulate your mind. For instance, playing chess, reading a book, or other activities.
• Social Self-care: Tasks you do to deepen relationships between loved ones. For instance, going to brunch with friends or a dinner date with a loved one.
• Spiritual Self-care: Activities that develop and nurture your spiritual being. It makes you think of the bigger picture. This doesn’t have to be religious, but most of them are. For example, meditation, yoga, or going to a worship center.

To optimize self-care, you must practice self-reliance and personal responsibility to impact your health in the future positively. What does this mean? Be accountable to yourself, and spend the time needed to give yourself a much needed boost of energy and uplifting.

Why Does Self Care Matter?

Indulging in self-care practices increases your overall health and wellbeing. It requires getting in tune with yourself and asking your body what it wants. As a woman, you’re used to pouring into the different cups of people who can make you quickly forget about yourself. Self-care lets you prioritize yourself and allows you to put your best foot forward.

The benefits of practicing self-care are broad and proven to cause positive health outcomes. For instance, practicing regular self-care tips can improve your immune system, reduce stress, increase productivity, and boost your self-esteem. You’ll probably sleep better, wake up more motivated, and stay more positive throughout the day.

Now, you know why many people go crazy with different ideas to improve self-care.

5 Minute Self Care Tips & Ideas

Self-care can be anything that floats your boat; just about anything that makes you feel loved and puts a smile on your face. Many great ideas can give you a quick boost and improve your mental well being.

Here’s a list of some of them.

1. Reach Out to a Loved One

Connecting with people you love is a quick pick-me-up. Talking to them on the phone, Zoom, or in person can change your mood from negative to positive.

The process helps you know that you have genuine people in your corner who love you by just being you. It’s an easy way to put a smile on your face. 

2. Stretch

Undertaking regular exercises like simple stretches can help reduce stress and improve your health. An activity like walking can go a long way in reducing stress. You can plan to walk with a loved one and enjoy each other’s company.

A 5 to 10 minute walk with a quick stretch can benefit you in many ways. The good thing about this practice is killing two birds with one stone. You’re able to maintain a friendship and at the same time exercise.

3. Take Deep Breaths

A few deep breaths can curate mindfulness and allow you to be present. It helps you calm your mind by reducing any tension you might be experiencing and improving your mood.

There are various types of breathing exercises you can take part in, and in only 5 minutes, you get to enjoy lots of health benefits. 

They include box breathing (where you inhale four times, hold your breath, and then exhale in four seconds) and diaphragmatic breathing (where you breathe in to let air into your stomach by engaging your abdominals). This is a good practice if you’re feeling anxious or stressed. It can quickly calm you down.

4. Listen to your Favorite Song

Are you a lover of classical music or blues? Playing your favorite song can re-energize and uplift your spirit. If there are different types of music you love, you can create a self-care playlist, and then you can turn to such a playlist for a quick boost.

When you listen and dance away to your favorite music, your body releases endorphins that increase happiness.

5. Stand and Walk Around

Physical activities can do wonders for your mental health. Yes, even if you don’t have time for a whole physical workout, walking around can effectively keep your body functional.

It can take 5 minutes or less to take a walk. It can either be outside in the fresh air or just down the hallway to get some mindful movement. The process will make you feel at ease, help you relax, and stimulate your mind.

6. Make a Gratitude List

Are you feeling sad? Are negative thoughts weighing you down? Focus your mind and make a list of what you’re grateful for.

This quiet process can soothe you and promote happiness and appreciation for what you already have. It can instantly improve your mood when you’re feeling depleted.

7. Practicing Self Compassion

It’s easy to pick yourself apart and self-criticize when things are not going your way. It’s important not to judge yourself and practice self-compassion during this time more than ever. Be in tune with yourself to check how you’re feeling. Validate those feelings by acknowledging that they are there.

Afterward, engage in self-talk to try to encourage yourself. It will take no more than five minutes. The process can make a positive impact overall on your well-being.

8. Lighten your Mental Load 

You’ll often feel overwhelmed when you have a lot on your mind. Taking time to offload your brain on what you don’t have to think about can promote your well-being. Are there things you can postpone thinking about?

When you try to offload your brain, it will allow you to have the freedom of being present as you will not have any thoughts weighing you down.

9. Write in a Journal 

Writing in a journal is an excellent way of increasing self-awareness and promoting relaxation. You can write what you’re thinking, and it helps you reflect on different aspects of your life. It’s also an excellent way to plan your week, helping you become an organized, superwoman.

It doesn’t have to be epic like writing a book, just some scribble-down thoughts. Take your journal and write away!

10. Read a Book 

Try reading a book that has specific information. It’s an excellent way to stimulate your mind. It’ll leave you happy knowing you’re embracing learning.

What’s stopping you from starting now? You never know, it can turn out to be a great hobby.

Final Words: 5 Minute Self Care Ideas

Taking care of yourself can get lost in the modern noise of life, with almost everything begging for your attention. Practicing any of the above ideas can quickly stimulate your mind, body, and spirit, making you relaxed and happy. 

Self-care builds resilience to tackle the stressors of life that you can’t remove. Many people believe that caring for oneself is a luxury but rather, it’s a priority. If you don’t take care of yourself, you’re often left feeling tired and ill-equipped to manage life’s challenges. 

These activities take less than 5 minutes each, so why wouldn’t you take this short amount of time to care for yourself? Because when you take care of yourself, you become a better you.