6 Acts of Self-Care You Can Do in 60 Seconds or Less

It might be the time to change the way you think about self-care. When you’re running low on time, energy, or money, the best approach is often the simplest approach. Here, you’ll learn how to focus on tiny acts of self-care to turn your chaos into calm.

Self-care is a buzzy word these days—and while its definition is open to interpretation, there’s no arguing that it’s beneficial. A study found that those who engage in acts of self-care may experience less stress and more resilience. That sounds easy enough, but life can often get in the way, whether it’s a chaotic after-school schedule for your kids or caring for a parent. And when spare time is hard to come by, self-care is usually the first thing to get pushed to the back burner.

The good news? You don’t need to institute a daily 30-minute meditation practice or budget an hour for yoga—nice as that might be for those who can swing it. If you don’t have enough hours in the day, you can still reap the many benefits of self-care, even (and especially) when you’re stressed to the nines. In just 60 seconds, small moments can make a world of difference. Here, are six ideas to give you a quick shot of calm.

1. Do something completely different.

It’s easy to stress about a work flub or worry about the babysitter cancelling last minute when you’re glued to your computer or phone (or both). That’s where taking a break can help. Research shows that breaks spent outside your office space can help you recover from a meltdown in the making, so get up and do something totally unrelated.

Try heading to the bathroom and rinsing with mouthwash for a minute. Or take a couple of laps around your office building. The goal is to remove you from a stressful situation and give your brain something else to focus on, helping you defuse before returning to whatever caused you to stress in the first place.

2. Try a mini-meditation.

Grab your phone, cue up a short meditation on an app, and close your eyes. (Or simply set a timer, if you’d rather DIY.) There are a whole host of benefits of meditation, and decreasing your stress level is at the top of the list. Plus, you don’t have to invest a half-hour to do it—nor be a pro. Many apps have one-minute guided meditations that can help you reset and restore zen to your day.

3. Watch a favorite clip.

Does just thinking about that cold open from your favorite sitcom crack you up? Can you not watch a comedian break character during a skit without you, too, dissolving into laughter? Then consider taking a little laugh break: Check out a meme from a friend or watch a quick video clip. There’s a plethora of scientific evidence to show that laughter can provide stress-relieving benefits quickly, whether it’s spontaneous (e.g. a funny video triggered it) or simulated, a.k.a. you fake it until you make it.

4. Put together a mantra board.

As woo-woo as it might seem, choosing mantras and keeping them top of mind can help centre you when things start to get out of control. One study even found that practicing self-affirmation exercises can influence the brain’s reward system and lead to positive outcomes. Your mantra(s) could be anything that resonates with you, such as “I can handle this” or “I am prioritizing taking care of myself.” Put them on a mantra board (or anywhere prominent) and make them part of your daily routine.

5. Show some gratitude.

There are a ton of different ways to show gratitude, which ample research has found to be strongly linked to well-being. And while there are various ways of doing that, from keeping a gratitude journal to volunteering with a favourite charity, one quick way is to tell a loved one how much they mean to you. Take a (literal) minute to think about their amazing qualities, then type it out in a short text to let them know you’re thinking about them. Bonus? It’ll make the day better for both you and the recipient.

6. Take five deep breaths.

Known as the stress hormone, cortisol surges when your body is reacting to stress or fear, and a few deep breaths can help get your levels back in check. The most beneficial are breathing with your diaphragm (which is located in your belly). So take a deep breath for four counts, hold it for four counts, and then breathe out for four counts. The best part? As one study found, the effects of diaphragmatic breathing can be cumulative, meaning that doing this regularly may translate to long-term stress relief, too.

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Reference: [https://www.oprahdaily.com/beauty/a37667540/acts-of-self-care-you-can-do-in-60-seconds-or-less/]