17 Super Simple 5-Minute Self-Care Ideas For Busy Women With No Time To Relax!
5-Minute Self-Care Ideas: Quick and Easy Ways to Boost Your Well-Being
Imagine sliding into a warm delicious-smelling bubble bath after a long day at work. Or curling up on the couch with your favorite mystery as you try to figure out whodunit.
But let’s be real, when you’re a busy woman working full time you don’t feel like you have time for self-care of any kind.
And I feel like the older I get the more I feel guilty for wanting to do anything I consider to be fun or not productive.
Being over 35 is a trip ain’t it? But the thing is, you shouldn’t feel guilty for “indulging “ in self-care or even feel like you don’t have time.
It can be especially hard to take care of yourself if you are struggling with depression or anxiety (or ADHD) like I have had in the past. The guilt is extra real then.
But I want to encourage you to take a look at these self-care ideas and just try a few of them and see how you like it.
That way it won’t be overwhelming or guilt-inducing. You deserve peace of mind even if you don’t believe you do. Plus, I think you’ll find my idea of self-care is a little different from the norm.
So if you have 5 minutes, you have time to do any of these self-care activities I will share with you today. No excuses 🙂
First, we’ll discuss what I mean by self-care because every definition is different. Then I’ll tell you 25+ self-care activities you can do in 5 minutes or less.
Want to read this post later? Save it to one of your Pinterest boards!
The Unique Way I Think About Self-Care At Healthy As You Can
Now here at Healthy As You Can, I like to focus on what I consider to be the 4 main pillars of health: physical health, financial health, mental health, and spiritual health.
And self-care can also be applied to all 4 of these areas of your life.
So today I’m going to hook you up with some quick 5-minute ideas to help you practice self-care in these 4 areas that I believe will make a big difference in your life, if you start doing them consistently.
4 Mental Health Self-Care Ideas
When life gets busy, it’s easy to forget to take a moment to check in with yourself. These quick mental health exercises can help you stay grounded and calm, even when you’re on-the-go.
1) Focused Breathing
One of the simplest ways to practice mindfulness is through focused breathing. Find a quiet place where you can sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths. Then, focus your attention on your breath as you inhale and exhale.
If your mind starts to wander, gently bring your attention back to your breath. You can do this exercise for just a few minutes or as long as you like. I used to think this was silly but it actually does make a difference in my mood so give it a try!
2) Gratitude Reflection
Taking a moment to reflect on what you’re grateful for can help shift your focus from what’s going wrong to what’s going right.
Start by making a list of things you’re thankful for, no matter how small they may seem. You can also reflect on a specific person or situation that brings you joy. When you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, take a few moments to read your list or think about what you’re grateful for.
I know recently for a few weeks I was really down about life and the direction I felt like it was going in. But the Holy Spirit gently reminded me to start thinking about all of the good people and things in my life.
Focusing on my blessings and not my problems really helped pull me out of the mental funk that I fallen into.
3) 1-minute Mindfulness Exercises
Practicing mindfulness can help you reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus, and increase feelings of calm and relaxation.
When you’re in a stressful situation literally take a step back before you react. Try taking a few minutes to focus on your breath, or check in with how you’re feeling physically and emotionally.
Come up with a game plan on how to proceed in whatever situation you find yourself in. And don’t stress if at all possible.
This shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes.
4) Setting Up A Diffuser
It literally takes 3 minutes or less to pour distilled water into a diffuser, place 3 to 4 drops of a lavender essential oil into the water, and turn it on.
I love the diffusers that have a light show like this one. As the aroma of the of calming lavender scent fills the room breathe it in and let it relax you.
It always calms me down and makes me feel like I’m in a spa.
Incorporating these mental health self-care ideas into your daily routine can help you feel more centered and present. Remember, taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health, which we will talk about next.
6 Simple Physical Health Self-Care Ideas
Taking a few minutes to move your body can do wonders for your mental and physical health. Here are some quick and easy physical activity boosts that you can do anytime, anywhere.
5) Stand Up & Move For 5 Minutes
Moving your body can also help you feel better both physically and mentally. Try going for a brisk 5-minute walk or doing a few jumping jacks to get your blood flowing.
Even just standing up and marching in place at your desk can help you feel more energized and focused (I talk more about walking in place here and how it helped me lose 50 pounds!).
6) Try Some Stretching Techniques
Stretching is a great way to relieve muscle tension and improve flexibility. Here are a few simple stretching techniques that you can do in just a few minutes:
- Neck stretch: Tilt your head to the left and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on the right side.
- Shoulder stretch: Bring your left arm across your chest and hold it with your right hand for 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
- Hamstring stretch: Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Reach forward and try to touch your toes. Hold for 10 seconds. Obviously you won’t be doing this while you’re at work unless you work at a Pilates studio.
7) Do Some Sitting Workouts
Sitting at a desk for long periods of time can take a toll on your body. Here are a few desk-friendly workouts that you can do to get your blood flowing:
- Chair squats: Stand in front of your chair and lower yourself down until you’re sitting on the edge of the seat. Stand back up and repeat 10 times.
- Desk push-ups: Stand a few feet away from your desk and place your hands on the edge. Lower yourself down until your chest touches the desk and push back up. Repeat 10 times.
- Leg raises: Sit in your chair and lift one leg straight out in front of you. Hold for 10 seconds and lower it back down. Repeat on the other leg.
8) Drink Some Pre-made Green Drinks: One thing I’ve started doing is making my green drink in advance.
Okay, let me explain. I have a Nutribullet which I love and I used to make nutriblasts, as they call them, every day. But now I’ve noticed that I don’t drink them as often as I used to.
So now, instead of making them fresh every day, I make several servings of nutriblasts at a time and put them in mason jars and then pop them in the fridge.
That way, I can make sure I’m getting that nutrition that makes such a huge difference in how I feel and think. And it literally takes seconds to take it out of the refrigerator, unscrew the lid and pop in my metal straw.
Taking a few minutes to prepare a healthy snack like this or meal can also be a form of self-care, as it shows that you value yourself and your health.
9) Eat Healthy Snacks
When it comes to snacking, it’s important to choose options that will provide your body with the nutrients it needs. Opt for snacks that are high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats to keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Some healthy snack options include:
- Yogurt with berries and almonds (I personally can only tolerate Noosa yogurt…it’s the only one I’ve ever liked)
- Apple slices with peanut butter
- Carrots and hummus
- Trail mix with nuts and dried fruit
- Hard-boiled eggs
- In season fruit
10) Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is essential for your overall health and well-being. Drinking enough water can help regulate your body temperature, aid in digestion, and keep your skin looking healthy.
Here are some hydration hacks to help you stay on track:
- Carry a water bottle with you wherever you go
- Flavor your water with fresh fruit or herbs
- Drink herbal tea or infused water for a change of pace
- Eat water-rich foods like cucumbers, watermelon, and celery
- Set reminders on your phone to drink water throughout the day
Remember, taking care of your body doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated. Incorporating these simple nutrition and hydration tips into your daily routine can help you feel your best in just five minutes or less.
4 Fantastic Financial Health Self-Care Ideas!
Now you may not think your money has anything to do with self-care but I beg to differ. When my finances are in order, I have peace.
But when my money is funny (ie I have debt, can’t pay my bills, etc.), it weighs heavily on my mind just like I know it does for many of you.
So to avoid stressful financial situations here are some fast five-minute things you can do to improve your financial health
11)Be Grateful
Take 5 minutes to thank God for all of your financial blessings. If you have a home, car, money in the bank, these are all things you can praise God for!
12)Look Over Your Finances & Cancel Unnecessary Subscriptions (But With A Twist)
Spend 5 minutes looking at your bank transactions and see if there are any subscriptions that you can consider canceling. That might take all of 2 minutes to find that you have 2 or 3 subscriptions that you really don’t need and then schedule a time to cancel them.
Here’s A Pro Tip: Don’t just cancel the subscription. Just cancelling the subscription won’t make a huge difference in your financial bottom line.
Once you cancel that subscription, funnel that money that you were spending on that subscription into a savings account or a retirement account. For instance, sometimes I pause my Youtube TV service which is $80.
And when I do that, I take that $80 a month and put into into my Betterment account which is a retirement account that earns interest.
If I didn’t do that, I would just spend that money at Dollar Tree or Amazon and I would never see any difference in my bank account. Give this tip a try and watch your savings and investments grow over time!
13) Review Your Budget & Make Necessary Changes
If you already have a budget, then just spend 5 minutes or so looking over your budget and seeing if you are on track with your goals.
Another thing I do is track my savings every month to see how much it’s grown and give thanks for that growth. I also like to look over what’ I’ve spent over the month and see if there was anything that I spent that wasn’t necessary or if there are any costs I can eliminate.
14) Open a high yields savings account
If you have the majority of your money collecting dust in a traditional savings account, you are missing out on earning free money.
I implore you to open a high-yield savings account with a bank like Ally. Why? Because you earn far more interest in these banks than you do with brick-and-mortar banks.
I have ally bank and I have money automatically deposited into this account every week and it’s grown substantially not only because of my deposits but also because of how much money I earn in interest.
It takes 5, 10 minutes tops to set up an account and start building your savings fund.
Want to read this post later? Save it to one of your Pinterest boards!
3 Spiritual Health Self-Care Ideas
15) Prayer Journaling For The Win
Whenever I have something heavy on my heart, I will open either my paper prayer journal or my digital prayer journal that I created in Trello and pour my heart out onto the page or the screen (you can take a closer look at my prayer journal here).
This prayer journaling session doesn’t have to be long at all which is something I think keeps people from starting a journal. You can literally journal in 5 minutes or less.
If you prefer a digital journal so you can always have it with you, you can take a look at the one I created in Trello.
Or you can simply use a Google Doc.
It’s up to you but just the simple act of unburdening yourself and casting your cares on the Lord is such a powerful release of emotions.
16) Prayer Cards
I’ve started a business with my family and my mom made me prayer cards for each day of the week and it helps keep me focused on what we are trying to do and why we are trying to do it.
Reading one of the beautifully decorated cards takes 1 minute or less but it serves as a powerful reminder of my goals and keeping Jesus in the center of those goals
17) Scripture of the day
If you have the free Bible app Youversion, it has a verse of the day on its home screen.
If you just looked at this one verse every day and meditated on it, memorized it (memorizing scripture is so amazing which I talk about here), and applied that principle to your life, there’s no way it wouldn’t make a positive impact on your life and the lives of those around you.
It also gives you the option to read that verse with different versions of the Bible. I know that sometimes when I read a verse in one version, the meaning might be lost on me.
But when I read that same verse in a different translation, my eyes and heart are opened and I see that scripture in a whole new light!
The 8 Areas Of Self-Care You Must Know!
I hope these 5-minute self-care ideas have inspired you to take a little time for yourself. It truly only takes 5 minutes throughout the day to improve your life in quite significant ways.
Do not sleep on these self-care tips, y’all! I pray that everyone reading this has a blessed day in Jesus’ name!
And if you are looking for more self-care posts then check this one out where I talk about 8 amazing areas of self-care that you must start incorporating in your life immediately.
