Five Minute Self Care Ideas

Five Minute Self Care Ideas

partial view of a bathtub with a bathtub tray that's full of bath items including a brush, honey, and soap dispenser

Self care has really morphed into a buzzword that equates to bubble baths and face masks, which is a shame because it’s such an important concept! Self care doesn’t have to be daunting and it can (and should) fit into whatever makes YOU feel relaxed and cared for. We don’t necessarily advocate for rushing self care but starting with easy, five minute self care ideas is a good way to get into the habit of making self care a priority. 

According to the blog The Blissful Mind, there are 7 pillars of self care. These 7 pillars offer a great framework to make sure you’re doing a wide variety of self care tasks and not neglecting certain aspects of your life. The 7 pillars are mental, emotional, physical, environmental, spiritual, recreational and social. The good news is, there are many quick and easy self care ideas that can help you hit all the pillars without spending hours and hours on self care. (Unless you want to spend hours and hours, in which case you definitely should!)

Physical Self Care Ideas

  • Move your body
    • Get off the couch, step away from the desk, and do a few jumping jacks or squats. Get your blood pumping, get your mind off of whatever is stressing you out and thank yourself later. Not all self care ideas feel *fun* when you’re doing them, but they can still be a form of self care!
  • Eat a healthy snack 
    • Grab a healthy snack if you’re feeling like your body needs some nourishment. It’s tempting to grab a bag of chips (and there’s nothing wrong with chips every once in a while), but choosing a healthy snack instead can be a form of self care. You’re giving your body what it really needs instead of just what your mind thinks you want at that moment.
an overhead view of a bowl of granola with sliced peaches on top, there is another bowl on the left that you can see half of, the background is a marble table and there are peaches and granola scattered on the table
  • Get dressed 
    • Sometimes getting dressed is the last thing you want to do, but the reality is it takes the same amount of time to put on a pair of sweatpants as it does to put on a pair of trousers! Take a few extra minutes to choose an outfit that makes you feel good and get dressed!
  • Stretch for five minutes 
    • Gentle stretching is so good for your body, as well as your mind! Mobility is something that many of us are lacking and just a few minutes of stretching and deep breathing will help loosen up your muscles and ease your mind. Physical self care activities can be gentle, you don’t have to lose your breath for it to be beneficial.
a man wearing shorts and a tshirt is doing a butterfly stretch outdoors on a porch with a white fence and wooden flooring

Recreational Self Care Ideas

    • Listen to a song you love
      • We all have songs that can transport us to a place (good or bad!) Find a song that always cheers you up and put that on when you’re feeling like you need some self care. Better yet, take 5 minutes to make a playlist with multiple songs that make you feel good. Then the next time you are looking for self care ideas, listen to one or two of the songs from your playlist.
    • Grab a coloring book and some markers!
      • Recreational self care seems to be one of the hardest for adults to prioritize, but our mini coloring books make it really easy to do something fun! In just 3-5 minutes you can channel your inner child and complete a coloring page. All you need is one of our coloring books and something to color with! Perfect for self care at home or on the go. 
    overhead view of a person coloring, there is also a turquoise and white striped bag with lots of items falling out of it including coloring books and coloring sheets

    Mental Self Care Ideas 

    • Tidy up your space
      • If your space feels cluttered, take five minutes to tidy things up. Set a timer, you’ll be shocked at how much you can get done in just five minutes! That being said, don’t let this turn into an hours-long task, really stick to that timer! 
    • Box breathing 
      • Slow down your mind with a breathing practice called box breathing. Take a deep breath in while you count to four, hold that breath for a count of four, exhale as you count to four and then hold your breath (or lack of breath) for four. Then repeat! 
    a woman practicing yoga - her hair is in a bun and her eyes are closed, her hands are in prayer position in front of her chest

    Other Self Care Activities

    • Meditate for 5 minutes (Spiritual)
      • Meditation can seem daunting or intimidating if you’ve never started a meditation practice, but the reality is, even a few minutes can be beneficial! There are so many resources for guided meditation on Youtube if you’re unsure where to start. 
    • Text something nice to a friend (Emotional/Social)
      • I know self care activities are supposed to be about you, but the truth is, we all benefit from saying something nice to someone! Taking the time to send a friend a nice compliment will help you feel great! Plus, there’s a good chance they’ll say something nice back to you so that’s a win-win!
    a woman wearing black glasses and a black and white striped shirt is smiling while holding her phone close to her face, she is sitting in an apartment

    Self care activities don’t have to be hard or time consuming! These easy, five minute self care ideas will help you build a self care practice so self care becomes a daily part of your life instead of just something you do periodically. Take care of yourself, you’re the only one who can!

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