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5 Minute Self Care: 10 Easy Self Care Tips For Women

As a busy mom and grandma, I find it hard to make time for myself. While you may not have an hour each day, you probably do have five minutes to practice some 5 minute self care. When you are so active that you forget to take care of yourself, it becomes even more essential to slip in snippets of five minutes of self care. Here are ten easy self care tips for women that you can start using today!

Easy Self-Care Tip #1

Drink Some Water

Take a moment out of your day to drink some water. You should be able to drink 8 oz within just a couple of minutes. Even if you have been sipping on coffee or soda, be sure to add water into your routine. We all know how important it is to get plenty of water into your body in a day. Drinking water is an easy self-care tip for women everywhere, and it comes with a bonus. Just the act of stopping mid-activity and getting yourself a glass of water gives you a quick time out from the busyness of your routine.

I keep a coffee or soda on my desk while I’m working. Every couple of hours, when my watch reminds me to get up and move, I make my way to the kitchen, where I chug some water. I’m not 100% faithful in this self-care, but I give it my best shot each day! I hope you’ll try, too.

5 minute self care includes water - a woman drinking a glass of water

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Easy Self-Care Tip #2

Listen to Your Favorite Song

In this day and age, nearly everyone has access to music with just the touch of a finger. If you’re at a desk all day or carry your phone with you, it’s easy to put a favorite song on your device and pay attention to it for just a moment. Pick a song you love that suits your mood. Do you need some pepping up? pick something peppy.

If you are frustrated and need to get some of that frustration out of your system, choose something loud and aggressive. Are you feeling reflective and would you like to wallow in that for a bit? Choose something soft and mellow.

Here are some of the tracks I keep handy on my iPhone by mood. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite here:

Feeling discouraged by this earthly life? I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me
Feeling Desperate? I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
Feeling Nostalgic? And So It Goes by Billy Joel
Feeling Empowered and at home in my body? All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor
Feeling Patriotic? God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood
Feeling Like a Sing-Along with some air instrumentals? The Devil Went Down to Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band
Feeling Romantic? Me and You by Kenny Chesney
Feeling like a sing-a-long with my teenager? Hamilton Soundtrack by Lin Manuel Miranda

As you can see, I have a very eclectic taste in music. I kind of like everything, although I would name Country and Showtunes as my favorite two genres. But I digress. I now return you to 10 Easy Self-Care Tips for Women.

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Easy Self-Care Tip #3

Just Breathe

Breathing is a long-proven method for relieving stress. Try some of these breathing techniques from WebMD. You only need about a minute to take a few deep breaths. If you’re a beginner and want to begin with the basics, simply breathe in deeply and slowly breathe back out. Do this a few times, and you will quickly feel your pulse slow. It’s incredible how fast this can make a difference in your day.

If you have a smartwatch, such as an Apple Watch or a Fitbit, you can program it to remind you throughout the day to breathe. The Apple Watch even helps you with breathing techniques by giving you prompts to breathe in and breathe out. It also times you and tells you when to stop.

5 minute self care includes breathing - an image of a woman taking a deep breathe with a quote “breath out the past, breathe in the future.”

Easy Self-Care Tip #4

Pray

One of the best and most important things we can do to practice 5-minute self-care is to pray regularly throughout the day. Prayer has an amazing ability to help us refocus. God is always present and always ready to have a chat. When you can, take a moment to chat with God. Thank him for the beautiful day, your coworkers, your children, grandchildren, or your furry friend. You will regain perspective about the important things in your day.

If you’re having a rough day, don’t be afraid to be honest with God about your needs. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares for you.” So many times, when I’m feeling anxious or upset about something, simply reciting this verse can settle my soul.

5 minute self care image with a woman praying and the verse Phil 6:8 Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.

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Easy Self-Care Tip #5

Pet a dog or cat

If you have a pet, put it to work! Multiple scientific studies have shown the benefits of petting a dog or a cat. Snuggling your pet reduces the stress hormone Cortisol and lowers blood pressure. So take a couple of minutes each day to focus on your pet and give them a good snuggle. They will love it, and so will you!

5 minute self care - woman petting a dog

Easy Self-Care Tip #6

Tickle your head

What is better than a quick scalp massage with ten strong fingers? A head massage with 28 steel fingers. Okay. I know I’m stretching things a bit here, but honestly, if you’ve never used one of these handy-dandy head massagers, now you have the perfect excuse. For less than $10, you can nab one of these little treasures. Voila! Speedy head massage – and it doesn’t even muss your hair. Trust me on this – you want to try it. You’re welcome.

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Easy Self-Care Tip #7

Stretch

Yup. Taking a good stretch is one of the easiest self-care tips for women. Take a minute to stretch. It’s quick, you can do it while sitting or standing, and it will make you feel better. Why does it work so well? Because it gets your blood flowing throughout your body. Stretching is especially significant if you spend your day sitting at a desk. But more important, any time you stop your routine and do something quickly for yourself, you are practicing self-care.

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Easy Self-Care Tip #8

Grab some fresh air

After you’ve taken that stretch, you can move right on to another quick self-care technique, grabbing a breath of fresh air. If you don’t have easy access or the ability to get outside, find a window, crack it a bit and enjoy the sounds and smells of the outdoors. For women who work in an office, a quick step outside is a great way to put some space between you and your desk. If you are home, it will break your routine and allow you to refocus.

Easy Self-Care Tip #9

Find an item to donate

When I am feeling overwhelmed, it is so helpful to take control of my environment. To do this, I will often take a quick minute and find something in my house that I no longer use. You may be surprised at how good it feels to rid your space of something you no longer need. Keep a donation box somewhere out of the way, such as in the garage or the back of your car.

When you need a quick self-care break, find an item that can go in the box! This small practice helps keep your home in order, and that’s excellent self-care. In addition, this little task has a unique way of reminding me of how much I do have. Amidst the stress of daily life, it is easy to forget that just about all of my needs are met. I’m not suffering from a lack of clothes, food, or kitchen tools, and this little reminder is good for my soul.

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Easy Self-Care Tip #10

Think of 3 things you like about yourself. Jot them down.

I have saved the most epic self-care tip for last. As women, we are so quick to speak negatively to ourselves. Get into the habit of positive self-talk! When you feel tempted to tell yourself that you’re not smart enough or pretty enough, think about what you would say to a friend and take it from there.

Take a quick moment out of your day and think of a few things you genuinely like about yourself. Then write them down! In less than a minute or two, you can give yourself a positive boost. That’s what self-care is all about! Keep a post-it notepad handy and as you write these little notes, put them in the places you spend your time – on your mirror or the refrigerator, for example. These little notes make great reminders as you move about your day.

5 minute self care heart letter in an envelope

Good self-care is so important. Every time I speak to my therapist, she reminds me that one of the best things I can do for myself is taking care of myself.

Incorporating one or all of these simple self-care ideas into your daily routine will surely keep your day running smooth and leave you feeling empowered to take care of your own needs. What do you do to take care of yourself? I would love it if you would share by leaving a comment below!

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