Small is better: Only have a minute? Make it count!

I have a quick question: which is better, nothing or something? My answer would be that if you have a goal that you would like to accomplish, then doing something is better than doing nothing!

Some of us have the goal of doing some regular self-care. The most common response I receive from folks who are not doing any self-care practices is “I just don’t have time.” Trust me, I absolutely know that feeling. But the good news is that tiny moments of time are all you really need to practice some beneficial self-care. Here are some quick ways to work self-care into your day.

Exercise

Short, vigorous activities in your daily routine—like power walking, intense housecleaning, or playing with kids or pets—may significantly reduce your risk of dying from cancer or heart disease. Despite being just one to two minutes at a time, the short activities in the study were linked to similar health benefits as more structured exercise. And the benefits don’t stop at the end of your workout; when you take a moment to care for your body, even in small ways, it helps you feel better in so many other areas of life. Moving your body releases endorphins, which help lift your mood and melt away stress. I notice that after I get some exercise in the morning, I am much more mindful about the other choices I make (about eating, etc.) the rest of the day.

Mindfulness

Try this short breathing exercise to practice mindfulness for calmness and relaxation.

1. Sit comfortably and close your eyes or soften your gaze. Let the outside world fade away.
2. Take a slow, deep breath. Breathe in a way that feels comfortable and natural to you.
3. See if it feels good to breathe in through your nose and exhale slowly out through your mouth, as if you’re blowing out a candle. Then try to gently extend your exhalations.
4. Slowly breathe in and out, and repeat five to ten times.
5. Then calmly, at your own pace, come back to the room.

What if you started each meeting like this?

Acts of Kindness

A new study finds that performing acts of kindness improves mental health symptoms—and increases your social connection too. If you ever wonder what act of kindness you could do, look no further for ideas!

Gratitude

Our life experiences are produced by what we focus on. And what we choose to draw attention to is really important to our well-being. Much that we can do to increase well-being has to do with learning how to redirect our attention. A gratitude practice is an effective way of focusing our attention on what’s good about our life and the people in it. The key, however, is to start small.

Noticing and savoring the little things, like the way the sun hits your face or the smell of autumn leaves, can help redirect your attention toward the positive. Here are a few other gratitude practice ideas to consider.

• Gratitude journaling and writing
• Expressing what you’re thankful for on social media
• Sending someone a text to let them know you appreciate them
• Writing down three things that you’re grateful for
• Starting a gratitude jar
• Creating a collage of all the things that you’re grateful for

One more: How long does it take to say thank you? See how many times you can say this to others today!

Social Connection

How’s this for quick and easy—whatever you’re going to do anyway, do it with someone else! Taking a walk? Getting some coffee? Eating lunch? Take someone with you!

Dan

Sources: Stamatakis, E., Ahmadi, M. N., Gill, J. M. R., Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., Gibala, M. J. Doherty, A., & Hamer, M. (2022). Association of wearable device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity with mortality. Nature Medicine, 28, 2521–2529. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-02100-x

Cregg, D. R., & Cheavens, J. S. (2022). Healing through helping: an experimental investigation of kindness, social activities, and reappraisal as well-being interventions. Journal of Positive Psychology, 18(6), 924–941. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2022.2154695

Aronson, B. (2025, February 4). 86 Random acts of kindness. Daily Good. https://www.dailygood.org/story/3272/86-random-acts-of-kindness-brad-aronson/