1 minute Self-Care & De-Stress Ideas for a Pandemic
In these COVID-19 times, self-care is no longer optional. We all need to practice more self-care to minimize the stress, worry and anxiety that is part of a pandemic.
Certainly we can all find 1-minute at a time for self-care every day.
Here are 10 ideas for self-care that take 1 minute each:
- I challenge you to close your eyes for 1 minute. Set a timer and close your eyes. Within a minute you are likely to take a deeper breath. Within a minute you are likely to loosen tension somewhere in your body. Closing your eyes reduces sensory input (which stimulates the nervous system) so for one minute your nervous system can relax.
- Do a 1 minute listening meditation to calm the anxious mind and give the busy mind a break. Here’s how: Listening Meditation
- You have many things you can be grateful for in your life, even in this time of coronavirus. Write down as many as you can in 1 minute.
- Take a Mini Self-Compassion Break. Use this Self-Compassion script.
- Do the World’s Easiest Breathing Meditation. Close your eyes and notice your breathing. Notice the inhale and notice the exhale. Don’t change your breathing in way. Don’t exert any effort at all. Just notice.
- Acknowledge yourself. Name 3 things you can be proud of regarding how you are handling this whole situation.
- Close your eyes and ask yourself “What do I need to be well today?” Listen to the answer.
- Call the Joy4All hotline at 403-209-4300 and listen to a joke, story or kind message. (https://www.joy4all.ca/)
- Share kindness by texting “You are amazing. I’m so glad you are in my life.” Text this to as many people as possible in 1 minute. This is actually self-care for you!
- Mirror, Mirror: Look at yourself in the mirror… look into your own eyes and repeat for 1 minute: “All is well and I’m doing just fine.“