Time is our most precious commodity. If we don’t use it, we lose it and it is one thing we can never get back. Sure, we can try to pack more into a day but often that leaves us feeling overworked, exhausted or stressed. Ever feel cheated that you didn’t get to do what you REALLY wanted or needed to do?
Instead of cramming more into our day, look for a few spaces between tasks, errands or transitions. I am sure there are several five-minute blocks somewhere in your day. For today, let’s assume you found 3 blocks of 5 minutes = 15 minutes total. You decide what works for you. Just don’t overdo it trying to get one more thing done and make yourself late.
Now how will you use those 5-minute blocks? You can decide your three big categories, and then list ideas under each. My three categories are listed below with some ideas to help get you started. Use your imagination and make it work for you. I have seen how having a specific time limit can help motivate us for unpleasant tasks every week during Work It Wednesday when we use 3, 25-minute blocks to get things done (contact me for zoom link to join us at 10am ET). Let’s use these blocks to improve our lives.
Self-Care
- Drink a glass of water
- Go outside and breathe
- Stretch my muscles
- Call or text a friend
- Meditate (yes, even 5 minutes is beneficial)
Declutter/Organize
- Put away the winter jackets and boots
- Clean out and organize a drawer
- Remove 5+ things no longer needed or wanted
- Toss/recycle today’s junk mail and catalogs
- Declutter a shelf or clear a counter of all non-essentials
Family
- Spend 5 minutes with each child and listen
- Plan a family activity for the weekend
- Make a meal plan for the week
- Go outside (take a walk, shoot hoops, swing, etc.)
- Do a 5 minute (maybe longer) reset to be ready for tomorrow
Creating routines and habits that keep the family organized impacts the level of stress in your home. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish in five minutes. Feel free to build onto the momentum as we have seen how clutter and disorganization can impact mood, weight, stress and health.
Let me know what you are most proud of doing in your 5 minutes over on my Facebook page. Let’s get a conversation going.