“Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom in the direction
you want to go is attainable, and you are worth the effort.”
~Deborah Day
Often when we feel overwhelmed and overextended, we focus our attention on all that needs to be completed on our to-do lists. We think we will feel better if we can check another thing off our ever-expanding list and even if that is true, it is only for a moment as more responsibilities are continually added. We may feel like we are running on a hamster wheel, trying to keep up with our lives, and becoming more exhausted and unfulfilled in the process.
Our constant busyness impacts our ability to listen to ourselves, prioritize our own needs, and take time to nurture ourselves. When we are caught in a habit of self-neglect, we feel guilty taking a break or needing to rest. We may wear busyness as a badge of honor, attaching our self-worth to caring for everyone and everything in our lives except ourselves. Over time neglecting ourselves leads to burnout, health challenges, anxiety and depression, and never feeling good enough.
If you are experiencing the consequences of living in overwhelm and self-neglect you are not alone, and implementing these five-minute self-nurturing practices can support you in getting out of survival mode and begin living with more peace, joy, and meaning.
Give yourself permission to experiment with these five self-nurturing practices. I invite you to use a timer for five minutes and see which practices energize you and fill you up. Remember when we choose to nurture ourselves, we are able to give from the overflow of our saucer rather than the last drops of our cup.
Here are five 5-minute self-nurturing practices for busy times:
Take a Mindful Pause.
Mindfulness means paying attention on purpose with curiosity, compassion, and nonjudgement. It is a beautiful way to bring your attention to the present moment, pause, breathe, and come home to yourself. Choosing to take a mindful pause throughout the day offers you an opportunity to check in with yourself, your feelings, and your needs. When you are aware of what you feel and what you need, you will transform your habit of self-neglect and start making more empowered nurturing decisions.
Begin this self-nurturing practice by taking a deep breath, closing your eyes, and placing your hand on your heart. Notice with curiosity and compassion how you feel and what you need. Continue breathing mindfully creating more space for choice in your life. Taking mindful pauses throughout your day will empower you to live with more self-awareness.
Move Your Body.
Often when we are busy, we get disconnected from our bodies. We stop listening to the wisdom of our bodies and may ignore messages our body gives us that it is time to pause, rest, and/or move. Moving your body is a powerful way to reconnect with your body, shift your energy, mood, and mindset, and feel uplifted. Five minutes of movement can make a difference in how you view the world and your life.
Begin this self-nurturing practice by putting on a timer for 5 minutes and moving your body in ways that energize, inspire, and enliven you. You can put on your favorite song and dance or take a walk around the block. You can stretch your body or do a few yoga poses. You can shake your arms and legs or walk mindfully across the room. Being intentional about moving your body throughout the day for five minutes will help you see how quickly you can change your mood and mindset without doing an entire workout.
Set an Intention.
When we are overwhelmed, it is often because we are feeling out of control in our lives. Setting intentions is a wonderful way to ground yourself in what is important to you and use it as your north star when you are making decisions throughout the day. Begin your day or project by setting an intention to support you in feeling more centered and purpose filled.
Begin this self-nurturing practice by taking a deep breath and giving yourself permission to fully arrive in this moment. You can set an intention like any of the following examples: I intend to feel grounded and supported in my day. I intend to feel joyful. I intend to pause throughout my day to check in with myself. I intend to be kind and compassionate to myself. I intend to make empowered nurturing choices. Writing down your intention somewhere you will see them can support you in honoring your intentions and feeling supported and encouraged.
Be Creative.
Creativity is deeply nurturing but we often stop ourselves from being creative thinking we need a block of time to do anything meaningful. Expressing ourselves creatively can inspire and energize us and connect us to a playful energy that transforms the heaviness of our busy lives. Giving yourself the gift of 5 minutes of creativity can open your heart and mind and allow you to navigate your life with more ease and grace.
To begin this self-nurturing practice, put on a timer for 5 minutes and doodle, draw, color, arrange flowers, declutter a space, write a poem or haiku, watch the clouds and see what images you see in them, write a love note to someone you care about, sing a song, do an interpretive dance to a song you love, make a collage, photograph something outside your window, garden, or do anything else that inspires your creative imagination or spirit! Reflect on how you feel after the 5 minutes and experiment with different creative modalities.
Acknowledge Yourself.
When we are overwhelmed and live from a place of busyness, we often move onto the next item on our overflowing to do list without pausing to celebrate our completion or success. When we don’t acknowledge ourselves, we devalue our efforts, miss our growth, and often feel stuck in the doing without feeling a sense of purpose or meaning.
Acknowledging yourself is so important to cultivating resilience and deepening your self-compassion and self-worth. Being intentional about acknowledging yourself can deepen your gratitude practice and increase your confidence in yourself.
To begin this self-nurturing practice, set a time for 5 minutes and try one of the following ideas: make a done list, writing down everything you have completed in the last few days; create a gratitude list of things you are grateful for about yourself; develop a strengths list and acknowledge all the ways you express your authentic beautiful self; start and continue an acknowledgement list of your growth and commitment to nurturing yourself.
Remember that transforming your overwhelm and exhaustion will take time and being consistent with your five-minute self-nurturing practices will support you in the process. As Stephen Covey wrote, “Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.”
May you embrace these five-minute self-nurturing practices for busy times and thrive as you nurture peace in the world from the inside out.
Sending you peace, love and gratitude, Kelley
