Five minutes of Health?
A good friend recently asked me this question:
‘What can we do in 5 minutes a day to improve our health?’
Can we make a difference to our health & wellbeing in 5 minutes? I think so, and certainly worth a try if it only takes 5 minutes, right?
In just 5 minutes we could set off what is called a Ripple Effect which could help us form new healthy sustainable habits and this is where the magic starts. A small step which has the potential to turn into massive shifts.
A 5 minute activity could set off a better course for the day but I would recommend establishing a ‘why’ first. What is a why? Why gives us purpose in our actions, it gives us a framework or points to our values of what is important to us. Your why needs to be as specific as possible. By asking yourself if there is a potential health benefit to establishing a habit, creating a ripple effect, which is important to you? This could be feeling calmer, less stress & anxiety so you can deal with work or home-life pressures with less reactivity. Is it to move a little more, to feel more energised & increase cardiovascular health. Do you need to think about weight management if you were on top of this how would you feel? Remind yourself about the why because this will help you form a sustainable habit long term. As a health coach I love helping clients find their why & then tweaking these changes to suit their lifestyle.
Here are three examples that have worked with my clients…
Slow down.
If you would you like to feel a little calmer & less anxious you could try 5 minutes of deep breathing, yoga or mindfulness, take a 5 minute seat in nature while doing it - activating rest & digest hormones and benefitting your mental wellbeing.
Speed up.
If you would like to feel more energised 5 minutes of movement could be in the form of dancing, walking, a few squats & lunges or taking the stairs whenever you have the option. Whatever you fancy- raising the heart rate, activating the cardiovascular (blood & lung) system, getting the external body moving also gets the internal body moving. The physical benefits can be endless when it comes to health.
Nourish.
Five minutes making something to eat or drink which will nourish the body is another way to set off a potential ripple… a quick smoothie for breakfast or overnight oats made the evening before, a nutrient packed lunch for work.
We can also nourish the mind in 5 minutes by calling a friend or loved one for a quick chat.
Ripple effect activated: The next decision you make will be met with a slightly more balanced approach~ it may be a nutrition or movement choice, it may be how you approach a conversation with a loved one or a difficult work colleague. Therefore having even more of a knock on effect from there. If, after this, you have the capacity & space to move onto the next moment with a little more clarity and space in your mind, then that is worth 5 minutes!
Maybe time for you to think of some of your own or try the above, see if they become your default too! Perhaps you already have some great ideas.
