7 Tiny Changes To Try This Week

    Time to make a change.

    Ailbhe Malone
    by Ailbhe Malone

    BuzzFeed Staff, UK

    1. If you have 3 minutes: Give a compliment.

    Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    Giving compliments is one of my favourite things to do. It needn't be insincere, or forced, but if you like the way someone does something, let them know. It's worth it to see their smile, and it makes you feel good too!

    Not sure what to say? Here's a good place to start: 8 Compliments That Feel A Lot Better Than “You’re Pretty”

    2. If you have 5 minutes: Ask your friends for help.

    Zachary Gibson

    If you're not feeling great, it's scary to open up. But telling others how you feel is one small step towards feeling better. This week I wasn't feeling great, and chatted to my friend Kelly about it. My friend Maggy agrees:

    "It takes guts to ask for help. Often it means admitting you’re vulnerable, but this isn’t a bad thing. Asking for help actually means you’re being proactive about your situation. It’s important to confide in someone before your problem escalates into a catastrophe. Don’t be afraid to say: “I need this.” Learn to open up and share and be there for others the way you hope they might be there for you."

    3. If you have 10 minutes: Try out Wildfulness.

    Ailbhe Malone / BuzzFeed

    I downloaded this app (£1.49) last week, and have really enjoyed playing with it. It's quite simple: Lovely moving illustrations of scenes from nature, with adjustable white noise settings and a custom timer. If your commute to work is stressful, then it's a nice thing to look at or listen to. And the simplicity of the interface means that you don't need to add emotions/check in like with many other mindfullness apps.

    4. If you have 15 minutes: Have a wash.

    5. If you have 20 minutes: Read this story on the making of "Wannabe" and remember that the Spice Girls ditched their manager and worked from a car before hitting it big.

    6. If you have 30 minutes: Watch a documentary.

    Netflix

    "I did a post last week on great documentaries you can find on Netflix and ever since I've been slowly making my way through the list – I watched five documentaries over the weekend.

    "I find that watching documentaries is a great way to unwind, because you're ~technically~ just watching a film, but you're also learning something. I always finish a documentary feeling like my brain has been enriched in some way. Netflix's documentary selection is great because they have something for literally any mood you're in – I recommend The Hunting Ground for something quite intense, or Twinsters if you want something a little bit more light-hearted and fun." – Ellie Bate

    7. If you have 30 seconds: Watch this Vine.

    Jess @forgetfvl

    dog is showering in my sink again 🙄

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