7 Small Changes To Try Out This Week

Small change, big difference.

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1. If you have 3 minutes: Try these simple stretches.

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2. If you have 5 minutes: Flip your perspective.

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Commenter George suggests: "What I find helps is when I’m being hard on myself I imagine it’s one of my friends in the same situation and I try to imagine how I would react to them (usually a lot nicer) and then duplicate it on myself."

3. If you have 10 minutes: Watch this short video.

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I find it so inspiring, and brave, of Lara to be so open about her health problems. And it makes me happy to know that even if you have long-term health issues, there is a community online who are experiencing the same thing as you – you're not alone.

4. If you have 15 minutes: Take pleasure in the achievements of others.

Ailbhe Malone @ailbhetross

tfw your friends are all doing so well and you support them and enjoy their achievements like they are your own

Wed Jan 18 10:21:19 UTC+0000 2017

The greatest thing I have learned is to be proud – not envious – of my friends. It is so wonderful to be able to feel happy for somebody else's successes, and to know they are feeling the same thing for you when you do well.

5. If you have 20 minutes: Take things back to basics.

Adam Ellis/ BuzzFeed

Commenters Olivia and Anne explain: "I need to tidy my room, get everything clean, so I can actually live in it. I should take a shower, wash my hair because I haven’t in a while. Clean the dishes and clothes that have been piling up, instead of leaving them. Do the hard stuff that isn’t necessarily pretty, but essential."

"Basic things are self-love! Brush your hair until the tangles come out. Put some lotion on your feet! Stretch! Go for a short walk. Read your favorite book. Hug your teddy bear. Call your family. Write down what you are thankful for. Practice your spirituality. When I’m really feeling depressed, I make myself put on outside clothes (not jammies) and I’ll go to the grocery store (because I always have to do that) and I will get in line with a cashier and make human interaction."

6. If you have 30 minutes: Find what feels luxurious to you.

Loryn Brantz/BuzzFeed

I'm always wary of the monetisation of self-care ("treat yourself with this fancy cream! you're worth it!") but at the same time I put value in believing that you are worthy of doing nice things for yourself. This fantastic piece by Jenna Worthman articulates this better than I could:

"Recently, my friend Coco told me they had been exclusively indulging in luxurious acts as a form of self-care. When I asked them to elaborate on what that meant, they described the process of walking to a market, picking out a beautiful winter squash, buying it, then spending several hours preparing it for a meal. The squash cost a few dollars, maybe less, but the luxury came in the deliberation, the pointedness with which Coco decided to fix themselves something to eat.

"A few days earlier, I had debated spending $200 on a marabou feather robe to swaddle myself in luxury as a way to feel loved and cared for, but, after talking to Coco, I decided to hold off on the purchase. The next day, I walked to a grocery store and bought one piece of every citrus that looked to be in season. I walked home with a perfect Meyer lemon, a tangelo, a cara cara orange, and a grapefruit. Over the next few days, I slowly peeled a piece of pretty fruit and ate it, or I sliced it and added it to a glass of water, which I drank while getting dressed in the morning. The savoring became a comfort and felt extravagant in a way I hadn’t anticipated."

Read the whole article here: Body Scrubs, Feather Robes, and Other Failed Experiments in Self-Care

7. If you have 30 seconds: Read this tweet.

Peter 'Poketto' Silk @KestrelPi

To the tune of Eleanor Rigby: Dog in a trenchcoat Getting promoted at work but then sheds his disguise Canine surprise

11:22 AM - 27 Oct 2016

This is a weekly series! Got a self-care tip you’d like to suggest? Let me know in the comments or tweet me.