7 Tiny Changes To Try Out This Week

Small changes, big difference.

Rebecca Hendin / Getty / BuzzFeed

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1. If you have 3 minutes: Buy this self-care kit.

etsy.com

By now you'll have heard my thoughts on the commodification of self-care. You don't need to spend money to look after yourself, etc. But this is cute, cheap (£6), and includes a £1 donation to Mind.

If you don't want to spend money, you could replicate the contents at home: "a minute bottle, packed with a list of self care ideas, a single tea light to get into the mood, as well as a little magnet to stick somewhere to remind yourself you are important, and worth looking after."

Buy it on Etsy.

2. If you have 5 minutes: Write a note to yourself, reminding you of the good you have done.

Natalya Lobanova / BuzzFeed

The next time someone sincerely thanks you for something, or you feel proud of yourself, write it down. You write down groceries in your notes on your phone so as not to forget them. Why not write down things that make you feel good too?

3. If you have 10 minutes: Try this interactive mindfullness book.

Ailbhe Malone/BuzzFeed

I'm sorry for the bad picture above, but I wanted to show you how this book works. The phrase "interactive mindfulness" initially made me roll my eyes, but this book is really neat. It's called Here and Now: An Interactive Mindfulness Book.

It's got activities that make you switch off, and really engage – without the enforced solitude that turns me off mindfulness apps (does that make sense?). For example, on the page I've photographed, there's an illustration of a jar of water, and you have to shake the book and wait for the water to "settle".

It's only £7.99 on Amazon.

4. If you have 15 minutes: Try tracking your triggers.

lindsaybraman.com

This blog post by Lindsay Braman is really useful. There's also an updated, minimalist layout too. If this kind of tracking is too much for you (it's overwhelming for me), then here's a useful article with 21 other ideas for tracking your mental health.

5. If you have 20 minutes: Prepare a playlist for the future.

Interscope Records/ youtube.com

This tip comes via a great article on self-care for chronic pain:

"“I have multiple sclerosis-related trigeminal neuralgia, widely regarded as the worst chronic pain disease known to man. Sometimes, it is essential to try to focus on something else – anything else – while waiting for relief. I like to keep YouTube playlists based on subjects/video genres I enjoy, and add to it regularly without watching them first. So when the pain hits, I just choose a subject and go with it. It seems like a minor thing, but it really does help when you need to keep it together.” – angels4d4906ef4

6. If you have 30 minutes: Say no to an extra project and just rest.

Ailbhe Malone

I was recently asked to help out on a project outside of my day-to-day job. It was cool, and exciting, and I would have been really good at it. I agreed, and felt an immediate sense of dread. I was burned out and didn't have any space left in my brain (which is a reason why there hasn't been one of these columns for a little while). I emailed to say sorry, I can't do this right now. And I felt immediately better. It is great to feel needed. Wonderful to think that your expertise is vital. But helping someone out is no use if it means you're drained at the end of it.

7. If you've got 30 seconds: Read this tweet.

Kelly Weill @KELLYWEILL

excuse me but are you aware of Lennu, the Finnish president's dog

04:14 AM - 22 Feb 2017

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