Five Minutes for Wellness

If you only have five minutes a day, you can still take positive steps toward a more balanced life. When you understand the concept of wellness and how the 7 Aspects of Wellness can lead you toward a more whole and complete life, you can find simple ways to create that feeling of wellness in your day-to-day life.

How do you achieve overall wellness in just five minutes a day? There are some basic positive steps you can take in each wellness aspect to further your wellness journey. Of course, you can spend more time if you’d like. Sometimes, though, you only have five minutes for a specific wellness aspect, and, when five minutes is all you have, you can still do something special for yourself and start feeling better.

Five Minutes to Physical Wellness

When you hear the term “Physical Wellness,” you probably think of spending hours at the gym in pursuit of a rock-hard body. Well, think again. If you’ve only got five minutes today to take a step toward Physical Wellness, here are some things you can do:

• Make a commitment to drink 8 glasses of water today. You can drink water at your desk, in your car, at your meeting, in your classroom, and anywhere else you happen to be at the moment. This step takes less than 5 minutes if you think about it. Just replace your soda, juice or coffee with a glass of water, and you’ve taken one small but important step toward greater Physical Wellness.
• Do some yoga. If you only have five minutes, you can still benefit from the healthy power of yoga. Learn a few stretches and devise a five-minute routine. The deep breathing and poses aid relaxation and muscle building, and a five-minute yoga routine will act as a great break from your busy day.
• Eat a salad. You have to eat, right? Well, making a healthy choice at just one meal can have great overall benefits for your Physical Wellness. At just one meal a day, enjoy some fresh fruits and vegetables. Pick up an apple or an orange as an afternoon snack. Fresh fruits and vegetables are quick and easy Physical Wellness right at your fingertips!

Five Minutes to Emotional Wellness

Emotional Wellness doesn’t have to involve sitting in a therapist’s chair for an hour a week. There are some simple things you can do to support your Emotional Wellness in just five minutes a day:

• Journal. Even if you only have five minutes, you can journal. Simply write some quick notes about how you’re feeling and what is going on in your life. It may not seem like much, but you can use these notes later for insight and greater personal awareness.
• Read an article, listen to a podcast, or watch a video. Look for short articles, podcasts or videos on various Emotional Wellness topics such as anger management techniques, anxiety reduction, defeating depression, or overcoming fear. This information will come in handy when you least expect it, and learning more about Emotional Wellness is the first step toward greater emotional health.
• Tell a friend. If you’re having a bad day, call a friend and quickly let them know what’s going on. Sometimes simply getting the feelings out in a safe place can alleviate some of the tension. A quick conversation with a friend invariably lifts your spirits and lets you know you’re not alone.

Five Minutes to Spiritual Wellness

Going to church or participating as a member of a spiritual community is a great way to foster your Spiritual Wellness. There are also a variety of simple spiritual practices that can help you get connected anytime, anyplace:

• Meditate. Simply meditating for five minutes can help clear your mind and reconnect your heart with the bigger picture. Just sit quietly and breathe deeply for five minutes and let go of all thought. May sound like a challenge, but repeatedly trying five minute meditation sessions over time will help you learn a new way of seeing the world.
• Pray. Whatever your spiritual practice, you can pray. Essentially, prayer is a meditation on your beliefs and connecting with whatever higher power you ascribe to. Simply speaking in this way to your higher power for a few minutes reminds you that you’re not alone.
• Read something inspirational. There’s an affirmation, meditation or uplifting spiritual message out there for every moment and every spiritual thought. When you’re in need of a spiritual lift, reading something inspirational can help you strengthen that connection and send you soaring.

Five Minutes to Social Wellness

We all love spending time with our friends. Sometimes, though, we don’t have a lot of free time to get together. You can still reach out and strengthen those relationships in a few minutes:

• Say, “I love you.” Saying, “I love you,” to the people in your life is one of the best ways to foster both your own Social Wellness and the Social Wellness of others. Simply say it before you run off to go about your daily activities. Send an e-mail to someone special in the middle of the day just to remind them how much you love them. Even when you don’t have a lot of time, you have enough time to say, “I love you.”
• Make a call and make plans. If you have a close friend you haven’t seen in a while, look at your schedule. Do you have some free time coming up this weekend? Even if you can’t spend time with them today, you can call them right now and make plans. Just knowing that you’re going to spend time together will help you reconnect with that person and show both of you how important your relationship is to you.
• Send a card. Do you have friends or relatives who live far away? Send them a quick card to let them know you’re thinking of them. When they receive it, they’ll feel your presence, and you’ll feel more connected to them in spite of the distance.

Five Minutes to Occupational Wellness

It’s really easy to lose your peace of mind at work sometimes. Your job is going to get stressful, but if you just take five minutes a day to support your Occupational Wellness, work won’t seem so hard:

• Update your resume. Simply updating your resume may give you a lift. If you’re discontent at your current job, looking at and improving your resume will help you get in the mood to change your situation. Even the smallest step in the right direction can make your current situation seem more hopeful.
• Build in break time. Many people sit down to work and never stop. It’s important for your Occupational Wellness to take a five-minute break every now and then. Not only does this cut down on work stress, but it refreshes your mind and makes you better able to focus on the task at hand.
• Make a friend. Have a friendly conversation with a co-worker for a few minutes everyday. This will make going to work seem more fun and less like “work.”

Five Minutes to Environmental Wellness

Environmental Wellness is a broad category that includes both your connection to nature and your own personal environment. Here are some easy ways to keep your Environmental Wellness in tip-top shape in just five minutes a day:

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• Pick a place. Even if you only have five minutes to straighten, you can have an impact on the state of your personal space. Is your desk cluttered? Clear it off. Do the dishes need to be put in the dishwasher? Do it. You don’t have to clean the entire house from top to bottom in one sitting. Simply de-cluttering or organizing one small square foot will improve how you feel about your space.
• Sit outside for a few minutes. When you take one of your breaks from work, step outside and enjoy the sunshine. Everyone needs a few minutes of sunshine a day for their Physical Wellness. It helps support the body’s vitamin D production. Sitting outside for a few minutes can improve your Environmental Wellness, too. Appreciating the beauty of nature helps foster that connection with the earth and inspires a great mood!
• Move the furniture. Shaking things up in your home environment can lead to a feeling of renewal. No need to completely redecorate. Just rearrange the furniture in one room for a new perspective.

Five Minutes to Intellectual Wellness

Intellectual Wellness may be one of the most overlooked wellness aspects—and one of the easiest to tune into. Every time you learn something new, you’ve supported your Intellectual Wellness. In just five minutes a day, you can:

• Read. Read a few pages of a book, magazine, online resource or newspaper. Regular reading helps strengthen your ability to think, teaches you something new, and helps reduce the risk of deterioration of the brain in later life.
• Get creative. For five minutes, do something creative. Draw a quick picture with colored pencils just for fun or write a short poem. Even the smallest burst of creativity may inspire you to greater Intellectual Wellness.
• Listen to educational programming. You can learn a new word, pick up some grammar tips, or learn a new fact in just five minutes. All across the internet there are podcasts and video casts that give you quick little lessons for Intellectual Wellness.

Want to Learn More?

Visit www.thewellnesschannel.us to find more ways to support each wellness aspect on a daily basis. By keeping wellness simple, you can slowly build a balanced foundation for healthy living. Every time you make progress toward your wellness goals, you’ll feel a little bit better.

Author: The 123 Feel Better Company
Website: http://www.123FeelBetter.net/