10 Ways 10 Minutes Can Change Your Life

Sustainable Micro Transformation

“True greatness consists in being great in little things.” 

— Charles Simmons

When we think about life transformations we often picture the result. Big changes that create big results. From weight loss to a changed mindset, we all want to change our lives for the better. But change is intimidating when we evaluate our current patterns and behaviors. The end goal can feel so unattainable when faced with the daunting journey of inspecting and criticizing our entire busy lifestyle. Making promises to ourselves that we cannot keep up with.

Instead of overwhelming ourselves with massive effort, why not start small?  

The real importance of change is not the result or even the journey, it is the longevity. Are the changes we make sustainable? If we start a new fad and push ourselves until we burnout, out and revert to old behaviors in 3 months, was the change really that effective? No.

Why not start in the micro? Finding little habits we can easily incorporate into our current lifestyle that will incrementally benefit us over time without overwhelming us. It is a fallacy that impactful development has to be a gigantic disruption in our current ways of living. Small but recurring fixes can be just as, if not more impactful in the long run.  

Setting aside just 10 minutes a day for your goals starts the journey on a scale you can keep up with. These small movements forward help you keep promises to yourself, which in turn improves your self-confidence and self-belief. Knowing you are capable of doing what you set your mind to in an effortless way promotes real transformation.

You are the author of your own story, nurture a softness in yourself that encourages gentle and sustainable growth.

Here are the 10 Ways 10 Minutes Can Change Your Life:

Stretching

Creating a daily habit of stretching can improve your quality of life long-term. Stretching helps to increase your range of motion in the joints, improves blood circulation and posture, and alleviates muscular tension throughout the body. This simple self-investment strategy allows you to prioritize your physical body in a gentle and low-impact way. 

Staying limber is especially helpful as we age. As our bodies start to slow down it becomes even more important to keep up those systems. Being able to bend and tie your shoes or walk up stairs unaided becomes a luxury if you aren’t taking proper care of your muscles and joints. The long-term benefits of this gentle maintenance are so important to your overall health. Something I highly recommend you don’t skip!

Self-massage

 Doing 10 minutes of self-massage at the beginning or end of your day helps to improve circulation, relax tense muscles, and reduce high-stress levels. Self-massage has many benefits for both the mind and body. From improving your mood to increased energy levels to better sleep quality, massage can give you that much-needed pick-me-up to get you through the day.

A 10-minute head and scalp massage can chase away a headache. Working the joints of your hands and fingers can loosen the ache formed from a cramped office job. Rubbing the soles of your feet after walking around all day can ease tension and prevent cramping. Self-massage not only helps our pains at the moment but allows us to self-assess our needs for the future. Manually checking in with your body keeps us up to date on our health and well-being. 

Journaling

“Journaling allows you to keep track of your thoughts and emotions over time. It is a healthy way of accepting, processing, and releasing negative or unwanted emotions and feelings. Likewise, tracking your thoughts and emotions over time is a healthy way to measure the progression of goals, and development of character, while creating a safe place for the deepest parts of your heart to come out.” Read more at my blog post The Benefits of Journaling.

Whether you use a gratitude journal or a bullet journal, write out your art or poetry, journaling can be very therapeutic and practical. 10 minutes of recording your thoughts allow a safe outlet for those feelings. When we feel overwhelmed with no means to clear the air we can become emotionally clogged. Our mood shifts and we become irritable and depressed. Journaling for 10 minutes a day allows you to feel heard while providing a record of your emotional journey over time.

Breathwork

Breathwork is defined as various breathing exercises in which the conscious control of breathing is said to influence a person’s mental, emotional, or physical state, for a therapeutic effect. Breathwork is helpful for relaxation and stress in a similar way to meditation. Thoughtful breathing helps us support our body’s self-regulating system. When we feel stressed or panicked taking a series of deep conscious breaths helps us regain control and quiet a racing mind. Regular practice of breathwork can benefit the mind, body, and spirit through this whole-body approach. Improving focus while building mindfulness and self-awareness. 

Check out these beginner-friendly breathwork exercises here.

Aromatherapy

Sometimes called essential oil therapy, aromatherapy uses aromatic essential oils as medicine to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit. These essential oils, when combined, directly promote the enhancement of both physical and emotional health. Essential oil use has a long medical and spiritual history. Used individually or in a blend, you can craft your aromatherapy to your specific needs. From headaches and anxiety to pain relief and pest control there are hundreds of combinations you can create.

Check out more on aromatherapy in the blog post-Aromatherapy for the Mind: Top 10 Essential Oils for Mental Health.

Reading

In the digital age, there is no excuse to not read. From old-school hard copies to audiobooks, and Kindles, we have access to thousands of authors worldwide. Reading has many benefits that include: improved memory, increased focus and concentration, reduced stress levels, enhanced creativity, and better cognitive function. There is a book for everything. Want to learn about the history of the yo-yo? There’s a book for that. Learn to cook, crochet, garden, or tap dance all from a book! Be inspired, find motivation, develop your interests, and be entertained. The world has been explored and dissected within the pages of books, with hundreds added each year. Setting aside even 10 minutes a day for reading can change your outlook on life, inspire you, and if nothing else, will help reduce your phone addiction.

Some of my favorite books include:

Walking

An underestimated form of health and exercise, walking has the subtle ability to greatly impact your well-being. This low-impact form of fitness boasts more benefits than we give credit. There are physical benefits that include: easing joint pain, reducing blood pressure, improving circulation, and toning muscles. Then there are the mental benefits of walking that include: reducing anxiety, boosting mood, increasing activity, and mental clarity.  

I have introduced walking to my weekly routine and have found it to be highly beneficial. A quiet walk alone in nature brings me peace and perspective, allowing the alone time to cultivate my creativity. A walk with my family allows us to catch up with each other’s busy lives while doing something fun out in the fresh air. Whether you can go for a couple of miles or just 10 minutes to your mailbox and back, walking is an easy way to change your life one step at a time.

Budgeting

Possibly a random example of how 10 minutes can change your life but it is one I have found to be very important. Each Sunday afternoon I have built time into my schedule to look over and document my family’s finances. We live in a consumer world, with something shiny and new always beckoning us and our wallets to open up and buy. With money matters being the #1 cause of divorce and debt commonplace for most North Americans, I thought it would be important to mention.  

Financial literacy is defined as: “the possession of the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions with all of their financial resources.” Learning how to budget is one way you can take control of your finances. Even 10 minutes a week looking over your bank and credit card statements can save you stress and money in the long run. Hidden fees, forgotten charges, incorrect accounts, there is always something to look for.  

There are many different resources and methods of budgeting out there, I encourage you to experiment and find which one works for you.

Creativity

We all need an outlet, something that lights a fire in us. Something that allows us to express ourselves. Creativity boosts our self-esteem, provides an outlet for negativity, and gives our curiosity a voice. In the adult world being creative seems to be less valued over more technical or practical endeavors. But the usefulness of creativity can come from anywhere.  

Coding a new program, baking a cake, decorating a house, or designing a website are all ways we can be creative. Tapping back into our youthful enthusiasm makes us feel more alive. Being creative allows us to explore parts of ourselves we often neglect in favor of practicality. But creativity is what drives the world. Imaging what could be better or different is where our best ideas and innovations come from.  

If you have you have been stuck in the responsible adult role for a while you may feel uncertain where to start. I recommend looking back to your childhood. What did you enjoy doing or wish you had the opportunity to do? Be bold and experiment, there is no need for perfection in play-time. 10 minutes of play and self-expression can lift the weight of the drudgery of adulthood.

Find time to find your passions again.

Social Connection

People need people. Being social improves our quality of life. When we have close relationships it provides a crucial sense of community and comradery. When we feel we have support around us we feel safe and connected to something bigger than ourselves. Whether we find that connection in spiritual settings, family gatherings, friend groups, or at work, those relationships are what enrich our lives.  

As an introvert myself I know and value the peace found in my own company, away from others. That solitude has its place and importance, but there is something to be said for the joy of quality connections. Having shared interests with others like in a book club. Encouraging your family, hanging out with a friend. Laughing with a co-worker or bonding with your child, all provide different levels of relationship. All different, but all important. 

Even the Grinch found purpose in the community of Who’s. If a curmudgeon like that can find meaning in community, so can you.

Final Notes

There is the possibility that even with these 10 ways 10 minutes can change your life you will still feel a sense of impending procrastination and perfectionism. As though you have to implement all 10 of these suggestions at once to reap the benefits. Or are overwhelmed by how many categories there are.  

In my self-investment efforts, I have felt the same way. There seemed to be so much to fix and change and I spiraled into avoidant and unhealthy behaviors. Learn from me. Instead, I suggest adding one new behavior at a time. Pick one area you would like to improve on and find a new habit you can add that compliments growth, incorporating more over time. Be thoughtful with which 10-minute stretch you choose, not waiting until the last minutes of your day to throw your tired self into unenthusiastic action.

Transformation does take time but doesn’t have to be boring or unpleasant. Enjoying the journey makes the rewards that much sweeter. Doing these activities once won’t make much difference in the grand scheme of things. But if you incorporate these every day and build a new habit, you are one step closer to where you want to be.

Until nest time,