101 quick 5-minute Self-care activities to lift you up

Want to practice self-care in 5 minutes?

You might think you have no time for self-care, but there are actually so many self-care activities you can do that take up hardly 5 minutes in your day. 

Self-care is simply doing anything that makes you feel good in your mind, body and soul. It need not be extravagant, time-consuming or costly at all. 

I wanted to write this post because I know we all wish we could take better care of ourselves, do more of the things that make us feel good and improve our mental health, but we tend to think- “If only I had plenty of time..!”

But self-care isn’t a privilege for only those who have a lot of time to themselves. 

I don’t have a lot of time either and wish many times if only I had more than 24 hours a day to do all the things I want to do.

Still, there are so many things I enjoy and so many activities that help me take care of myself. 

In this post, here are 101 simple and quick 5-minute self-care activities to lift you up divided into 5 categories

• 5-minute self-care activities to feel good
• 5-minute self-care activities for the body
• 5-minute self-care activities for the mind
• 5-minute self-care activities for the soul 
• Other quick 5-minute self-care ideas 

I obviously don’t do all of them, but I sure do a lot of them.

All of these little 5-minute activities add up to helping me take better care of myself and make a big difference in my life by making me feel good and enjoy the little things in life. 

I hope you enjoy them too. 

Before I begin, here are my quick thoughts on how to do 5 minutes of self-care 

How to do 5-minute self-care 

• Whatever you do, do it mindfully and with intention 
  
  
• Take your 5 minutes as 5 minutes of total non-distraction and being full with whatever you do and enjoy your flow. 
  
  
  
• When you do it, do it with a sense of gratitude for being able to do it. 

Even if it is just opening your windows and letting in the fresh air, do it with a sense of thankfulness for waking up to a fresh new day with 24 brand new hours. 

Even if it just painting your nails, feel joy in having the time to do it. 

Even if it is just walking mindfully in your house, feel gratitude for your legs. 

Even if it is just calling your parents, feel gratitude that you have them in your life while you have them. 

Once you have this sense of gratitude for little things, you will find that these little things are indeed big things. 

You will find that it is these little 5 minutes moments of your day that take up so much space in your day that you can actually fill it and enjoy as 5 minutes of moments of ease, peace, lightness, love and care for yourself.

Remember, 5 minutes is a Gift. 

5-minute self-care Activities to feel good 

1.Let the sun kiss your face 

2. Open blinds and windows and let in fresh air 

3. Look in the mirror and smile for no reason 

4. Have a cup of tea mindfully with no distraction

5. Wash your face and feel the water as it splashes your skin and feel happy

6. Change your bedsheets.

7. Wear nice house clothes 

8. Use an oil diffuser and make your room smell nice 

9. Light an incense 

10. Gift yourself flowers and don’t forget to look at them closely.

11. Kiss your hands 

12. Hug yourself and just be 

13. List things you are grateful for each day before going to bed. A small tip- keep a small notebook and pen for this by your bedside always so you don’t feel lazy to miss it.

14. Create a playlist you love 

15. Soak your feet in warm water 

16. Count your blessings literally or write them down

17. Water your plants 

18. Wear nice sexy innerwear and feel good

19. Hug your partner 

20. Call your parents

5-minute self-care activities for the body 

21. Drink water 

22. Take a mindful shower

23. Do a wonder woman pose 

24. Do a 5-minute Yoga Flow

25. Do sun salutations 

26. Do cat cows 

27. Put on lip balm 

28. Apply a face mask 

29. Apply makeup without rushing

30. Give yourself a head massage 

31. Give your hair a mindful oil massage

32. Give yourself a foot massage 

33. Paint your nails mindfully 

34. Do a 5-minute stretch session. I love Mady Morisson on Youtube

35. Tidy yourself up and brush your hair in the morning

36. Eat a healthy snack

37. Eat fresh fruits 

38. Make a salad 

39. Brush your teeth

40. Lie down and rest

5-minute self-care activities for the mind 

41. Breathe 5 mindful breaths

42. Go out and listen closely to the surrounding 

43. Walk barefoot on the grass

44. Turn off notifications on your phone

45. Unplug from social media

46. Don’t reply to messages instantly 

47. Notice any sensation in your body

48. Make your bed

49. Clean your desk 

50. Do some colouring

51. Read your favourite blog 

52. Watch an inspiring video 

53. Walk mindfully in your house

54. Do a quick 5-minute decluttering session

55. Watch funny videos 

56. Sing out loud

57. Eat ice cream mindfully 

58. Find images for your vision board and get inspired. P.S how to easily make a vision board

59. Read inspiring quotes 

60. Relax and daydream 

5-minute self-care activities for the soul 

61. Pray 

62. Light a candle and look at it closely 

63. Meditate for 5 minutes 

64. Journal for 5 minutes

65. Listen to positive affirmations 

66. Look at the stars

67. Write down what you want to affirm 

68. Write your own prayers

69. Read a scripture 

70. Listen to mantras. I love this Prajna Paramita mantra and have learnt many mantras by heart because I love to sing them out loud and how it makes me feel and vibrate higher.

71. Take a short walk 

72. Write down your happy future with full belief and excitement 

73. Sit quietly 

74. Cry your heart out 

75. Call your best friend 

76. Dance a happy dance. I love Pamela Reif’s dance workouts on Youtube.

77. Write a letter you wish you could send to someone 

78. Close your eyes, and only listen to music 

79. Note down any acts of kindness you noticed recently.  

80. Compliment your favorite Instagrammer / YouTuber/ blogger 

Other quick 5-minute self-care ideas

81. Take a bath and change your clothes.

82. Fill your house with loud music

83. Wear a comfy hoodie

84. Don’t use your phone when you get up in the morning. Here are other toxic things not to do in the morning

85. Sit close to plants. They bring happy vibes.

86. Eat your favourite chocolate and enjoy

87. Send a kind message to someone who’d need it

88. Put on warm lights in your bedroom 

89. Fold your clothes 

90. Cuddle with your partner 

91. Cuddle with your pet 

92. Plan your self-care day. Here are some Best Self-care Sunday Ideas

93. Decide on your morning routine. Here are the 5 things to add to your morning routine  

94. Be kind to yourself. 

95. Hug and kiss your children 

96. Make yourself your favourite drink 

97. Treat yourself to something

98. Order your favourite food and savour it mindfully 

99. Find and read lovely poems. They are pleasures of life. Here is a recent favourite I came across.

100. Do whatever you’re doing without any feeling of rush

101. Do nothing 

So these were all the 5-minute self-care activities you can enjoy doing 

Save for later 🙂

I hope you loved them and give them a try. 

When you take care of yourself, you take care of the world.