5 simple healthy practices to include into your daily routine.

If you find it difficult to make time for daily self-care due to your busy schedule, you’re not alone. Many people face the same challenge and often cite lack of time as a barrier to a healthier lifestyle.

However, it may surprise you to learn that even just five minutes can have a measurable positive impact on your health and well-being. There are practical and quick activities you can engage in within this time frame that can make a difference

If you’re skeptical about finding the time, consider reallocating those minutes from less productive and time-consuming activities. For instance, instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media, which has been linked to negative mental health effects, you could trade five minutes of scrolling for one of the following five scientifically supported activities that boost your health:

Focus on your breath: Taking a few minutes to practice deep breathing can reduce stress and improve your physical and mental well-being. Just 90 seconds of deep breathing can stimulate a relaxation response in your body, lowering stress hormone production, blood pressure, and heart rate. Regularly practicing better breathing techniques can also enhance your posture and alleviate pain.

Move your body: Prolonged sitting and sedentary behavior not only harm your physical health but also negatively impact your mental well-being, increasing the risk of death and depression. Engaging in any form of physical activity for as little as five minutes at a time can make a difference. The type of exercise doesn’t matter as long as you keep your body in motion. You could try a five-minute yoga flow, body-weight exercises, or even dancing to a couple of your favorite upbeat songs.

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Connect with a friend: Allocate five minutes each day to connect with a friend or loved one. Even if meeting in person is challenging, video chatting can be a beneficial alternative. Socializing, whether in person or through screens, helps combat loneliness and feelings of isolation, which have been associated with declining cognitive skills, depression, heart attacks, strokes, and early death. If daily scheduling makes it difficult to connect with friends, engage in conversations with others during your errands. A simple smile and genuine interaction can greatly contribute to your own health and the well-being of those you encounter.

Prep healthy snacks: Spending five minutes to prepare fresh fruits and vegetables for snacking can have a significant impact on your food choices. When you’re watching TV and craving a snack, having readily accessible healthy options can prevent you from reaching for less nutritious alternatives like chips. While weekly meal prep is often recommended, dedicating just five minutes every other day to wash and cut up your favorite fruits and vegetables is a less daunting and more manageable approach

Take a quick stroll: Research indicates that walking 10,000 steps per day can reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and early death. However, newer studies suggest that any amount of walking is beneficial. Therefore, taking a five-minute stroll around your neighborhood or inside your office building can have health-boosting effects. In fact, walking for five minutes every 30 minutes has been found to immediately reduce blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Instead of making lofty resolutions that may be hard to sustain, adopting these five-minute activities as regular habits can have long-term benefits for your well-being. And who knows, they may even contribute to a potentially longer lifetime!