The Power of Ten – 10 Things To Do in 10 Minutes

I have been feeling a bit of Term Three craziness lately. Anyone with school kids will know what I mean. There seems to be so much going on – excursions, parent-teacher interviews, fundraisers, sports days, extra-curricular, celebrations, birthday parties, Father’s Day…. the list goes on. I know how easily I can get run down and overwhelmed at this time of the year. And the answer always seems to be quite apparent – you have to have some ME time. It’s just that I don’t have time.

Do you hear me say that? I’m so sick of hearing that. I’m tired of hearing myself say “I don’t have time…”. Because no-one is going to knock on the door with a silver tray and present me with a delicious chunk of time and declare “Do with it what you will!” So I have decided to start MAKING time – how cool is that! It’s kinda like making money, except y’know… legal.

So I am dedicating myself to the “Power of Ten” – just ten minutes at a time. With as little as ten minutes a day, I can focus on ME. Just ME! And with this tiny little investment of just ten minutes, I feel re-invigorated, re-juvented and re-energised. By putting me first for just these few minutes every day, I feel like I can better serve those around me. I don’t resent the busy-ness of life, and I don’t feel that I am being neglected.

Now it’s not easy! It takes practice, but it’s worth it. Just ten minutes. There is no-one in the WORLD who does not have ten minutes to spare (yes YOU included!), and you’ll be amazed at just how many things you can do in ten minute chinks (it’s not really long enough to be a chunk is it).

Here are some of my ideas for Ten Things to Do in Ten Minutes:

• go for a walk – you’ll be amazed how much ground you can cover in 10 minutes, and the endorphins will leave you with a smile on your face
• explore your garden – see how many different birds you can hear singing, pick some flowers, feel the sun on your face
• have a cup of tea or coffee and read a trashy magazine from cover to cover, or a few articles from a good magazine!
• listen to a song that makes you laugh (or cry). Let yourself lean into those feelings for just a little while. Sing, dance, feel.
• have a warm shower, wash your hair, or soak in a tub of bubbles
• sit in a corner of your house that you never normally get to sit in. Just sit and observe the different perspective. It will change the way you see things. Meditate.
• swing on the kids playground swings – see if your feet really can touch the sky
• lie down and do absolutely nothing
• dig in the garden, pull up some weeds or plants some flowers
• and finally, be thankful – write a list of everything you are grateful for. “Choose to see the world with grateful eyes, and it will never look the same way again” – Doe Zantama