In full disclosure y’all, I do not practice all the self-care advice I give; at least not consistently. Plus, we all know not all self-care tools work for every person or every situation. However, this week’s Steeping Sunday self-care advice is a tidy up tip I use every single day.
For me, when my house is picked up and clean, I feel better. It’s instant self-care. Whether it’s making my bed in the morning or giving the kitchen a once over before bed, I’ve found the small amount of time it takes to complete these tasks is well worth the good feels it brings me.
What’s the self-care tip I practice every day that has changed my life? It’s called the “One Minute Rule.” Simply put, if you have a chore that will take one minute or less, do it now. Like right now. And, if you are looking to find more time in your day to get started, may I suggest taking advantage of what I like to call “Tiny Pockets of Time.” For example, when you’re waiting for the microwave to cook an item, your kids bath to fill, your coffee or tea to brew, your dog to finish it’s ‘business’ outside, you get it. Basically, any tiny moment throughout the day when you have nothing to do.
So, to get you started, here are a few everyday household jobs that you can do in under a minute:
• Hang your coat or sweatshirt up right when you get home.
• Go straight to the garbage and throw away junk mail.
• Do a nightly mini-fridge purge and get rid of old leftovers or containers.
• Empty one rack of your dishwasher and if you have two minutes, do both!
• Replace the kitchen towels.
• Wipe out the kitchen or bathroom sink.
• Pick up dirty clothes.
• Fold your living room blankets or straighten up your pillows.
• Round up counter clutter like pens, chargers and for me… bobby pins and put them away.
I’m not kidding. Give this a try. I even say outloud to myself, “Pam, it will only take a minute; do it.” And guess what? I do it! The beauty of the “One Minute Rule” is that before you know it, you will be stringing two, three, even five tasks together!
Have a beau•tea•ful week, Steepers.
Pam
