7 Small Changes To Try Out This Week

    Small changes, big impact.

    Ailbhe Malone
    by Ailbhe Malone

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Sian Butcher/ BuzzFeed

    1. If you have 3 minutes: Watch these mesmerizing and relaxing animations.

    Nathan Pyle/BuzzFeed

    2. If you have 5 minutes: Make a list of your accomplishments.

    Spicy Flamingo @Savanavanii

    @ailbhetross Self care tip!!

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    Commenter reahnafaithr suggests: "Make a list of all of your accomplishments so on the days when you feel sad you can look at them."

    Why not store this list in the "notes" section of your phone, so that you always have it close to hand?

    3. If you have 10 minutes: Accept when you make a mistake.

    Jen Lewis/ BuzzFeed

    One of my greatest fears is everyone noticing I've fucked up. So when I make a mistake, it feels like the literal end of the world. But instead of holding this worry close to me, I've started letting others know what's happened. I tell my friends, and ask for their advice on what to do next. It's never as bad as I think it's going to be. Nobody expects you to always know what to do.

    4. If you have 15 minutes: Find a new passion project.

    Cathy Ngo/ BuzzFeed

    This tip comes via commenter brittanyg4d8f5b589:

    "Something that’s been helping me is making the time to learn about something I’ve always wanted to. For example, I finally saved up money to buy a good camera, and I make time to learn more about or practice photography every week. A) it gives me a goal B) it helps me stay out of the monkey mind by forcing me to stay present in my surroundings and C) it all started with me saying, “I’ve always wanted to do this”

    5. If you have 20 minutes: Find a scent that relaxes you.

    Harpo Productions / CBS

    This tip comes via commenter Lina Calin: "I love scents and candles as self-care. And I love that I can use them/they work whether I have five minutes or five hours to enjoy them.

    "I love to cook, so I associate relaxation with dessert-like scents. I keep vanilla and maple and caramel candles on hand just as much as soap and toothpaste. My brain now associates those scents (and of course the warm, cozy, romantic flicker of candlelight) with relaxation.

    "After a long day, lighting my candles has the near instant reaction of relaxation. Looking around my living room/kitchen and seeing and smelling them makes me sooo happy. Sometimes when I'm especially stressed I'll light a few in my bedroom about 30 minutes before I go to sleep. Walking in and seeing the candles at bedtime, and having the bedroom filled with such a relaxing scent make me not only excited to go to bed, but also super relaxed when I lay down."

    6. If you have 30 minutes: Read this graphic novel.

    penguin.co.uk

    If you've ever felt a bit lost, or like all your friends are doing better than you, then read Saving Grace by Grace Wilson. It's a short graphic novel that tells the tale of four twenty-something friends, with plenty of familiar real-life details (like the cans of red stripe in the background of a grubby kitchen). It's a quick read and the illustrations are so bright and detailed that it rewards a re-read the next day.

    7. If you have 30 seconds: Read this tweet.

    Ryan Holt ✡ @LightningHoltt

    MY MOM BOUGHT MY DOG A PARKA AND HES TOO FAT FOR IT TO BUTTON

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    This is a weekly series. Got a self-care tip you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments or tweet me!