When you’re drowning in deadlines and barely keeping up with life, the idea of self-care feels like a luxury. But what if 5 minutes a day could actually change everything?
Let me start by saying… I am not the girl who wakes up at 5 a.m., downs a green smoothie, journals for gratitude, runs five miles, and still has time to do her skincare routine.
Nope. I’m the girl who wakes up to 37 notifications, stumbles to make coffee before brushing my teeth, and mentally writes a to-do list that feels more like a guilt trip than a plan.
I’m a ‘90s kid. I’m working. I’m tired. And for a long time, I had zero habits that actually helped me. I had routines, sure—but they were just survival mode loops: emails, meetings, stress-eating, doomscrolling, and promising myself I’d “start fresh next Monday.” Monday always came. The fresh start? Not so much.
But something changed—quietly, almost invisibly. And it started with five minutes.
The Day I Sat Down and Breathe (Literally)
It was a Tuesday. Nothing special. I was sitting in front of my laptop, unread emails multiplying like rabbits, Slack pinging like a microwave, and my brain? Fuzzy. Not fried—fuzzy. Like I was awake but not fully alive. That kind of tired.
So, I did something weird. I switched up my laptop.
From full-on work mode to opening YouTube and typing “5-minute meditation.” Clicked the first video with a calming thumbnail and zero ads. I sat. I breathed. I felt ridiculous.
But then—at around minute two—something strange happened. I heard my own breath for the first time in weeks. I felt the tightness in my chest loosen just a little. And when it ended, I didn’t feel enlightened. But I did feel a little more human.
That was enough to try it again the next day.
The 1% Shift Theory (aka the “Not Everything Has to Be Big” Rule)
Here’s the thing… When we think of “wellness,” most of us picture huge changes. Whole 30 meal plans. $150 yoga pants. A peloton. A complete social media detox while hiking in Sedona.
But most of us aren’t there. We’re in studio apartments. We’re feeding toddlers chicken nuggets. We’re juggling work deadlines, family guilt, and that inner voice that says, “You should be doing more.”
So let’s just… not?
Let’s talk about the tiny things. The things that take 5 minutes. The 1% shifts.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” And systems? They’re built from micro-moments. Small, daily actions. Think about brushing your teeth. Or taking vitamins. They don’t feel revolutionary, but over time, they shape how you move, think, and feel.
Here’s What I Started Doing (And Still Do, Kinda)
- 5-Minute Meditation
Just five. That’s it. No special cushion. Just YouTube and silence. Over time, I noticed I snapped at people less. My thoughts stopped bouncing like a pinball machine. Psychology calls this neuroplasticity—your brain reshaping itself based on what you repeat. Turns out, stillness rewires you.
- Meal Prep (But Like, Just One Thing)
I didn’t become a Pinterest mom overnight. But I did start chopping vegetables on Sundays. Just one batch. Having ready-to-go broccoli made it easier to skip the drive-thru. Small win? Huge domino.
- Water Before Coffee
Silly? Maybe. But it told my body… “Hey, we care about you.” That message mattered more than the hydration itself.
- Walk Without Podcasts
Just me. And my thoughts. And the occasional squirrel. I used to fear boredom. Now, I kind of love it.
- Phone-Free First 10 Minutes of the Day
Okay, this one’s hard. But I swear, on days I do it, I don’t feel like I’m sprinting by 9 a.m.
Science Backs This Up (Promise)
Our brains are wired for efficiency. That’s why habits, even the bad ones, stick so hard. They’re shortcuts. But when we gently rewire those shortcuts, even just 1% at a time, we create what psychologists call “compound interest for behavior,**”
BJ Fogg, a behavioral scientist at Stanford, calls these “tiny habits.” He argues that motivation isn’t what builds habits; momentum is. And momentum comes from doing the smallest version of something consistently.
In other words, brushing your teeth for 30 seconds is better than planning a 2-hour self-care Sunday and never doing it. Progress isn’t always visible. But it is happening.
But What If I Fall Off?
You will.
I do.
Sometimes, I skip a week. Sometimes, I binge-watch a show and forget what fresh air feels like. Sometimes, I eat cake for breakfast and call it “intuitive eating.” That’s okay.
Because this isn’t about perfect. It’s about possible. And sometimes “possible” looks like just getting out of bed and washing your face. Celebrate that. Be proud of that.
Remember: the change isn’t in the one big leap. It’s in the repeat.
If You’re Drowning, Don’t Try to Swim the Ocean
Here’s what I wish someone told me years ago: You don’t have to fix everything at once.
Start with five minutes. One thing. Water before coffee. A breath before bead. A short walk at lunch. Post it in your mirror that says, “You’re doing better than you think.”
Build your life like you’re laying bricks. One at a time. Trust that the wall will come together.
And please, don’t wait to feel “ready”. You don’t have to be ready. You just have to begin.
What I Know Now
After months of these baby steps, I still don’t consider myself a wellness girlie. I still skip workouts and eat fries for dinner and forget to meditate more often than I remember.
But I feel better. Softer. Stronger. Less chaotic inside. More like me.
Because somewhere between those five-minute meditations and those single servings of broccoli, I remembered that I deserve to feel well. Not just to function, but to thrive.
And you do, too.
So if you’re sitting there, phone in one hand, mental load in the other, thinking, “I can’t do all the things,” don’t.
Just do one thing.
And then do it again tomorrow.
That’s how we build a life that actually feels good to live.
