This article was last updated on December 29, 2015
Everyday we have 24 hours or 86400 seconds at our exposure. No more, no less. It doesn’t matter who you are, even if you are Barack Obama all you have is 24 hours. The question is not how much time we have, it’s how much of it do we use. I will share with you today 10 simple things you can do in 10 minutes that can change your day or maybe your life, I don’t know!
1. Watch The Last Lecture By Randy Pausch
2. Call your family/loved ones. – Facebook messages won’t do it. When was the last time you called your grandparents? I just called my grandmother and I totally made her day. Don’t wait for people to call you, because they might be waiting for you to call them as well and if both sides wait, guess what? No one will call the other side. So when you miss someone or want to talk with someone don’t be afraid to call them. They will be happier, you will be happier, all will be happier!
3. Spend a little while watching the sunset. Nothing extra is necessary. Just sit and take in the natural beauty of the sky and appreciate being able to see the sunset, because it’s one of the most beautiful views we can see.
4. Grab a book. Try to read for at least 10 or 20 minutes a day. Remember that books are always better than movies. There are so many benefits from reading books. They boost your creativity, expand your vocabulary, they enhance memory and last but not least books help you develop analytical thinking.
5. Find a quiet place to be alone with your thoughts for 5 minutes. Just go somewhere where you can relax and be alone and literally stop thinking. Close your eyes and just enjoy life, don’t think, just feel! In this crazy-busy world we live in, we need time to relax. Shut your brain from all the problems and craziness of our everyday lives, then when you feel relaxed go out and own the day!
6. Write a thank you note to your mate. When was the last time you thanked your partner for just being who he or she is and being with you? Doing this in writing will give your partner something to cherish for the rest of his or her life.
7. Get your body moving. Shake, twist, and jump around. Let yourself feel the joy of moving to your favorite music, or just the sounds in your head. Run, walk, and bike to your hearts content. You will live longer and love it more.
8. Exercise more – 7 minutes might be enough. You might have seen some talk recently about the scientific 7 minute workout mentioned in The New York Times. So if you thought exercise was something you didn’t have time for, maybe you can fit it in after all. Exercise has such a profound effect on our happiness and well-being that it’s actually been proven to be an effective strategy for overcoming depression.
9. Go outside – happiness is maximized at 13.9°C. In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor recommends spending time in the fresh air to improve your happiness:
Making time to go outside on a nice day also delivers a huge advantage; one study found that spending 20 minutes outside in good weather not only boosted positive mood, but broadened thinking and improved working memory…
This is pretty good news for those of us who are worried about fitting new habits into our already-busy schedules. Twenty minutes is a short enough time to spend outside that you could fit it into your commute or even your lunch break.
10. Do a random act of kindness. The more you give, the more you will receive. I know it sounds fluffy and cosmic, but it actually works. Improving someone’s day makes yours better. If you’re walking back to the office with leftovers from your lunch meeting and someone asks if you can spare anything, give him your lunch. He’ll have a meal in his belly and you’ll have warmed your own heart by helping.
Thanks for reading and be sure to pass this article along!
Sources: psychologytoday.com , huffingtonpost.com , forbes.com
Photo source: Michael Carian
