Probably everyone who is currently opening Instagram will see all these motivated people who make the most of their time during the lockdown. New creative hobbies are discovered, new languages are learned, banana bread is baked and home workouts are posted.
But not everyone has so much time to discover new hobbies and spend the rest of the day with home workouts and newly learned cooking skills. Despite everything, there are some great 15-minute daily habits that can improve your life and that your future self will be grateful for.
15 minutes a day, which we normally sit in front of the TV or scroll through social media lost in thought, can completely change our lives when we do them as a routine.
11 lifechanging Daily 15-Minutes Habits
A year from now, you will wish you had started today – Karen Lamb
15 Minutes of Languages
One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is “learning a new language” or refreshing an old foreign language you have learned years ago. But time or money is often lacking to take a language course.
It doesn’t always have to be a course in an evening school, though. There is so much (free) information and learning aids on the Internet: Vocabulary lists, language learning apps, or grammar exercises, and much more.
Duolingo also advertises that you can learn a language with only 15 minutes a day. The important thing is to keep going and stay on top of things. Especially if the language you want to learn is not your first foreign language, it is not that difficult to teach yourself a new language.
If you only spend a few minutes dealing with your foreign language every day, you might be able to participate in small talk with native speakers next year. Whether you learn vocabulary with Quizlet, practice simple sentences with Duolingo or Babbel or practice with native speakers on skype or iTalki is entirely up to you.
15 Minutes Cleanliness and Tidiness
Many have a so-called cleaning day a week (or two), which they spend cleaning the whole house. Especially those who work during the week often have to spend their weekends with annoying cleaning and housework.
But have you ever thought about simply spending 15 minutes cleaning each day? 15 minutes to vacuum the hallway, file the stack of bills, or rearrange the cups in the kitchen cupboard.
If you work from home as we do, it is also a good idea to take a little time every day to organize your workplace – you will see that it will be much easier to work with. And on your actual cleaning day, only half of the work has to be done. This gives you a lot more time to concentrate on the things that are important to you.
15 Minutes Time for yourself
In the stressful everyday life we, unfortunately, forget it too often: to take time for ourselves. But only 15 minutes a day can revive your self-esteem and provide relaxation. So take at least 15 minutes a day off just for yourself.
Read an interesting article, put on your favorite song and dance around the room, write a diary, put on a beauty mask, drink your coffee, meditate or sit on the couch and just do nothing – whatever you like do. And above all, don’t let anything bother you. These 15 minutes are reserved for you and just you.
15 Minutes Plant love
If you look at my Pinterest boards, you will surely think that our living room must be a real green jungle. I love it when there is always green inside of your house and everything is full of plants.
For a long time, however, the truth was very different. I had exactly one plant in my first flat. Since I’ve been living in Barcelona, however, I’ve noticed what a difference a little bit of green can make in our place. Every plant creates a little more comfort and clear air.
Of course, the plants also need care, so that instead of lush green plants, your living room will not soon be full of dried leaves. So take a little time every day to maintain your living room garden so that you can enjoy the dream of blossoming every day.
15 Minutes of Thankfulness
In such stressful times, we only too often forget to pay attention to beautiful things. All too often we only think of the stress at work, the stupid man who has cut the line in the supermarket or the snappy remark from our colleague.
How about if we focus instead on the beautiful things in life for 15 minutes a day? The kind words of our partner, the kind words, or the kind gesture of our neighbor, the compliments of the colleague, or the nice phone call with our mother. All of these are things that deserve a little gratitude.
Whether you keep the positive thoughts in a journal for darker days or just collect them in your head is entirely up to you. You will see that if you take a little time each day to collect the beautiful moments of the day, you will feel much better – however bad your mood was before.
15 Minutes Movement
It’s not for nothing that people say that a little bit of exercise releases endorphins. That’s why moving every day is so incredibly important. Not just to stay healthy and fit in the long term. A little movement usually works right away and immediately improves your mood. Especially if you only sit in the office all day and don’t have much time to exercise.
But not everyone comes back from a 15-minute run with a smile on their lips. So find out what is best for you. Whether yoga, home workout, running, or just a short walk around the block. And you will see that you will feel much better right away and have more energy that helps you through the day.
You could also just take the stairs instead of the elevator or schedule similar activities. Everything that is movement counts.
However, of course, in the long term, a little bit of daily exercise has a positive effect on your body. Whether you want to lose a little weight or just want to stay fit and healthy – exercise helps. Even if it just 15 minutes a day.
15 Minutes for Healthy Snacks
On stressful days, you may be surprised by a food craze. And, basically, there is nothing bad about it. But often it doesn’t stop with a piece. A little piece of chocolate here, a few chips there, some Chinese Noodles takeaway in the lunch break… Unfortunately, those all add up, and eventually, you will find them again next time when you check your weight.
But unhealthy snacks can also affect your general well-being as well. Too much sugar, too much caffeine, or fat can cause small pimples, tiredness, and bad mood.
That’s why you should take a little time each day to prepare a few healthy snacks that you can snack at work or in between when you’re feeling hungry. An apple, for example, tastes much better when it is served in small pieces, or a delicious cereal with nuts and fruit brings in much fewer calories than a packed cereal bar.
15 Minutes for motivational Podcasts
There’s one thing I am not really a fan of: audiobooks. Again and again, while listening to them, I catch myself being distracted and not listening, doing something else on the side, or dive deep into thoughts. It all usually ends with me having to start it all over again.
For this reason, the trend of podcasts passed me for a long time. But when I decided to give a highly recommended blogging business podcast a chance, I was overwhelmed by how motivated I was to start my work afterward.
During a boring bus ride, while doing the laundry, getting ready in the bathroom, or preparing food, I am showered with creative ideas, motivating words, and funny anecdotes. No wonder that podcasts are suddenly so trendy. They are available for almost every topic, be it business, language learning, child education, fashion, or whatever interests you.
15 Social Minutes
Who doesn’t know this situation: You get a message from your loved ones, read it, decide to reply later and then forget it. Three days later, you discover the unanswered message and feel bad about it. Why don’t you take a few minutes every day to answer all your open messages instead? This makes it much easier for you to keep in touch with people.
Or why not call your parents or your best friend for a quick catch-up? Or arrange a Skype date with your friends. Just 15 minutes of talking to your loved ones can get in a much better mood and help you spend more time with people you care about even if you don’t have time to physically meet up.
15 Minutes of Water
Okay, I have to admit that this activity will probably cost you far less than 15 minutes a day, but it is all the more important. Try drinking more water.
Staying hydrated is so important and yet we keep forgetting it. It is best to take a glass of water with you to your workplace and pour some more as soon as you have the last sip of it.
Get into the habit of taking a sip of water every few minutes. You will find that you can concentrate much better straight away and simply feel better overall. After a few days, your skin will look better and after a short time, the habit of drinking more will start automatically – your body will thank you.
15 Minutes Skin Care
How often do you come home exhausted in the evening and the last thing you feel like doing is to take off your makeup? Even in the morning, there is often not much time to take care of your dry skin. But unfortunately, such habits quickly become noticeable.
Whether it’s itchy skin on the body or unclear skin in the face. And this could be easily avoided if you would only take a little time for good skincare every day.
While I was living in my hometown near the German Harz Mountains, I never had skin and hair problems, even fortunately during my puberty I was spared the usual pimple problems (I was already punished enough with braces, pale skin, and glasses). But at the latest when I moved to Barcelona with what felt like the worst tap water in Europe (which is obviously exaggerated, but you get the point), I was also struck by extremely dry and broken skin.
Since I take a little more time every day to moisturize my skin, it looks much better again and so I feel better every time I look in the mirror.
And? What do you say about these 15-minute routines? Do you want to use one or two of them? Or maybe you have another great tip for us that changed your life? Let us know in the comments below!
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