I’m a big fan of accessible productivity. Making productivity work for people with chronic pain and fatigue. Self-care is a vital part of productivity. I believe good rest, enables good work.
We know that we need to try some more ways to support our symptom management. We likely know that yoga is a great idea, but how to fit it into our crammed lives?
My major premise is that we can give ourselves 10 minutes a day to practice some gentle yoga which gives us many, many benefits.
10 minutes every day is better than an hour once a week.
In this post I share EIGHT ideas for how to fit in a short practice, what to do in our 10 minutes and more.
So what can we put these 10 minutes each day?
- Yoga Nidra guided meditation
- Body scan meditation
- Gentle yoga class
- A few stretches
- Breathwork practice
Yoga Nidra is my absolute favourite. I would argue that what we need most is rest and to calm the nervous system. I’ve written a lot about this. But if you just did 10 minutes of Yoga Nidra every day for the next 30 days, I’d suggest you’d see great benefit.
Body scan meditation is a lovely meditation that you can do guided in varying lengths and you can learn to do it on your own, any time and place. Which means it’s a valuable tool for daily coping.
Gentle yoga classes of varying lengths are great to get some gentle movement, stretching and strengthening in.
Take some of the stretches that feel the best in your classes and do them regularly across the day.
Breathwork practice, like body scan meditation, can be guided or learnt and done yourself. I use it when I’m feeling overwhelmed, when my heart rate is rising too high (POTS), if the pain is going too high and more.
When can you practice self care?
- First thing in the morning
- As a break during the day
- Next to the children as they colour, read, or watch a programme
- Right after work or when your partner gets home
- In the car before you pick the children up (in the case of breathwork or meditation)
- After the children are in bed
- Before bed
- At a specific scheduled time that’s “me time” (i.e.. 3pm every Sunday afternoon)
Make it a habit and then keep going
You have to make it a habit, make a promise to yourself, tell everyone about it, put it in your calendar and DO IT.
I know another thing on your to do list feels hard. But we can do hard things. And this one guarantees benefits.
10 minutes is not so hard to fit in.
How can you do it?
I teach you 10, 10 minute yoga tools with many side benefits in this 10 minute toolkit. It’s completely self-paced (so you need to be able to create a calendar entry and a promise to yourself). Available ongoing, so you can truly nature your habit ongoing. And accessible in all senses of the word – from bed to chair to floor classes. From physical to non physical classes. Designed for people with brain fog. With pain and fatigue in mind. And affordably. This is my mission made practical. I hope you’ll check it out.
How do I fit in self care?
As a mama with four small children, alone with them in the mornings and afternoons. Who also works and has a blog. How do I fit it in?
I’ve practiced so long that I don’t have a set schedule, it’s ingrained and I know it helps so much I don’t need to block it. I will do 10 minutes of yoga on the floor every day. Random stretches multiple times a day. Breathwork first thing in the morning and as needed.
I do Yoga Nidra guided meditation every day after lunch. It’s my full stop rest break. Though I do longer than 10 minutes. It’s in place of a nap for a mama who doesn’t get enough sleep and who managed with chronic fatigue syndrome.
