We talk a lot about making time for ourselves to improve our mental and emotional wellbeing. We hear about how the 21st century world is digitally chaotic, how we’re moving at a much faster pace than ever before. It's no wonder how easy it is to lose touch with our own minds and bodies.

We can often get so caught up with the idea that we’re not feeling great, that we struggle to remove ourselves from that emotional state. We can spend hours or even days in this place, making it even more difficult to navigate our daily life. 

There are thousands of articles, techniques or self help books that show us the way. However, when we’re in a negative place, these are the last things you can find the energy to implement or read through. 

That's why bringing it back to a simple minute is so powerful. 

If a random noise or a fleeting thought can distract us from work, what impact can 60 seconds of focus have? We believe enough to make start making positive changes in your life.

The one minute rule 

Gretchin Rubin coined this phrase to help reduce procrastination, get more things done and make us more efficient. All positive steps forward.

The rule is simple: If a task can be completed in one minute or less, it should be done immediately, like washing a dish, answering an email or picking up a few things on the floor.

This can be a great tool for getting yourself out of a slump. Starting with the easiest tasks and building upon them. 

It can be very difficult to even attempt a task when your mindset just isn’t there. Thus starting small delivers that win to build momentum.

When we tell ourselves that we only have to spend one minute doing a task we’re much more likely to attempt it. For instance, that pile of dishes can be broken down into glasses, cutlery and then plates. The key is turning on the tap and starting.

The best part about this is, if you’ve managed to clean one thing, you’re more likely to clean the rest. However, you mind doesn't have to go into thinking that way. 

It's the same for changing your mindset. As much as we don’t want to, by making ourselves do something small and quick, snowballs, allowing us to get out of a rut. 

How to harness the one minute rule 

Here are three ideas of what you could achieve in a minute to help build positivity:  

1. Make something look nice 

This is open to as many interpretations as you can imagine. By putting effort into something for a minute and visually enjoying the outcome, we invoke a positive reaction.

n achievement is an achievement no matter how small it is. You could rearrange a dresser to have all your products facing forward. You could change your phone background to something that makes you smile. You can even dab on some lipstick, or make the bed. Whatever it is, it doesn’t have to be a task you needed to do, it just has to be something you wanted to make look nice. Releasing those little positive endorphins! 

2. Spritz the house 

We are clearly biased, but atmosphere mists are a game changer for mood. There’s three elements to this that are going to make the difference. The selection of the scent, motivation to move around your house and the environment the scent creates.

If you haven’t tried them yet, Restore Room Spray is an amazing blend for making you feel ready to take on the next challenge. Alternatively Zen Room Spray is perfect for helping you to create that quiet space for moments of further mindfulness. 

3. One minute meditation 

It can feel daunting to start meditating or even find the want to do so. Reducing that meditation period right down to one minute can be all it takes to refocus the mind. That little extra focus can then get you from one to three or even five minutes. 

 

One minute is all you need to make a change.

We all have tough moments. We also forget how long one minute is. Reminding ourselves of the value of one minute is so important with so much time spent in front of a screen.

Simply take the time to focus for one minute on making positive changes. These baby steps of time can allow you to bring more positivity into your life.