10 Brilliant Things to do in a Spare 10 Minutes ...

Simple but true, one of the simplest yet beneficial things tp do in 10 minutes is to close your eyes and breathe deeply. It can make your stresses melt away in no time. It will also give you the focus to tackle your next task head-on.

In our busy lives, it so easy to let everything else get in the way of the most important things. Take 10 minutes to call (yes – smartphones are for talking too!) that good friend that you haven’t seen for ages and arrange a catch-up. Emails and SMSs are all very well, but nothing says you care more than taking the time to talk. And the laughter and putting-worlds-to-right that you’ll get out of it will be the best therapy around.

We could all do with a good hug sometimes and it’s often the unexpected ones that are the best. Put everything aside for a few moments — the laundry will wait — find your children, husband, furry friend or whoever it may be and give them a good old squeeze. It’s a lovely way to spend 10 minutes and they could need it more than you know.

It might seem like one of the boring ways to spend 10 minutes, but the sense of achievement will be worth it. And the sense of calm created by a tidy desk is amazing. It might even prompt you into dealing with the rest of the office! If you don’t work at a desk, then how about tackling the pile of post on the counter or the clutter of shoes in the hall?

Saying sorry is a great 10 minute thing to do. It might not be enough time to solve all of your woes, but a sincere apology to a family member you were grumpy with or that colleague who didn’t really deserve your Monday morning blues will lighten the mood and prevent a silly incident from becoming a big deal.

There have been times when we could all have done with a little help, so how about offering your spare 10 minutes to help someone else? It could be as simple as picking up some groceries for a neighbour or fetching a coffee for a harassed colleague. Sometimes, a little love can go a long way.

One of the old school things to do in 10 minutes is to send a thank you note. Write one to let someone know how much you appreciate them. It doesn’t have to be in response to a gift, just a little card of thanks, maybe to a teacher, someone in your community or your mother.

Life might be too busy for you to have an entire afternoon off, but just taking 10 minutes out of your day for yourself can do wonders for your peace of mind and stress levels. Indulge in a bubble bath, flick through your favourite magazine while you have a coffee or go for a brisk walk. Anything that you enjoy is worth finding a spare 10 minutes for.

Remember that favourite shirt that you haven’t worn for ages because every time you reach for it, you remember the missing button? Doing something to relieve daily stress is a great thing to do with 10 minutes. By spending 10 minutes fixing the button, you will feel great for the whole day when you next wear the shirt.

Simple yet satisfying. When was the last time you saw someone smiling as they rushed into work? We have all but lost the manners of yesteryear when it would have been normal to smile and greet people on the street. Have a day of old fashioned charm and smile at those around you. It will brighten your day as well as theirs.

I think that those spare pockets of time in our day should be spent doing more of the things we always forget to do, or claim to have insufficient time to carry out. Some of them may be a little old-fashioned, but these things to do in 10 minutes bring rewards, and help us slow down occasionally. How many lots of 10 minutes do you waste every day?