Does 15 mins for me make a difference?
15 Minute Test
What activities would you select if you were required to spend 15 minutes a day on your mental health?
This question stumps some people. Yet, a flood of self-care strategies tumbles from the brains of others. Whether you find this one-question test easy or hard, it pays to think about self-care.
Topics in this article:
Is a longer period required?
It is easy to be sceptical that 15 minutes would make any difference to your health. Surely you need to opt for a longer period? Not necessarily.
Research has revealed that short breaks bring real benefits.
I'm not going to provide a comprehensive analysis, but several studies demonstrate the power of these breaks.
Let's start with physical exercise. There is a well-established link between physical exercise and improved mood (1,2). But even small bursts of anaerobic activity (short and intense) can have a positive impact. This change may be evident with as little as 10 minutes of exercise (3). Exercising for a duration of 8-16 minutes can reduce stress levels (4). Cycling for 16 minutes twice a week can reduce levels of worry (5).
These studies show that short-duration exercise sessions can bring substantial benefits. You don't have to opt for a longer period than 15 minutes to start improving your wellbeing.
Can I ditch the running shoes?
I hate running. I'd rather be force-fed Brussel sprouts soaked in nail polish. The good news is that lifting weights and running are not your only options. Mental wellbeing can improve through yoga, meditation, and mindfulness.
Mindfulness is associated with various health outcomes (6), including improvements in mood, anxiety and stress (7). More research is required in this area because benefits are not always evident. We need to understand who benefits from mindfulness and under what conditions.
We also have evidence suggesting yoga reduces stress, anxiety and depression (8). Like other forms of physical activity, yoga may lead to increased psychological wellbeing (9). In other words, various forms of exercise can both reduce the bad stuff (e.g., low mood) and increase the good stuff (e.g., life satisfaction).
A word of warning- there is still much to be learned here. These findings may not apply to all people in all circumstances.
What else counts as 'me time'?
Many other short duration can bring health benefits. Let's look at a few examples:
Taking breaks during the working day
There's usually pressure to keep working on the job. Take a short break to reduce stress, irritability and fatigue. Taking breaks can also increase creativity (10). Two specific patterns to try are:
The Pomodoro cycle (25 mins work followed by 5 mins rest)
The 52-17 split between work and rest time (in minutes).
Many professionals I work with don't stop during the day. This behaviour may occur because a full 60-minute break seems impossible. But, in reality, short breaks can make a difference to our performance and wellbeing.
Social contact
The pandemic has shown us that social isolation harms our mental health (11). On the other hand, a few contacts with family members can improve mood (12), and social connectedness predicts mental health (13). Again many of my clients find it challenging to schedule social time. But, you can do this in short bursts of 15 minutes or less. Given the power of social support, you must invest small amounts of time into relationships.
Hobbies
Hobbies are good for overall mental health (14).
For example, there is evidence of benefits for mood (15) and stress levels (16). There are lots of activities you can dip in and out of for just a few minutes each time (e.g., playing an instrument, making that damn jigsaw puzzle piece fit). You can opt for a more extended period if you are able. However, spending short periods on enjoyable activities can help you avoid chronic health problems.
Barriers to giving yourself some additional time
Many factors stop us from taking 15 minutes for ourselves.
Most people lead busy lives. We constantly make decisions on how to spend our time. We base these decisions on our priorities. 'I don't have time' for myself reveals your priorities. What's more, there is less incentive to put time into mental health when no obvious problems exist.
People are forced into treatment when a diagnosable condition emerges, and day-to-day functioning falls over. We are all vulnerable to psychological distress. The more preventative work you do, the less likely you will experience a crashing halt to your life and career.
Some people believe they don't deserve to spend time on themselves. This attitude develops through various pathways, such as low self-esteem or a long-standing mindset about health behaviours.
What would you say to a friend who didn't look after their mental health? You might want to take stock of your self-care attitude if there is a different answer when applying this question to yourself.
There are always reasons behind reluctance or failure to take time for yourself. Uncovering these can help you change behaviour for the better.
The 15minutes4metest
How do I start giving myself more time?
One strategy is to keep an activity schedule for one week. You can download an activity record form here. Track everything you do for one week, then review. Here are some questions to examine your week:
What general observations can I make from my activity record?
What activities take up the majority of my time?
What self-care activities are missing?
Are there 'unproductive' periods of the week I could use for myself?
Are there long periods where I work without stopping? How could I break this up?
There are lots of other strategies available. These range from booking activities with friends (e.g., short conversations) to mandating breaks in your team if you hold a leadership role.
Summary
You can improve mental (and physical) health through short breaks and time for yourself. Possible 'me time' activities are endless. This article is just a brief introduction to this topic.
We are Coaching & Clinical Psychologist with extensive experience helping people conquer a range of wellbeing and performance issues at home and in the workplace. Read more about our work, watch practical skills videos or browse other articles. Get in touch anytime.
References
(1) https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise
(2) Schuch et al. (2018). Physical activity and incident depression: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 175(7), 631-648.
(3) Chan et al. (2019). Therapeutic benefits of physical activity for mood: A systematic review on the effects of exercise intensity, duration, and modality. The Journal of Psychology Interdisciplinary and Applied, 153(4), 1-24.
(4) Herbert et al. (2020). Regular physical activity, short-term exercise, mental health, and well-being among university students: The results of an online and a laboratory study. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 509.
(5) Herring et al. (2011). Effects of short-term exercise training on signs and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 4(2), 71-77.
(6) Goldberg et al. (2021). The empirical status of mindfulness-based interventions: A systematic review of 44 meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. Perspectives on Psychological Science, doi:10.1177/1745691620968771
(7) Galante et al. (2021). Mindfulness-based programmes for mental health promotion in adults in nonclinical settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. PLOS Medicine https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003481
(8) Ciezar-Andersen et al. (2021). A systematic review of yoga interventions for helping health professionals and students. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 58, 102704.
(9) Hendriks et al. (2017). The effects of yoga on positive mental health among healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 23(7), 505-517.
(10) Randolph, S. A. (2016). The importance of employee breaks. Workplace Health & Safety, 64(7), 344-344.
(11) Pietrabissa et al. (2020). Psychological consequences of social isolation during COVID-19 outbreak. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2201.
(12) Xie et al. (2020). Dose–response relationship between intergenerational contact frequency and depressive symptoms amongst elderly Chinese parents: a cross-sectional study. BMC Geriatrics, 20, 349.
(13) Saeri et al. (2018). Social connectedness improves public mental health: Investigating bidirectional relationships in the New Zealand attitudes and values survey. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 52(4), 365-374.
(14) Takeda et al. (2015) How Possibly Do Leisure and Social Activities Impact Mental Health of Middle-Aged Adults in Japan?: An Evidence from a National Longitudinal Survey. PLoS ONE 10(10): e0139777.
(15) Fancourt et al. (2018). Effect of singing interventions on symptoms of postnatal depression: three-arm randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry, 212(2), 119–21.
(16) Pressman, S. D., Matthews, K. A., Cohen, S., Martire, L. M., Scheier, M., Baum, A., & Schulz, R. (2009). Association of enjoyable leisure activities with psychological and physical well-being. Psychosomatic medicine, 71(7), 725–732.
