Spend five minutes daily on your mind, five minutes on your body, and five minutes on your heart to foster a healthier and happier personal state and society.
Dedicate just five minutes every day to a health practice, as consistent small efforts lead to significant, transformative changes over time.
Design your health practices to be as easy as possible to perform, removing obstacles and friction to increase the likelihood of consistent adherence.
Attach new desired health behaviors to existing, ingrained habits (e.g., doing a workout while the kettle boils) to significantly increase the likelihood of long-term adherence and make them automatic.
When adopting new health behaviors, focus on their long-term sustainability (two months, two years) rather than just short-term effectiveness (two weeks), to avoid the ’new year, new you’ cycle.
Avoid creating health plans that rely heavily on high motivation and willpower, as these resources are finite and can easily run out, especially during stressful times.
Capitalize on high initial motivation to choose and learn your three health snacks, so that when motivation inevitably drops, the habits are easy and automatic, requiring less willpower.
Ensure you have a degree of personal ownership over your health practices, as long-term adherence is only possible when you genuinely want to continue, not just because someone told you to.
Select health recommendations that you genuinely like and that ‘make your heart sing,’ as you are far more likely to stick to enjoyable behaviors long-term.
Focus on a comprehensive, 360-degree approach to health, addressing mind, body, and heart, rather than solely concentrating on single areas like food or exercise for long-term change.
Dedicate five minutes daily to fostering connection with others (friends, family, colleagues) and with yourself, as this emotional ‘heart’ component is vital for overall health and well-being.
Recognize that strong human connection is foundational; when the ‘heart’ aspect of health is prioritized, mental and physical well-being often improve concurrently.
Actively seek and nurture meaningful connections to combat loneliness, which is as detrimental to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and significantly increases risks of early death, heart attack, or stroke.
Strive to be fully present, both physically and emotionally, when with loved ones, avoiding distractions like devices or mental wandering to foster deeper, more meaningful connections.
Start with one small, consistent change in any area of your life, as this can create a ‘ripple effect’ leading to positive transformations in other, seemingly unrelated aspects.
Achieve small, consistent health goals to build self-efficacy and transform your identity into someone who can successfully adhere to a health plan.
Shift focus from overestimating what’s needed or pursuing unattainable goals to mastering small, consistent daily actions, as these accumulate to significant long-term results.
Move away from an all-or-nothing approach and destination thinking when setting goals, instead focusing on the small, consistent daily steps required to achieve desired changes.
Avoid becoming paralyzed by too many health options; instead of doing nothing, make a choice and start, as any action is better than none.
Choose just three five-minute ‘health snacks’ daily – one for your mind, one for your body, and one for your heart – from a variety of options provided.
Once you’ve chosen your three daily health snacks, stick to the same ones every day, at least initially, to remove decision-making interference and solidify the habit before considering variety.
Identify small, consistent pockets of time in your day and aim to perform your chosen five-minute health snacks at the same time every day to establish a strong routine.
Leverage daily transition points, such as arriving home from work and changing clothes, as cues to integrate a five-minute health snack into your routine.
Place visual cues, like a yoga mat in your bedroom, to prompt you to perform a five-minute health activity immediately upon encountering the trigger, such as returning home from work.
Consciously remove any obstacles or extra steps that might prevent you from engaging in healthy behaviors, making them as effortless as possible to initiate and maintain.
Dedicate five minutes each day to an activity that nourishes your mind, helping to counteract the overwhelming information overload of the 21st century and reduce stress.
Incorporate five minutes of simple movements into your daily routine, as this consistent, lifestyle-fitting approach yields greater impact than infrequent, longer gym sessions.
Engage in five-minute bodyweight strength workouts that require no gym, equipment, or even a change of clothes, making them highly accessible and easy to integrate into your daily routine.
Utilize the time spent waiting for your kettle to boil as an opportunity to complete a five-minute bodyweight strength workout, effectively piggybacking a new habit onto an existing daily routine.
Engage in a five-minute workout (yoga, HIIT, etc.) immediately upon returning home from work to physically burn off stress energy, which can lead to greater presence with family and reduced reliance on unhealthy coping mechanisms like alcohol.
Incorporate five minutes of dancing into your daily routine, perhaps before dinner, as an enjoyable and effective way to move your body, laugh, connect with others, and boost energy.
Engage in a five-minute ’tea ritual’ each evening with a close partner or family member, free from devices, to foster connection, ask about each other’s day, and strengthen relationships.
To ensure consistent gratitude practice, keep a gratitude journal and a pen readily accessible next to your bed, eliminating potential excuses when you feel tired.
Perform all three five-minute health snacks (mind, body, heart) within 15 minutes of waking up to ensure completion and set a positive tone for the rest of your day.
Completing your core health plan early in the morning often leads to a positive spillover effect, encouraging more healthy behaviors throughout the rest of your day.
Distribute your three five-minute health snacks throughout the day (morning, lunch, evening) or complete them all at once, as the plan is flexible and can be personalized to fit your schedule.
Give yourself permission to take weekends off from your chosen three daily health snacks if desired, as this flexibility can aid long-term adherence without sacrificing progress.
Begin with a minimal commitment, such as five minutes of exercise twice a week, to build confidence and establish a habit, even if it seems like a small amount of effort.
If overwhelmed by choice or seeking specific outcomes (e.g., less anxiety, more energy), utilize recommended combinations of three five-minute health snacks tailored to those particular goals.
Focus on health interventions that are completely free, making them accessible to everyone regardless of socioeconomic status, with the only cost being a small amount of your time.
Consistently dedicating five minutes daily to your mind, body, and heart builds self-esteem and resilience, helping you navigate life’s challenges more effectively.
Pay attention to ‘happy accidents’ where a behavior change occurs unintentionally (e.g., forgetting caffeine and feeling fine); capitalize on these moments to initiate and sustain new positive habits.
When trying to reduce habits like sugar or alcohol intake, understand the underlying reasons (e.g., stress) that drive these behaviors, rather than just treating them as surface-level problems.
Be aware that a lack of meaningful human connection can drive unhealthy coping behaviors like excessive sugar, alcohol, or mindless social media scrolling, as these often serve as substitutes for true connection.
Evaluate if a gym membership is truly beneficial, as for many, it can be a waste of money if it doesn’t lead to consistent attendance, and effective movement can be done without it.
Invest in minimalist footwear like Vivo Barefoot shoes to potentially improve mobility, reduce back, hip, and knee pain, and enhance stability and balance.
Use the Calm app for meditation and sleep stories, as it provides an easy way to improve mental and physical health and can help you fall into a deep, natural sleep.
Integrate the five-minute mind, body, and heart plan into your children’s daily routine, either at home or by advocating for its inclusion in school curricula, to foster their well-being.
Encourage the adoption of a ‘five minutes of mind, five minutes of body, five minutes of heart’ program in schools to address student stress, anxiety, and mental health, and promote overall well-being.
Regularly check in with yourself, perhaps in the evening, to assess if you’ve dedicated five minutes to your mind, body, and heart that day, and make time for it if you haven’t.
Share your positive experiences with health programs and habits with family and friends, both verbally and on social media, to engage the ‘ripple effect’ and inspire others.
Read case studies and personal stories to identify with experiences and gain insight into how similar situations might apply to your own health journey.
Recognize that every small effort towards health counts, moving away from the misconception that only lofty goals like gym memberships or marathon training are valid.
Look for health information that is accessible and simple to understand, as this empowers you to implement changes effectively in your own life.
Ensure that any health advice you follow is relevant and fits within the context of your own life, as impractical advice is unlikely to be sustained.
Initiate positive behavior changes now, rather than waiting for a tragic event or health crisis to force you into action.
Reflect on and understand what truly motivates you and ‘makes you tick,’ as this self-awareness is fundamental to your happiness, health, and ability to make lasting changes.
Take time to think about your current behaviors and what drives them, recognizing that you have the inherent ability to change them and take control of your health journey.