Tag: self-care

Life Changing Habits Start in 5 Minutes

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The idea for this site came from the discovery of how much power ‘5 minutes’ can have. From journaling, meditating, or just chatting to someone close to you, 5 minutes can make a big difference in improving our mood. 

I think there’s somewhat of a gruelling and unattractive stigma to things that are good for us; we like the feeling and product we get after, but we aren’t as motivated to actually do it in the first place. 

I’m thinking of things like going to the gym, starting a healthier diet, or getting more work done. Losing ‘x’ amount of weight, getting that so-called ‘ideal’ body type, or things of this nature require a dedicated commitment and a supreme amount of work.

We all want things like this, but the ease and simplicity of basic tasks like watching TV, or good ol’ fashioned procrastination often take advantage of us any time we’re feeling less motivated.

The thing is, things that are positive and good for any aspect of our health don’t demand this type of rigorous action that seems to drain us even just by thinking about it.

This is where 5 minutes come into play.

It’s a seemingly inconsequential slot of time – it’s usually used to describe the simplest and easiest of things. But 5 minutes committed to virtually anything can start paying real, valuable dividends to us should we actually start doing something.

It doesn’t matter what it is, starting with an action of 5 committed minutes to something we care about starts to become an investment. Whether it’s exercise, reading, mindfulness, or anything positive, 5 minutes is the deposit you can make into the account of ‘you.’ There’s evidence showing how Olympic athletes gained more aerobic capacity by training in short intervals that totalled 4 minutes than training for a total of 60 minutes. Done in the right way, the athletes had less overall stresses on their body and more time to take care of themselves by stretching and moving onto other aspects of training.

Of course, it’s not all about physical exercise, but the same concept applies to other areas. By starting a 5 minute meditation, you can lower your stress, anxiety, depression, and increase protective grey matter in your brain.

By using 5 minutes to make an effort in reaching out to people you care about, you can increase your social connection, which is actually a vital need of ours that has a habit of being grossly overlooked in modern society.

The possibilities go on and on, and it’s up to us how we choose to use these valuable little slots of time. As I mentioned earlier, it’s an investment into ourselves and the things in life that serve to help and make us better.
And as with investments, these things grow. Cementing a habit for 5 minutes has the potential to snowball in the direction we like, with the habit making it easier to ‘slip’ into doing more because of that coveted feeling of being on a roll.

Many times, once we feel good about doing something it’s easier for us to keep going, because we gain a little more motivation from the addicting feeling of achieving something.

By dividing these important things into manageable, seemingly ‘insignificant’ chunks of time, we’re kind of hacking our brain by making them much easier and accessible.

5 minutes can be the vehicle that moves us along positive, life-changing routes, by making them simple, doable, and ready for us to start.

What can 5 minutes give to you?

Practice happiness, reduce your stress with a simple guided journal, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced writer.

Order your copy of ‘The Five Minute Mind’ here:

https://www.amazon.ca/Five-Minute-Mind-Jordan-Britton/dp/B08PJPWLGK/

Book Launch Coming Soon

The Past Will Haunt You And The Future Can Destroy You, If You Let It

Published on by The Five Minute MindLeave a comment

Aside from maybe when I was a kid, times where I’m truly ‘in the moment’ are rare for me.

And honestly, up until a couple weeks ago, I was entirely ignorant of it and what it was doing to me. Sure, I’ve heard endless clichés about “living in the moment” and cherishing the time you have in the present, but I had become so desensitized that they were left at just that: clichés.

Call it ignorance, call it whatever you want; the fact is that I was obsessing over the past and thinking too much about the future. Apart from the fact that this completely robbed me of the whole, complete, enjoyment in most of what I was doing, the effects it had on my mind are clear.

Depressive moods, like sadness and regret, have an intricately dependent relationship with the past. Basically, sadness is caused by something that has happened at some point in our past- fresh and recent, or long ago. These two sister-like characteristics of sadness and the past rely on each other, coexisting. They share the fact that neither really thrive without the other. If you feel sadness, especially regret, it is because of something that has already happened- not something impending and coming soon. An easy way I found to look at it objectively was to think about how I feel after leaving a holiday, or a vacation of some sort. Naturally, I’m a little bummed because the glow is over and in the past- everything else in life is not much different.

Now you may be thinking of how you can be sad about something in the future, however it is a different quality found there.

Anxiety is based on fear about the future, and this fear (like it’s cousin, sadness) is also entirely dependent on the concept of the future. You simply can’t be anxious about something in the past, because it is done. Therefore, it is this other, futuristic side of the spectrum that hold this pair of correlated concepts. Another way to look at it is the excitement I feel before the glory of the incredible vacation mentioned earlier, as excitement and anxiety are so closely related emotionally that they can be viewed in the same sense. It is this excitement that is brought on solely by the anticipation of an event coming in the future.

Sadness is caused from an event of our past while anxiety looms from something in our future.

This may seem like common sense, but the reality is that most of us (and myself, without a doubt) aren’t aware of it, which means we can’t really counter it properly.

The truth is that my habit of living in the future and always thinking 5 steps ahead of myself was giving me anxieties that I wouldn’t have had I put my mind in a better place to enjoy the moment.
In short, I was always thinking about my next move, the next part of my day, and what was to come after whatever I was doing currently.

Like I mentioned earlier, this also affects the satisfaction of experiencing the moment, and I was making things way less enjoyable for myself.

If you’ve ever been surrounded in the bliss of a warm summer vacation, you likely know exactly what it’s like to be lounging in the sun, maybe on a beach or by some water- with not a thing to do or worry about except relaxing and enjoying every second. There’s a whole host of other factors that contribute to these habits, like my cellphone and busy mentality.

Just like any other group of habits, there are ways to replace them with better ones.

Focusing on engaging your senses is the bees-knees when trying to stay in the moment. Concentrating on things you can see, feel, hear, taste, and smell is exactly what helps to keep you anchored in the present. Sounds so simple, right? Unfortunately, with technology and all it’s progresses, this becomes increasingly more difficult. The human mind is more engaged than ever before, thanks to these cellular ‘joys’ of innovation, so being mindful of the moments that make up your life gets harder and harder. The effect that being present in each moment you experience does wonders for your own mental health, so taking time to realize it’s importance daily can really reinforce the good feelings of psychological tranquility- which always seem to increasingly more elusive as the stresses and negativities in life pile up.

Just spreading a friendly service reminder of something most people know somewhere within themselves, in order to help keep what matters most at the forefront. As for me, I’m trying to get better at living fresh- and passing along my thoughts in the meantime.

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This Expert Explains The Essentials of Taking Care of Yourself

Published on by The Five Minute MindLeave a comment

Last week I had the chance to chat with Jackie Boyd, an expert in the field of holistic health and wellbeing at Boyd’s Alternative Health.  The knowledge she brings to the table of wellness is a valuable asset to The Five You Need. Jackie is a devoted wife, mother, and successful business owner who was able to grow her passion into a living whilst also positively impacting the lives around her. She is known by all as a charismatic, supportive person and I am incredibly thankful for the time she was able to lend me.

Below are some of the highlights of the interview and at the bottom is full audio of the conversation!

Jordan: I’ve known you for over a decade now, but if you could introduce yourself and explain a little bit about what it is you do?

Jackie: I’ve known you for over ten years. I myself have 4 kids. I’m a mom, I’m a wife. As a job I’m a holistic practitioner, I have had a business on our property here for 18 years.

Jordan: So health is the biggest theme here obviously.

Jackie: Yep! What ends up being the most prominent thing in the majority of people is their emotional health, and unfortunately there’s no pill for that. So we can help people along the way, I think it’s very important.

Jordan: That’s something that resonates with me, as this endeavour that I’ve set out on is predicated on emotional wellbeing and mental health. It’s become just as prominent as physical injuries and I think they needed to be treated the same way.

Jackie: It’s actually become more prevalent. It’s amazing to incorporate emotional health as well as physical health.

Jordan: So where does wellness and wellbeing fit into your life, how are you proactive in fitting it into your life?

Jackie: It has to be your life. You can’t choose it now and again. It starts with food, if you don’t fuel your body with real food, you can’t expect it to continue to do what you want it to do for all your years. I’ve preached this to my kids, you, I’m sure your coaches have preached it- it has to start there [with your team of people]. When I talk about a team of people, after food I believe I believe it takes a team. My chiropractor, massage therapist, an acupuncturist, and even though it might sound vain- my hairdresser. Those are the people who help my world go round.

Jordan: Wellbeing is not just an option, on the side, this is something that has to 100% at the forefront of your life- it’s a lifestyle.

Jackie: It is a lifestyle. If you don’t live this lifestyle you have to choose to make the changes, and that is a choice. In order to truly have that well-rounded mental health, it has to become a lifestyle. Everyone has a struggle, mine is fitting in time for exercise. You don’t have to have this massive routine though, even getting outside and getting some fresh air- nothing clears your head quite like that.

Jordan: I agree. Would you agree that the societal stigma around mental health (and wellness) is changing? You see this type of stuff all the time, do you think these concepts of wellbeing are popularizing?

Jackie: I believe it is popularizing. I guess the downside is that we want to believe that it is becoming more acceptable to look at getting help- it’s still stigmatized. I think we need to change that. I often hear “Well everyone’s got a problem.” Partially that’s true. And if you’re waiting to have a perfect life, that’s never going to happen. But there’s always going to be somebody that uses that problem to their advantage.

Jordan: So in your eyes, we’ve made a couple steps but there’s still a lot of work to be done.

Jackie: Yep. I see people in our clinic and I would say about 80% of them struggle with emotional pain of some sort. Every one of us are going to have emotional struggles- thats just life. It’s the types of stress that we just can’t get our own grip on that we need to learn how to handle. I have a different approach with a lot of people [which is] the diet we’ve created for ourselves- that’s the start of so many problems.

Jordan: One of the things that I’ve always loved about your field of expertise is how you tie in the interplay between physical health and emotional wellbeing. A lot of the time with other professions it’s seen as either or and there’s people who treat physical ailments and then others who treat emotional unrests but I live how a lot of what you do to can be for both. You stress how the two are interrelated and play together.

Jackie: Absolutely; always.

Jordan: As an expert in your field, what is something you can pass on that is unique to your field?

(Jackie humbly attempts to deflect the ‘expert’ moniker here, but as an 18 year veteran in holistic health, I don’t buy it)

Jackie: Self-care is caring enough about yourself to make the changes that you haven’t made to make yourself feel better. Just about the food, the team around you, and really learning to accept yourself. There’s so many things that go into self-care.

Jordan: Those are very valuable words. Well thank you for your time Jackie, and I’m super grateful you were able to take time out of your morning and talk to me to today.

Jackie: You’re welcome, I really like what you’re doing Jordan. It’s an interesting read!

Boyd’s Alternative Health is located on Highway 9, east of Beiseker. Jackie is an experienced alternative health practitioner who beautifully ties in the importance of physical and mental wellbeing into her practices. For more information on any of the products or services she offers, call Jackie at  (403) 947-2389

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Millennials Might Not Be Working, But This Is What Is

Published on by The Five Minute Mind5 Comments

Millennials are constantly being scrutinized for being lazy, entitled, and “ruining the economy.”

And they are. If 319 selfies in an Amaro filter can’t dig the economy out of debt… Honestly I don’t know what will.

Criticizing the generations following after you is nothing new and is sure to be a torch passed onwards as millenials start harping on the up-and-coming young bucks and
whatever ridiculous behaviour they normalize next. Let’s be honest, everyone can already feel themselves in those shoes as well. Although I strongly doubt anyone will be able to rock those all-white New Balances with the same zestiness, I’m sure they’ll be okay.


Community is a surprising, albeit subtle, trait found in each generation amongst themselves, as the simple timing of when you were born unifies people together by sharing similar experiences- however marginal it might be.

All generations have definitely cemented their own stereotypes, as the relatively harmless flack taken from each generations shortcomings can often be found on Facebook from time to time (as well as memed responses). Really though- supporting a household on a hardware store salary just isn’t feasible anymore, and sometimes it takes humour to send a message!

There are plenty of positive aspects put forth by the millennial generation; one of them being the main theme of The Five You Need. Wellbeing and self-care has often been overlooked for years by a massive chunk of the population, but modernization has helped to impress the importance of taking care and looking after yourself.

This is huge, as continuously overlooking an issue like this will only perpetuate the problem. While not prioritized or neglected in the past, self-care has become a societal norm. Realizing the merit in concepts like mindfulness and mental wellbeing have only just begun in the way it’s exploding in both popularity and value. This is a philosophy that should continue to be progressed by every generation, as anybody is susceptible in developing mental illnesses of all variations and magnitude.

No one is immune, and your mind should be treated with the same respect which we treat our bodies with. Self-care can come in a variety of ways, but understanding the primary role it plays in our lives is crucial to our own wellbeing.

As briefly alluded to in previous articles, being in tune with yourself is a big thing. Being conscious of the activities and habits that are both healthy and enjoyable to you is a base block to understanding how to take care of yourself. Whether that’s being outdoors, reading, or spending time with someone- being aware of how these activities help you stay balanced is key. This is relatively easy, but for most people the hard part is actually making time for these types of things.

Here’s the reality though.

The fact is absolutely everyone on this planet has time for a minimum of 15 minutes every day to spend on themselves- it doesn’t matter how busy you are. What is really at the forefront when someone claims they don’t have this seemingly insignificant block of time is that they just don’t care about it enough.

If that’s the case, okay. Some people are just geared differently than others. But an interesting way I learned to portray things accurately in your mind and to others is rewording common phrases to display the real truth. In this example, “I just don’t have the time for that,” is replaced with “It’s not a priority to me.”

Simple enough, but responding this way to yourself and to others can enlighten you on how you really feel about certain things. Going to the gym, meditating, eating healthy- whatever it is, this is the truth behind it. If it’s enough of a priority to you, you’ll make time for it.

The same goes for less rewarding activities, like watching TV or playing games. Motivated people who possess that natural pizazz for life say they just don’t have the time for those things, when in reality they just don’t place much of a priority on them.

Allow yourself to be honest with yourself and others, and see if that makes you feel differently about things. It’s harder to admit that eating better isn’t a priority to you than it is to say you don’t have time for it.

Being honest with yourself can help you plan out your days better and allow you to create the time necessary for the things truly important to you. 

This is a step in the direction of taking care of yourself, and in the end, all the dividends are paid out to you.