The Power of an Hour
February 15, 2017
One hour. Sixty minutes. It may not seem like a lot of time, but it can be very productive when we take a single hour each week to do things that nurture our souls and bring about change and happiness.
Here are 20 things you can do in an hour that will bring about some changes in your life:
1. Exercise. Try a long power walk or yoga, weight training, or go to the gym. It doesn’t matter what you do, but schedule in those 60 minutes and do it.
2. Follow a new passion. Perhaps aromatherapy appeals to you. Or learn how to compost or grow a vegetable garden. Maybe it’s learning how to sketch, or re-finishing and re-painting furniture. Spend one hour immersing yourself in the learning and practicing. Read books or learn online. Maybe even take an online course. You’ll feel great about learning a new skill.
3. Catch up with friends and family who live far away. Take an hour a week to make phone calls or write thoughtful cards to far-flung loved ones.
4. Relax with a show. Find a Netflix series you love, or an old show from your childhood and watch an episode each week.
5. Meditate. Learn to sit and practice mindfulness. You’ll find yourself calmer and happier.
6. Clean top to bottom. Choose a room each week and clean it top to bottom.
7. Volunteer. Do a shift at the food bank or soup kitchen, read to a child at the hospital, help out at your local library, take cookies to an elderly neighbor, or help clean up a nearby park. Whatever you do, you’ll get a break from your usual routine and you’ll have the satisfaction of helping your community.
8. Journal. Gratitude journals are a wonderful way to help us cultivate appreciation. Many people feel pressure if it’s a daily duty, but adding to your gratitude journal once a week is doable.
9. Pamper yourself. Get that mani/pedi. Put on a face mask and take a long bath. Try a hair conditioning and body scrub to look your best!
10. Clean the car. Oh how those wrappers, water bottles, and extra jackets pile up! Take an hour to organize your car, clean windows, vacuum–or go to a car wash and let someone else do it for you.
11. Plan dinners. Go through your recipe books or Pinterest pages and bookmark recipes for the next week. Write your grocery list and you’ll have meals planned for each day.
12. Take a nap. Let’s face it, we often want one but rarely take one. Schedule a nap and enjoy the restoring, relaxing time.
13. Read. Some of us read no matter what, while others want to read but can’t find the time. Make the time to enjoy a good book.
14. Visit an animal shelter. Go to an animal shelter and pet the adoptable animals. Volunteer to help if you have extra time.
15. Enjoy nature. Whether it’s the beach, the woods, or a farm, getting out in the fresh air is always grounding and relaxing.
16. Listen to music. Create a playlist and blast it full volume.
17. Create a scrapbook or a vision board. You can’t do this in just an hour, but once you get the project started you can add to it every week.
18. Visit a cultural center. Find a local museum, science center, or art gallery alone and get lost in learning and exploring.
19. Catch up on your favorite sites. Bookmark websites and blogs and use your hour to catch up on the latest posts uninterrupted.
20. Redecorate. Rearrange furniture or accessories to give your house a makeover.
