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14 Things You Can Do in Just 20 Minutes

Dr. Tatyana Mestechkina is quoted in an article "14 Things You Can Do in Just 20 Minutes" by Linnea Viktoria Zielinski


2. Make a Gratitude List

"Tatyana Mestechkina, Ph.D., Founder, and Clinical Director of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Better Living, suggests making a gratitude list. That’s precisely what it sounds like: a list of things, big or small, that you’re thankful for at the moment when you write it. It may not even take 20 minutes, but doing this simple act “has been shown to increase well-being,” explains Mestechkina."


6. Meditate

“Meditating — even for short periods of time — gives the body, mind, and spirit a chance to take a timeout,” says Manly. Sometimes that’s what your mind needs to get back to work with intention and focus. If you have difficulty sitting in one place, Manly suggests trying moving meditations like tai chi. Even if you’re moving, bringing mindfulness to what you’re doing can “decrease the likelihood of us experiencing anxiety or sadness,” explains Mestechkina, because it interrupts stressful thinking patterns.


11. Eat With No Distractions

Instead of eating at your computer, take 20 minutes to sit and enjoy your meal, distraction-free. That means no endless scrolling through emails or Instagram, either! “Bringing our full awareness to what we are doing in the present moment” is valuable, reminds Mestechkina. Your body requires attention to notice satiety cues and doing a task that takes some of your attention away from what you’re eating impairs your ability to feel full.


14. Read a Chapter

You may not be able to get through your entire to-read list in 20-minute chunks, but you could tackle some of it. Pick up fiction for a break from your workday or self-help or non-fiction to learn about or strengthen a skill you’ve always wanted to develop. “Think about this as ‘refueling time,'” says Mestechkina. She says we need to “figure out ways to ‘put gas’ into ourselves” regularly, just as we do with our cars.

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