30 Seconds of Hygiene

You could use them to splash some cold water on your face, wipe it down with a fresh towel, and feel rejuvenated. It’s not quite as good as an actual shower, but on a busy, stressful, or sweaty day, it can go a long way.

You could also wet a cloth, wipe your laptop’s screen, and polish it dry again. Ahh, no more smudges and marks! You’re looking at a clear workspace again, and it took less than a minute.

In 30 seconds, you can go from cluttered desktop to smooth interface. Perhaps not in the real world—although, maybe there, too—but definitely in the digital one. Mark all icons on your home screen, create a new folder, and drop them in. Voilà! You can sort them later. They’re still searchable. But your wallpaper can finally greet you again, and you’re not looking at a sea of distractions every time you boot your laptop.

We know we’re meant to make progress on hard tasks in small increments. But nourishment, recovery, grace, and self-care—these, too, can happen moments at a time. Freshen up. Treat yourself to 30 seconds of hygiene, breathe, and go from there.