As my life becomes busier and busier, I find that it becomes even more important to take care of myself in whatever small ways I can – self-care that adds up to moments of quiet, ease, nourishment, delight – whatever is available. For example, when I walk through Central Park each morning on my way to my office, I give myself a few extra minutes so that I can stop along the way and simply drink in the beauty around me. I may look up and see the setting Moon in the sky and will take time just to look and to soak in the wonder of that special daytime view. At other times, there might be a tree that somehow captivates me and I give myself time to enjoy that experience. When I fly places, I do my best to use miles to upgrade so that I can arrive more rested. I have friends who are also busy and who make sure they have regular massages or other kinds of treatments that serve to keep them rested and balanced.

When resources are scarce and it’s hard to find the money or time to have massages and things we would need to buy from other people, it’s important to be aware of the many small moments and activities that nourish us that don’t cost anything to have. For me, those are the times I’m likely to spend meditating or walking in the park – or just hanging out reading a fiction book rather than something professional. Listening to music and just being with being is delicious for me, if only for a few minutes. I’ve also been known to go to one of the dog runs here in New York City and watch the dogs play.

For me, the greatest gift is unstructured time – time off where I can do what I want, and where doing nothing is perfectly okay and delicious. What’s the greatest self-care gift you can give yourself?

For this week’s experiment, I invite you to explore the above question and discover or reinforce the small things that are your gifts of self-care, the small things you can offer yourself that actually do make a difference in the quality of your daily life. And, it’s important to remember that these gifts to yourself don’t need to be costly in any way, except perhaps in carving out some time for yourself, which can be one of the greatest challenges these days.

As you explore giving yourself moments of self-care, notice what these moments create in the overall quality of your experience. Notice whether adding in small moments of self-care invites you to engage all the other activities of daily life with more energy and enthusiasm, or if moments of self-care offer a deeper calm and grounded experience for you as you engage whatever else needs your attention.

The purpose of the experiment isn’t to find exactly the right ways to support self-care. Rather, it’s a chance to play with developing the habit of noticing and then using those small opportunities that emerge throughout the course of the day to take the time to offer yourself something nourishing that you might otherwise overlook.