South Taranaki Star

Two minutes to make a difference

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With just a little effort we can gain so much, writes Erin Reilly.

Iam a terrible procrastin­ator. If universiti­es offered courses in procrastin­ation, I’d have my doctorate. But there are some activities we should prioritise, whether we think we have the time to or not. And the best bit is they only take two minutes.

TAKE 2

The next time you head to the letterbox, stop to chat with your neighbour. Take 2, an initiative sponsored by AMI and in support of Neighbours Day Aotearoa (March 25 to 26) invites Neighbourl­y members to take two minutes to introduce themselves to a new neighbour. You never know when you might need them. Neighbours are often the first to notice house fires, burglaries and suspicious behaviour.

GET MOVING

If you spend too much time sitting, take two minutes out of Neighbourl­y is a NZ-owned social media site creating easy ways for neighbours to talk and connect. Join us at neighbourl­y.co.nz or download our new iPhone and Android apps.

every hour for a wander around the office. A change in scenery and some movement in your legs will get your blood pumping and endorphins flowing. Don’t forget to rest, though. Take two minutes to step away from a stressful situation, close your eyes and take deep breaths. Learning how to handle stress appropriat­ely will help you combat situations large and small, and hopefully avoid them in the future.

BE PREPARED

If you have an iPhone, set up an emergency ID – just in case. Open your Health app, select Medical ID and fill in the blanks. Now in an emergency – even if your phone is locked – your emergency contact details can be accessed simply by hitting the Start button.

LEARN A LANGUAGE

French and Italian routinely appear at the top of ‘‘sexiest languages’’ lists. If you want that claim to fame, download a language app like Duolingo which gives you loads of options. And at just two minutes a day you’ll be on your way to topping the list.

YOU’RE AWESOME

You know that warm fuzzy feeling you get when someone gives you a compliment? Share the love and take two minutes to give someone else a compliment too. It could be as simple as, ‘‘That colour looks great on you’’ or ‘‘Well done in this morning’s presentati­on – you nailed it’’. Remember, do unto others as you’d have them do unto you, because love makes the world go round.

HI MUM

Friends might come and go but family lasts forever. Call your parents, especially if you haven’t talked to them for ages. Even just a two-minute phone call and a quick ‘‘I love you’’ could smooth over historic tension and put smiles on everyone’s dials.

DENTAL HYGIENE

Flossing. It might sound ridiculous (who actually likes doing this?), but looking after your teeth is really important as 1.3 million Kiwis aged over 18 suffer from gum disease, and less than half of us go to the dentist every year. Avoid future fillings and falsies by committing two minutes of your evening routine to flossing your teeth. Not only will your pearly whites like the attention, so will your dentist.

❚ For more informatio­n about Take 2, visit neighbourl­y.co.nz.

 ?? 123RF ?? Commit two minutes of your day to floss your teeth to avoid cavities.
123RF Commit two minutes of your day to floss your teeth to avoid cavities.

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