Once, a character in my favourite book lamented that people were wasting too many little moments of time when they were standing in line, waiting for a bus, etc. He proposed that these time slots ought to be “banked” in some fashion before being reclaimed. That would come in very useful! However, that luxury isn’t now generally accessible.

Here are 5 things to do in 5 spare minutes that you might encounter during your day:

1. Call a friend or a relative

Is your bus running late? Have you called your grandmom this week? Now is a great time to pick up your phone and make that phone call.

2. Snap some photos

Is your bus running late? Snap some photos of objects/streets/stores around you. Can’t see anything conventionally ‘beautiful’? Pay closer attention. Anything can be interpreted in a creative way.

3. Do some exercise for your eyes

Digital screens rapidly cause eye fatigue. To relieve eye fatigue, try these easy eye exercises: gaze up and down, left to right, “draw” circles and diagonals with your eyes, and finally look far away. As often as necessary, repeat.

4. Exercise!

For that, tabata intervals are very effective. Tabata training is a four-minute mini-workout that alternates between 10-second rest intervals and 20-second exercise intervals. This is my ideal combination: Squats, high knees, push-ups, and jumping jacks! To add to the fun, play your favourite song while you’re doing it. Alternatively, you could just dance wildly to the music.

5. Have a silent conversation with yourself

Every day, we converse with others, solicit their ideas, and engage in pointless small talk. It is simple to lose sight of your own thoughts and emotions. The next time you have five minutes, consider your current state of mind, whether there is anything on your mind, or simply “discuss” a brilliant idea!