Creating rituals can be pretty powerful in creating a sense of contentment. They bring us into the present and allow us to appreciate our surroundings. Different societies and cultures have diverse rituals that increase a sense of appreciation for what one has and their environment.
They can be part of age old traditions or you can create them for yourself. They can be daily or weekly and they don’t have to be elaborate. If you’d like to incorporate rituals into your daily life here are some examples:
- Dinner rituals – It doesn’t matter whether you like to cook or not, if you’re preparing a meal or unwrapping/unboxing it from your favourite take-out place, having a dinner ritual can make meal time more pleasant. Instead of eating out of the container or simply plating your food and digging in, setting the table, laying out napkins and utensils and lighting a candle, can make a huge difference. Also making sure that it’s a sacred time and no cell phones are at the table can make a huge difference.
- Family rituals – This includes rituals such as family dinner together most nights or at least two or three times a week, like on the weekends. It can also be things like removing footwear before entering the home that many cultures around the world practice or going over to greet someone when they arrive home. These might seem simple enough but in our day and age of distraction, it’s no surprise these actions are becoming less and less. But if we consciously make the choice to create positive family rituals, we can at least benefit from them in our own lives and perhaps inspire others too.
- Study rituals – during my time as a student starting in high school and throughout college I developed study rituals that helped me focus and prepare for the material I was about to learn or review. It was as simple as making a cup of tea and having a small pastry, cookie or healthy snack along with it and spending the time to really enjoy it before I had to dive into the material. Also, choosing a specific type of music (or sound) that aids in concentration can also help.
- Self-care rituals – Developing a ritual around caring for your body can have an impact in uplifting your mood throughout the day. It’s more than just the daily habits of brushing and flossing…It’s taking the time to eat nourishing foods, stretching or doing your daily yoga practice, dry brushing, moisturizing and yes even showering (this is a big one especially for moms with little ones – it can be hard to find the time to do). Though the number of self-care practices can decrease throughout the day or week depending on your schedule. If you even just take 5 minutes (yes only 5), you can feel a lot better. When my daughter was a newborn I found it very difficult to incorporate self-care rituals, until I realized I didn’t have to make them lengthy.
Creating rituals makes things a little more sacred and makes them matter even more. It can also increase connection in the home environment. Life nowadays is pretty fast-paced, but rituals can help us value the simple things.
Are there any rituals you practice? How many of the above do you incorporate into your day? Do you find it hard to follow them?
We’d love to hear about them! Let us know in the comments below.
We’d love to hear about them! Let us know in the comments below.
