Tiny actions to bring more ritual into your life
The idea of ritual is incredibly appealing to me. I crave routine and habit. I source comfort and connection from these. Ritual nourishes me and keeps me grounded. But if ritual intimidates you? If you think it needs to be complicated or overly woo?
There are tiny actions you can take to infuse your life with more ritual – without breaking the bank or turning breakfast into a séance (unless that’s your thing, in which case, please invite me over).
Because these actions should fit into your everyday life, I’ve broken them down into three categories: morning, evening and mealtime. I mean, we all have these times in our lives. Also, because they usually mark a transition (sleep to waking, for instance), they are natural times to mark with ritual.
Caveat: do what works for you. If one of these works better for you at a different time, do that. These are suggestions. Take them with a grain of salt, and feel free to make them a custom expression of your life, flow, and needs.
Morning Rituals:
- Quiet until a certain hour
- A special morning beverage or meal
- Prayer or meditation
- Gratitude journaling or morning pages
- Greeting the sun
- Drawing a tarot card for the day
- Setting an intention
- Sun salutations or other mindful movement
Evening Rituals:
- Self-massage (especially your feet or scalp)
- A cup of tea
- Screens off by a certain time
- Inspirational reading
- Journaling or creative writing
- Lighting a candle
- Tracking the moon and acknowledging where it is in its cycle
- A restorative pose or other therapeutic pose
Mealtime Rituals:
- Expressing gratitude
- Eating one meal per day in silence
- Turning your phone off while eating
- A short walk after a meal
- Breathing practice before or after the meal
- Have one piece of (super-high-quality) chocolate afterwards
- Bow to signify the end of a meal
