What do you think of when you hear the word rituals?

 Rituals refer to practices that are carried out with specific intentions and meanings. A ritual can be as simple as a morning meditation, a daily walk, or an afternoon cup of tea. With a word as weighty as ‘ritual’ we may feel that this isn’t something that can support us. However, I believe that rituals are an important part of connecting to ourselves, the world around us, and our Spirituality; and they can be done in many ways. In fact, creating rituals is all about uncovering practices that resonate with you and help you feel connected, supported, and cared for. 

Read on as I share a few simple tips you can use to create your own daily rituals for greater peace and mental health:

1. Get clear on the things that make you feel nourished and supported. Feel free to make a list of activities that provide a sense of self care and support. Try not to judge what you write here, and remember that these rituals only need to resonate with you- the person who will be practicing them. On this list you may write things down like “playing/ walking my dog, taking an evening bath, reading by the fireplace, or meditating in the morning,” the activities you choose do not need to be ‘spiritually deep’ in order to be valid and nurturing rituals. 
2. Choose a time of day that will support your daily ritual. Now that you have created a list of ritual activities, do your best to choose a recurring time of day where you can practice one (or more) of your self care activities. The thing about rituals is that they happen on a consistent basis, so commit to choosing a time that creates a dependable space for your practices. Most importantly remember that your ritual does not need to be hours long. Your practice can be 15 minutes, or much longer. Just focus on choosing something that will work for you, and know that you can always adjust things as you  move forward on this journey. 
3. Now that we’ve created an idea of what rituals and when we’d like to practice them, it’s time to begin the journey! Start practicing your ritual and feel free to let loved ones around you know what you’re doing- that way, they too will respect the space and time that you have intentionally carved out for yourself to develop peace and inner support. Remember to do your best to consistently practice your rituals and know that it is okay to switch up your ritual day by day (refer to the list of self care activities we created in step 1).

Rituals help us develop a profound self care practice and remind us that spending time on ourselves is valuable and necessary. You deserve to feel cared for and supported each and every day. Enjoy this process of creating and implementing your daily rituals and begin living your life in peace, joy, and mindfulness.