Do you have a daily habits? I am sure you have some. A habit is a decision that you make. Over time you stop making the decision to do this thing but continue to do it anyway. Like brushing your teeth or starting your car or putting the dishes away.
How about rituals? I think of rituals as mindful practices that you make that can become habits. I am sure you have rituals. For me, a morning ritual is about self-care and setting myself up for a successful day. When I find that if my routine is altered somewhat and my ritual upset, my day can seem off. I do not feel like I have the same level of success.
How do you create a ritual? First, the ritual is personal. What works for me is not going to necessarily work for someone else and vice versa. The idea is to create something that sets you up for success and over time becomes a habit.
My morning ritual includes exercise, meditation, prayer, intention setting, and a cup of herb tea. It is what works for me, and is a mix of mind, body, and spirit. I also have an evening ritual.
Here are some ideas to help you create a morning ritual or even add to the one you have.
Exercise
We all know exercise is good medicine. Start to incorporate some type of movement into your day. It could be a walk, yoga, running, or dancing. It doesn’t have to be intense; it just needs to be movement. Exercise has been proven to help depressions and increase happiness. It’s also good for your business. Just pick some way to exercise and get moving!
Meditate
You have probably read about mindfulness meditation, as it is become more popular in the past few years. I am lucky that I have a sister who teaches this practice, so it has been on my radar for many years. Studies have shown that just a small amount of meditation increases creativity. Just start with five minutes, sit quietly, and focus on your breath. Don’t worry about doing it right or wrong; just practice. You can find a blog post on our site about it, too, if you want to learn more.
Gratitude
Many people, including me, keep a gratitude journal. It is a good exercise to create a gratitude list. It doesn’t take much time in the morning to reflect on two or three things you are grateful for. If you do this consistently, it alters your state to the positive.
Hydrate
Getting enough water every day is important. I will take water with me on my morning walk so I can replenish what I lost overnight. A lot of people swear by adding lemon to warm water as the way to start a day.
Journaling
This might be “Morning Pages,” which is a process that Julia Cameron teaches in her The Artist’s Way book. It might be writing about what you will accomplish during the day or how you feel spiritually, emotionally and physically.
Intention-setting
Set an intention. Decide on your focus for the day. It is powerful to start your day with an intention.
What are other examples of morning rituals? I know people choose affirmations, lighting candles, visualization, runes and angel cards, reading for 15 minutes, drawing or stitching for 15 minutes, special food for breakfast, and getting up an hour early every day.
Being consistent
It’s one thing to decide to add habits that you want to become rituals into your life. It’s another to make it happen.
Look for ways that let you set yourself up for success. For example, if exercise is part of your ritual, put your exercise clothes out the night before. If it’s journaling, leave your journal where you see if first thing.
It doesn’t really matter what you put into your ritual. It doesn’t matter if it’s one thing or five things. The idea is that having a ritual sets you up for a more meaningful and productive day. And, you may find that you need rituals at other times of the day or at the end of the day. Just work with the idea of creating rituals that become habits.
Mahatma Gandhi said,
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
It’s your turn
What are your morning rituals? How do they affect your day?
