Sometimes in the hurry and scurry of daily life we need to take time out to re-energize. You can take a short walk (even if it’s just to the break room), do something creative, or simply listen to a song. Some people choose to chat with friends, while others may need a few minutes alone.
Dictionary.reference.com defines a ritual as “an established or prescribed procedure for a religious or other rite.” I prefer to think of rituals as something that you want – and many times need – to regularly integrate into your life, ideally on a daily basis. You may have morning rituals (does downing rocket fuel grade caffeinated coffee come to mind anyone?) or you may have a few things you do throughout the day to help keep you focused.
Learning what thoughts and activities energize you (drinking coffee doesn’t count here) helps you develop small (or elaborate) rituals that set you up for success. These thoughts and activities allow your mind and body to focus, build resilience, and tune in to what you need most which can ultimately be the difference between you feeling constantly frazzled or healthy and vibrant.
So with this in mind, take a few minutes today to do three things:
- Figure out what energizes you. Do you need to get up and move around or do you need to sit quietly and try and calm your mind for a few minutes?
- Identify one small ritual you can add to your day that would give you more energy and commit to doing it three days in a row.
- Why do you want to add this particular ritual to your life and which root(s) will this ritual energize (social, mental, emotional, financial, physical, spiritual)?
Think about how small rituals can bring you big gains in energy, focus, and contentment.
