The Benefits of Daily Rituals and Why They Work

The word ritual used here is a series of actions to bring harmony to your life.  Day and Night.  Daily actions (habits) that become so routine that the mind and body become at ease from repetition and predictability.  Because life is so unpredictable, rituals free the mind to give us a sense of preparedness for whatever comes our way.

When researching healthy rituals, I found that most advice given was for daily habits, the top 5 or 10 best for success.  A habit being one task that is done repeatedly without much conscious thought; a ritual being a set of habits. 

I love the idea of a morning and evening ritual, book-ending the day for peace.  A set of habits that we practice for our highest good that become so routine that we set ourselves up for a peaceful life. 

The Science of Habit

As explained in the Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg, the habit is a 3-part process (Habit Loop) that is stored in the brain for efficiency.  The three parts consisting of a cue that triggers the loop, a routine (behavior), and a reward or feedback that tells the brain to remember.  Understanding the process of this habit loop seems important if you’re seeking change and starting a new habit.  What will be the cue to trigger a person to take action and what will be the reward received after the action is taken. 

Visualizing what we want our brain to remember seems like a helpful way to act.   If I want to start getting up an hour earlier each morning, my cue to trigger will probably be placing my alarm clock on the other side of the room to force myself out of bed.  My reward will be the feeling of accomplishment for getting more done in the morning.   If the new habit is a difficult one, you might have to be more specific with your self-talk and give yourself a reward.  What gets us motivated to make lasting change is different for everyone.  

Benefits of Habit

It seems that most successful people, meaning people living a happy and meaningful life with work, family and friends, are disciplined and stick to their daily habits consistently.  The small actions taken each day can add up to an amazing quality of life.  It can allow for more time and flexibility to help  maintain a stress-free lifestyle that’s sustainable for the long run. 

Beginning a Ritual

I started my rituals last October after reading Rachael Hollis’s Girl Wash Your Face. Rachael, with her large Instagram following, started the movement “The Last 90 Days”.  Her pitch, “21 days to create a habit, 90 days to change your life.  What if you committed to living your last 90 days of the year as hard as you are committing to living the first 30 days of the new year? What if instead of a downhill slide into 2019, you are ramping up!”

Like me, many fans signed up. I love a challenge; Rachel’s 5 to Thrive.  5 consistent habits starting October 1^st, the last 90 days of the year.   I did it and it was amazing. 4 out of the 5 were easy for me, I had already been doing them consistently but #5, was a game changer.  I had no idea the effect it would have, waking up an hour earlier than anyone else to focus solely on myself and my goals.   I loved it.  I started journaling, meditating, giving myself the time I needed before I needed to get on with my day.  There was less rushing.  I felt centered and grounded and the feeling stayed all day.  

What Habits are right for you?

Do you want to start a new habit or maybe break an old one?  It’s a personal decision what we want to keep or let go.  Consistent actions we take for our physical, emotional, and spiritual health shape our life.  What motivates change is different for each of us.  Often we don’t know what we want for ourselves until we see the light in someone else.  Check out the videos below for ideas.  I found their advice inspiring.