The power of rituals, routines, and habits: how they hold the key to unlocking your inner and outer glow
“We are what we repeatedly do.”
There is so much talk about rituals, routines, and habits out there at the moment.
Without even being aware our daily lives feature rituals, routines, and habits. They are important for promoting overall health and wellness.
Here are a few reasons why they are so important and therefore we need to become more aware of their place in our daily lives:
Consistency and Stability
Rituals, routines, and habits provide a sense of structure and consistency in your daily life which can help reduce stress, and anxiety, and develop healthy behaviours that support you.
Self-esteem
Consistently following healthy rituals, routines and habits requires you to build self efficacy and self confidence (the feeling of I can do this), and resilience. You begin to develop a sense of self-worth as you cultivate behaviours and practices that support your health goals. This can then snowball and lead to further positive behaviour change.
Physical and mental health benefits
By engaging in healthy rituals, habits, and routines they can have a positive impact on your mental and physical health holistically. You can develop ways that support you to achieve your health goals, have more energy, and find relaxation, inner peace, and fulfillment.
What’s the difference between rituals, habits, and routines? How can we become more intentional towards them this spring to increase our health and vitality?
“Rituals are the formulas by which harmony is restored”
RITUAL
Rituals are a ceremonial act or action. They have the power to transform the most mundane or ordinary task into something beautiful. For example, enjoying your first sip of your morning drink or getting outside first thing in the morning. Rituals are often performed at certain times of the day and have set behaviours, for example making my morning matcha involves creating a time for intentionally making something delicious that requires a moment to breathe and be still and fully present.
“We become what we repeatedly do”
Habits
Habits are a settled behaviour or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. They are often automatic behaviours that are completed with little thought to them. Habits do not have the intention behind them that rituals do and have become ingrained into our lives thanks to repetition. Habits can be both positive and negative for example, waking up and having coffee first thing on an empty stomach, eating while standing cooking dinner, or flossing your teeth in the evening after brushing your teeth.
“The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine”
Routines
A routine is a sequence of actions regularly followed, often daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. Routines are what create a structure to our lives for example, a sleep routine, a morning routine or a weekly meal planning and meal prepping.
So with all this in mind here are five examples of healthy spring rituals, routines, and habits to contemplate adopting for Spring and to take you into Summer.
Morning Routine
Start your day with a glass of warm lemon water or fennel tea to support digestion and hydration.
Take your drink outside to get your morning spring daylight first thing. Forming a mindful ritual that allows you to connect with nature and the season as it unfolds
Start a ritual of writing 3 things you are grateful for today. What do you most love about spring?
Do 5-10 minutes of gentle stretching.
Read a few pages of a nourishing thought provoking book, I am especially enjoying Brianna Wiest “The Pivot Year”.
Form an outdoor exercise routine
Warmer weather means we can incorporate outdoor exercise into our routines more easily for example, walking, running or riding a bike. This Spring I intend to take up tennis to enjoy exercising outside I will also be continuing my daily post lunch movement break of walking for 30 minutes in nature. Although my post lunch walk features in my routine, I also consider it to be a ritual as it is something a treasure and performed with intention
Digital Detox
Learning to use and create boundaries with digital devices is very important for overwhelm and happy hormones. This spring why not create a healthy habit around your phone and social media usage? Allowing time and space for phone free times in the day, for example, while enjoying your morning routine, your matcha latte ritual, or while mindfully eating your lunch. Create hobbies that do not involve screens and form a healthy habit that will help support your mental and physical health.
Healthy Eating Habits
Spring is a good time to begin to start a weekly meal plan routine. I sit down every Sunday and write out my meals for the week and write a shopping list full of seasonal nutrient dense and colourful ingredients. I then, usually on a Monday, prepare 3-5 meals for the week ahead, helping my week to run smoother in the kitchen, and as life gets busier as the week progresses and energy dwindles, we are still able to make healthier choices.
Another good habit to adapt for spring is mindful eating which encourages being present with your food and listening to when you are full and satisfied and encourages you to stop eating at 80% full.
Self-Care Rituals
Spring is a great time to develop some new self-care rituals that support the rejuvenation energy of the season. Treat yourself to a spa day at home, include dry body brushing into your routine, or take a seaweed bath to support detoxification. I am personally terrible at remembering to nourish my feet, so have developed a new habit when after finishing brushing my teeth in the evening I then give myself a self-love massage and apply a nourishing foot cream.
I adore this quote by John O'Donohue "When one flower blooms, spring awakens everywhere." By creating rituals, routines, and habits that create and sustain healthy living you can help to set yourself up to be the best version of yourself for spring and beyond.
Much love,
Katie xx
Further reading:
How to build habits that stick
Lost your mojo for exercise? How to find it again?
The power of words, how a word theme can create more intention for the year ahead