In the last blog post I shared some examples of everyday rituals and now in Part 2 I’m sharing a whole bunch more. Feel free to adopt and adapt these if you find them useful. We’ll also be taking a look at how to create your own rituals from scratch in a future post.
Here are a few more examples of everyday rituals. Millions of us engage in these everyday rituals without even realising it. We just do it, or at least a version of it. As you read through just consider your own variations for each. There’s a good chance that you do some of them at least, but in your own way.
Leaving and Coming Home Rituals
Most of us have our own little rituals we do when leaving and coming back home. It could be something as simple as grabbing your keys from a specific spot, putting on your shoes and shouting goodbye to the family. And when you come back home, you may do the same things in reverse. When I lived in Sheffield my husband and I used to have a ritual that we could talk about work until we reached the petrol station on the outskirts of the city and then no more work talk.
Work Rituals
These are rituals people perform when they first arrive at work, right before they leave for the day, and/or sometime during the workday, every day without fail. For me at the start of the day, it’s switching on the heating in the clinic if needed, opening the blinds, pulling couch roll over the couch, testing the client bell and putting a Lateral Flow Test out for the first client. For others, it might be stashing their lunch in the fridge, grabbing a cup of coffee and checking emails. Whatever it is, it runs like clockwork.
Meal Rituals
Most people have a meal ritual. From setting the table a certain way, perhaps saying grace, arranging food just so, to clearing dishes away straight after eating. Your own ritual may even have more detail to it. Do you eat a certain food type first, or save a certain food for last? I generally try to eat my veggies first so that they’re done with and I can look forward to the meat and potatoes.
Reflection Rituals
While not as popular as some of the other types of everyday rituals, many people have a regular reflection ritual. For some it’s formal written journaling, for others it may simply be taking 5 minutes to sit down and think about our day. Reflecting on our recent actions can help us gain insight into how our lives are going and what we can do to make them better. It’s a great way to stay in tune with ourselves and our goals.
End-of-Day Rituals
At the end of the day, most of us have a ritual we do without even thinking about it. We do the same thing, in the same way, for the same purpose – to close out the day – whether it’s changing into comfy clothes, brushing our teeth or reading a book in bed. It’s just something we do, and it’s become part of our daily routine.
Rituals are a great way to bring more mindfulness and intentionality to your everyday life. From taking a few moments to reflect, to creating a morning routine to helping you wind down ready for a good night’s sleep, there are plenty of examples of everyday rituals that can help you transform your life for the better. I hope that the examples of everyday rituals I’ve given here in part 2 help you to recognise the ones you already have in your life.