Transforming Habits into Rituals

Habits. We all have habits.

Habits are the things that we do with or without much awareness. We simply do it without giving it much thought.

Drinking coffee first thing in the morning, for example, is a common habit that many people have. We wake up and we make our cuppa. We do it without thinking if we actually need it.

Rituals are things that we do often with intentions and purposes. We do it in a certain way, at a certain time or at a certain place.

Grounding oneself before a yoga practice or saying a little prayer to Self or whoever we connect with are examples of rituals. We do it with mindfulness and awareness.

In these days of our world, every one of us can benefit with a little de-stress here or there as many of us do take on more than we realize. Our habits can easily be transformed into rituals that can help us to refresh, recharge and rejuvenate. As simple as having a cuppa, whether it is in the morning or in the afternoon when it is done with intentions and purposes, that cuppa can transform our days as well as our lives.

The way I turned my habit of a cuppa into a ritual is going somewhere, even if it’s a busy coffee shop, that I can feel “alone”. I am not connected with anyone or anything. A spot where I feel “free”. Often, it can simply be a table that no one is sitting too close to me and I can look out to somewhere.

Be it a cup of tea or coffee, when I am at my spot, I create my own little cocoon so that I can tune OUT from the external world and tune IN to my internal one. Whenever I feel heavy in my mind, I will write down my thoughts in my journal to shift through them and also give them an outlet. Often, I simply sit and watch the world go by, allowing my thoughts to wander and wonder. At the same time, I observe what they are and more importantly, how I feel.

The goal isn’t to suppress or silence the mind. It is to gain clarity. When our head is clear, we will feel light.

The key is to find one that works for us, whatever it may be as anything goes and any method works. When a new ritual is shaped and formed, we make it into a habit of conducting this ritual.

Transforming our daily habits into rituals that serve us is easier than we think. All it requires is our intention and awareness.

So are you ready to pick one of your habits to help you transform your day and your life?

(Photo by veera jayanth on Unsplash)