There are ten rituals I do daily or I fall apart.
- Prayer – before my feet hit the floor, I open my eyes and pray to my higher power I call Goodness, ‘thank you, help me stay safe and sane today, guide me today and let me be of service, thank you.’
- Meditate – I read something inspirational and sit still for at least five minutes, contemplating.
- Journal – alongside my morning beverage, I write my morning pages and release all the clutter from my mind.
- Check – I review my calendar, things to do, organize, map out my day and wrap my head around it; check the weather.
- Eat – I try to stay in the healthy range and never miss breakfast.
- Shower/Bathe/Brush/Etc. – If I am not spic and span, I don’t function well. I never leave the house without lipstick either, ever; it’s a NY thing, I think.
- Move – I like to get a walk or some sort of movement like yoga or stretch in. Any exercise counts. Otherwise my blood just doesn’t seem to circulate well.
- Mantra – Every forty days, I repeat a new Sanskrit mantra using my mala beads.
- Blog – This is new but has become my new normal, so, I am including it.
- Bedtime – Every night, I make a cup of tea, review my day and my behavior, make notes on anything troubling me and curl up with a good book till my eyes get droopy. I turn off the light and thank the Universe for keeping me safe and sane.
I am sure you have ten things you do to structure your day that you can’t live without doing too. What are they? Do any of the above appeal to you?
I just add what works for me and then it becomes a custom. I feel naked if I don’t pray now and meditation wasn’t always a part of my life either. Some rituals become a part of your daily grind and feel right for you, at this time of your life now and others may be something you need to adopt, modify or release altogether.
I am the kind of person who needs grounding, roots and stability so keeping a steady ceremony of time-honored practices helps me feel secure and in step with the flow of this uncertain life. I feel I am making good use of my time and I don’t feel I have to do any one of these perfectly; I just need to do them obsessively compulsively every day.