A different approach to mindfulness and de-stressing in 2021

It’s fair to say 2020 brought us all some new and unexpected stressors. For many it was a year of learning, slowing down and appreciating the little things, what we have and where we live even more.

January can often bring with it a feeling of new energy and need to recreate ourselves via resolutions or goals, and while this works for some this year we are leaning into cultivating some sustainable rituals vs. resolutions.

What’s a ritual again?

Ritual: A set of actions that are conducted routinely in the same manner.

Creating rituals is something society knows well yet is often reserved for big events like baby showers, weddings, rights of passages and birthdays in our modern world leaving our day to day life sometimes feeling mundane and flat.

Creating rituals motivates us, it can shift our mood, and help us to accomplish our goals and bring new energy to a moment, task or event in our day. We can make rituals out of the simplest task like a morning coffee or making dinner.

Creating any ritual involves 3 things:

1. An intention: What thoughts, feelings are you inviting into this moment of action?
2. Draws your attention: What are you focusing on?
3. Repetition: Is it an action that you carry out on a regular basis, usually at a particular time of day, and as part of a recurring activity sequence? (i.e. in the morning, at night, before eating, after working out?)

This year we invite you to explore some of the areas of your day to day life where you can create some rituals, especially if you have more time, are home more or need some grounding and mindful moments to yourself.

Below are some ritual ideas you can lean into:

Morning tea or coffee ritual – get lost in the practice of making herbal tea or brewing the perfect cup of coffee to start your day.

Morning movement ritual – kick the day off with a brisk walk, yoga flow or a workout to get those endorphins flowing! There’s nothing like shaking off a bad mood to some upbeat tunes and starting the day with your own movement ritual.

Mid-day mindfulness ritual – sit on a cushion or lay down, focus on your breath, and listen to soothing music with your eyes closed for a few minutes. Nature sounds are always so relaxing. Do you have your own meditation break ritual already?

Bathtime ritual – take a long, hot bath with Epsom salts and a few drops of essential oils. Bonus points for turning off the lights and having a few candles around.

Dinner prep ritual – chopping veggies doesn’t have to be boring. Play some music, put on an apron, light a candle or have a kitchen dance party. Check out our current favourite playlist.

Bedtime ritual – a bedtime ritual may involve winding down with a book, using your favourite skin cleaning oil and in case of occasional minor sleeping disorders taking Quietude to help get a restful night sleep.

Let us know what you think about creating some rituals to bring some more ease, mindfulness and joy to your days.

By Ashleigh Norris, CNP, NNCP
Founder of The Soulful Sprout Holistic Nutrition
www.thesoulfulsprout.com