Three Daily Rituals for Improved Mood
Looking for ways to bring more positivity in your life? Finding yourself feeling bogged down with negative thoughts? Adding a daily ritual or routine to your life might not solve long-term difficulties but can help your brain focus on more positivity (think glass-half-full kind of thoughts). Sound good? Here are some daily practices that you can start today.
Build MASTERY
Do something every day that makes you feel in control and masterful. For me this is making my bed. Tucking in the sheets & comforter ‘just so’, arranging throw pillows, laying a top blanket — this makes me feel great about my space and helps me start my day with something that makes me feel good. What other small ways can you feel masterful in your space? Wiping countertops? Lighting candles? It doesn’t have to be complicated or take a lot of time.
Coffee/tea Ritual
At some point in your day, pause and take some time to make yourself a cup of something comforting. For me this is coffee in the morning: grinding the beans, adding some cinnamon, the smell as the coffee brews, I LOVE it all. Then, when my coffee is ready I let myself sit at my kitchen table and just slowly sip my coffee with no other distractions, noticing the smells, the warmth, the taste. A mindful moment just for me and it feels GOOD.
Gratitude journal / lists
Positive psychology teaches us that shifting our mindset every day (even if just for a few moments) to things we are grateful for can have huge lasting effects on how are brains are wired. Every day before falling asleep I list three things that went well during my day that I am grateful for. The time to walk my dog in the sunshine, a yoga class, fuzzy socks, a conversation with my family, a hug from my husband. Remembering these things right before drifting off to sleep is a crucial ritual in my own life.
What are some of your daily rituals? How do they make you feel?