Ritualistic Habits
Dear One,
I believe it’s necessary to put effort into forming habits that could prove beneficial to your wellbeing in the long run. Those habits will nourish us and sustain our health for years to come. As James Clear said, “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. The same way that money multiplies through compound interest, the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them.” Seems simple enough. All I need to do is identify what habit I wish to create and then continuously repeat it time and time again. Right? Not so fast! If only it were that easy. Sometimes, it’s the repetition aspect that proves most difficult when maintaining a healthy habit. Usually, we have good intentions when formulating the idea of performing a new habit; however, we tend to fall short with following through on that plan or repeating the system we put in place. Why is that?
I believe we unconsciously grasp onto another’s system because it works for them and instead of trying to mold, alter, rearrange, or fix the system to adapt to our lifestyle, we carelessly replicate the same process that was tailored for another’s lifestyle. Yes, we are alike and connected in many ways as humans on this earth, but we are also unique in our experiences, moments and realities; therefore, one person’s system is not necessarily appropriate for the next person. We have to find techniques and structures that work for us.
Where does one begin when you have no idea how to implement a habit? It starts with learning someone else’s system - that’s right, “borrow” the techniques from somewhere or someone else because I assure you those methods were adapted after they borrowed it from someone else as well. Milk the information you learn for all that it’s worth - that’s how advancements in life happen. Most of us are not magician geniuses pulling knowledge out of our derriere; we inhabit our wisdom through information passed down from generation to generation. We practice the approaches of those that came before us and tailor the process to our likeness. Generations have altered or sometimes completely disassembled processes that were once beneficial to their predecessors to improve the quality of their lifestyle. These improvements don’t always have to be massive; sometimes small changes now bring greater progress later. Once you develop those smaller changes/behaviors/systems, continue performing them over and over in such a way that they become ritualistically executed. Your patterns envelop your likeness and vice versa.
One habit I developed and now perform ritualistically are my mood baths. I wanted a method for physically channeling and releasing energies in my body, while nurturing my mind and overall wellbeing. I discovered what some call ritual (or spiritual) baths — a cleansing based in mindfulness and healing. This seemed perfect; however, I knew my moods would vary, so surely I would need to tailor some regimens to the moment I was experiencing. Therefore, I researched, tried regimens, altered, created, and researched some more until I found a bath of my liking for a particular mood. In general, my mood baths entail implementing mindful elements that bring awareness to my senses, including using colorful lighting, candles, crystals, essential oils, music, and a refreshing beverage and/or snack. Here’s a tip on how I keep this ritualistic habit going - I don’t designate this experience to any specific emotional state or environment. I let go of my expectations for the results and solely focus on the experience, which allows me to indulge in mood cleansings anywhere — in baths, showers, foot soaks at the spa, etc.
This one change has brought about many improvements to my overall wellbeing; I now prioritize my healing and mental health daily, bringing me closer to wholeness. Should you find some time to create healthy systems and habits such as this, may you find peace and wellness in that space.
Take Care,
Kris
