Rituals Not Resolutions

 

The last few days have been a little wonky. For various reasons I fell away from my normal daily task list (Fitness, Health, Self Care, BBJ, and Other) and could really feel the impact on my mental health. I felt a bit stuck and had low energy levels. (Today I am back to doing my daily list and I am feeling better)

I think we all recognize the importance of rituals especially at this time of year. Some rituals involve candles, some involve food, some involve music, and some involve being in relationship with others. While no two people's holiday rituals look the same most of us have some ritual that makes the holidays feel like the holidays.

On a related note during this season we often are thinking about resolutions for the New Year. I am still working out what my theme will be for 2022 (For example for 2021 my theme was Belonging, Boldness, and Joy) and was talking to a friend about how my resolutions are not typically resolutions and are more amorphous. 

Thinking about it, my resolutions tend to turn into rituals instead. I tend to pick categories such as say fitness or self care and instead of defining what that looks like, I go I will do a set number of activities in each category each day but am flexible on what that looks like. 

If the weather is nice might go on a long walk, if cold and gloomy maybe yoga instead or a dance fitness class. Or one day I might burn candles and drink tea, while a different day I might do a mediation and journal, or use lotion and give myself a self massage. In this ways I am creating rituals not resolutions.

Rituals can be very powerful (one of the reason we have so many holiday traditions that have been passed down through the years), and we can harness this power and create our own rituals. Rituals are a great way to center ourselves and make sure we are connected to our inner selves so that we can be at our best in any given situation.