June 2, 2021
I use the Headspace app for meditation and I’ve noticed lately that they’ve mentioned the difference between “routines” and “rituals” a few times.
"We all have our daily routines… making the bed, taking a shower, getting breakfast - regular tasks which are functional. Things we have to do.
Rituals, on the other hand, are done with a sense of ceremony, purpose and feeling. A ritual is something you choose to do… and how it makes you feel is just as important as the task itself."
I used to say I have a morning routine (or at least try to), but now I’m starting to think it’s more of a morning ritual.
My ritual includes things like:
- Meditation
- Learning Spanish
- Daily Gratitude
- Reading
- Blogging
I don’t do every one every morning, but they’re all on the list because they’re things that help make me feel better or improve in some way.
Meditation: We’ve all heard the benefits of meditating. I’ve been using the Headspace app (as I mentioned above).
Spanish: I started learning a little bit of Spanish in school as a kid, but never stuck with it long enough to be fluent. I’d love to be fluent in at least one more language, so I’ve been using a mix of Rosetta Stone and Duolingo to try to make that happen.
Daily Gratitude: This helps me use my Pencil a bit (since I actually write it on my iPad) 😆, but it’s a good practice to help you appreciate things in life.
Reading: Lately I’ve been using Mailbrew to get a “daily digest” of Twitter highlights, RSS feeds, and a few other things.
Blogging: I get to express myself some in writing, which I never really got into before… but it helps put your thoughts on “paper” (or a screen, I suppose) in something more long form than 280 characters or whatever Twitter is limited to.
Do you have a morning ritual? What does it include? Let me know on Twitter!
- Jason