Mini Rituals
I love rituals! Fucking duh! I read something the other day that routines were about making certain things automatic in our life while rituals were about doing things with intention and presence in our life - I’m paraphrasing but I like the idea that there is room for both of these things and that they each serve an inherent purpose to try and make our lives more enriching when we utilize and build upon them with conscious awareness.
I also believe that some rituals can be done in a routine way - that we make it an automatic part of our daily structure to show up in presence for things, which is really what this list is about.
Mini Rituals, in my mind, are the things that feel super accessible to me to do regularly and actually make my life a lot easier and more fulfilling when done often and with intention. Some of them are practical, some of them are luxurious, all of them help me live my highly romanticized life just as the universe intended :)
The idea of this list isn’t to imply that all of these things are the right things or need to be done all the time, but more recognizing the things we can do for ourselves as ritualistic and that it can be an honour to do even the most mundane things when we see the bigger picture of them. I feel this is also inherently a part of romanticizing ones life - how can doing my dishes be a ritual? How can putting my clothes away be an act of divine guidance towards myself? The goal, for me, is to have the most gratitude and presence for the things I get to do (vs the idea of what I have to do to sustain myself and my life). I get to clean my car. I have access to the internet and have the pleasure of setting boundaries and unsubscribing to things that no longer align with this version of me… It’s a mindset shift that has taken me literally years to develop but overall makes my entire way of being in the world that much more enriching.
THE RITUALS
SELF-CARE
skin care - as soon as I get out of the shower I make sure to oil my face and body immediately and give myself a little massage, I dry brush before getting into the shower and make a salt scrub once a week to use in the shower
hair care - I put a nourishing oil in my hair every morning after I shower, if my hair is curled or blow-dried I pin it up and put it in a scarf before bed, I do a hair mask before wash day every week, never sleep on wet hair, make sure it gets well brushed often
nail care - I have a bottle of cuticle oil and a nail file at my desk and in my purse; instead of picking/chewing/stimming in a way that doesn’t benefit me I use these things daily to maintain the care of my nails but also my mental health. I used to notoriously pick at the skin around my nails or peel my toenails until they were painfully short. I also give myself a weekly pedicure with a new colour/design
coffee vacation (I’ll do another post on mini-vacations but basically every day when I have my coffee I use it as a mini-vacation)
artist dates - I make sure at least once a week I have intentional time to do something creative and joyful for myself. Maybe I want to bead a ring design, or collage something, or just go on a long walk with a podcast and good outfit. I also often thrift, do a DIY project, or even fix/upcycle something that needs some attention. Sometimes the creative self needs to make things easier for it to access so my artist date will look like organizing a closet or going through things and taking them to the donation or finally doing a story sale on IG for things I’ve been hoarding but needing to get rid of
writing - whether in a journal, or a cue card or my notes app I try to intentionally write every day
weekly therapy - I know this is such a huge and immense privilege to be able to engage with therapy at all, let alone weekly. I go every Wednesday and try to treat myself kindly the whole day; I’ll bring a nestea with me for afterwards, wear a comfortable outfit, go to the greenhouse library nearby after and make no other plans because often I am very emotional and need time to process and decompress after
giving myself time - I no longer rush. I will communicate if I’m moving slowly or need to rearrange something, I don’t plan more than a couple of things in a day and
HOME-CARE
put the kitchen to bed - this is one I’m still learning but it is soooooo much easier for me to nourish and care for myself when I ritually clean. Things that have made this more pleasurable are watching or listening to something I like while doing dishes, using dish soap that is effective and smells delightful (meyers has a lilac one I love, but I also fuck with unscented and putting your own essential oils in), investing in beautiful kitchen cleaning tools like wood dish scrubbers and cute dish cloths; as well as cutlery, plates, bowls etc that I love and want to care for. I dry dishes and put away dish rack after washing so it feels complete, wipe all counters and surfaces daily, have designated spaces for all things so they can “go home”
weekly fridge clean outs - this helps me use all my groceries, buy food I actually enjoy and want to eat, I buy less food more often, and am always reassessing the organization of my fridge to help keep me inspired
the one-song-tidy (aka the adult version of the 10 second tidy) I put on a song I really love and do a quick clean up of my spaces during it
make my bed - I have to do this every day even if its right before I go to sleep because I do NOT sleep well in an unmade bed
changing my sheets - I do this every week, not only is it hygienic but it also makes for a better sleep, deeper dreams, and is a good energetic shift. usually hair wash days are also sheet wash days so I can ritual stack
junk drawer organization - I’m all for a junk drawer but I still want it to be functional and find things within it! usually once a month or so I go through and just reassess what’s going on, if there is a better way to organize things and see if there are actually things in there that could use or have a home
put clothes back on hangers (I like to think of this as a ritual of respecting the things I use to reflect myself to the world) I try to do this immediately if I have tried something on and it’s not the outfit vibe I’m looking for
organizing my shoes/jackets/bags in the front hall; using my front hall storage efficiently and having “homes” for things like my gloves, hats, and tote bags where I put them away as soon as I get home instead of leaving them on a chair or a doorknob
using lamps and candles instead of overhead lighting - and yes I do see this choice as a ritual. It takes more time, more intention and often asks me to sit with how I’m feeling/what I’m needing
car cleaning - I like to vacuum, wipe down all surfaces, smoke cleanse (I keep a stick of palo santo in the vent of my dashboard), take out any garbage or stuff that’s been building up, check the middle console and see if anything need a refresh ( I usually keep a journal, pen, hand cream, hand sanitizer, gum, crystals, and candy in there), refresh my protections (I always have rosemary hanging from my rearview mirror along with a couple other charms), check under the seats and see if anything has fallen (I’ve found massage balls, socks, debit cards, coins, cans, shells… so many strange and easily forgotten things) This makes me feel more peaceful and at ease while driving and I believe is just generally good maintenance if you have a vehicle
plants! give them a wipe down, maybe a good shower soak. give them a big drink of rain or filtered water, give them some food and minerals, repot them or add fresh dirt, trim their long pieces and root the cuttings for other baby plants, take off the dead leaves, give them a shake to strengthen the stems, sprits them with water so they feel like they have experienced the dew of dawn, play them music and tell them I love them sooooo much, put them in places they will thrive and be happy
re-arranging spaces; as I acquire more things or get rid of things or just learn more about how I live I like to frequently change and update my spaces - sometimes I hate it and I move everything back after a thorough cleaning and more gratitude for the original set up. sometimes I need to take several days to think about or let things unfold in a certain way. Sometimes I have dreams about moving things around, sometimes the energy feels claustrophobic and I need to go through things and maybe purge what I’ve been holding on to that doesn’t work for me anymore
MEDIA-CARE
unsubscribing from emails - I do this daily, as they come in. It doesn’t have to be an overwhelming purge (I also like to keep my inbox at zero)
clearing notifications from my phone screen / turning off notifications I don’t need
setting specific “focus" modes on my phone for different times of the day
desktop organization - I really don’t love having 4427480 different things on my computer desktop (or phone either tbh) so when I find that it’s getting unruly I look at what I still need, what can be deleted, what can be delegated to a different folder. I generally have 3-5 main folders that everything will go into. I like my desktop to be a soothing view that adds to the aesthetic and energy of my home. I’ll often recalibrate the colour scheme and change my desktop photo to suit my current mood as well
2023 pinterest board - this is sort of a generalized, ongoing ritual but sometimes I just want to curate the vibe, not necessarily a specific place or thing I am wanting to cultivate. Every year I make a pinterest board for the year and it contains everything that I want to embody that year from outfits to quotes to images of lovers and travel destinations and colour palates. Instead of scrolling aimlessly through instagram all the time, or when I need a little reminder of what I’m cultivating I go to this board and allow myself to day dream. This is also a good way to make a manifestation background for your computer if that’s your
in/out list in the notes app; I love this concise and easy way to look at what no longer resonates and what I’m letting go of as well as what does resonate and I’m willfully calling into my life
screenshot/photograph angel numbers - I see sooo many in a day and it doesn’t matter how many of them I have on my phone I love the moment of presence it brings to me and allows me to feel connected to what I believe in
unfollowing on social media - not thinking too much about it, not following people just for the sake of it because I know them. usually twice a year I go through and remove people I don’t remember, who aren’t bringing value to my feed, who I don’t feel connected to anymore. On one of my accounts I follow no-one at all, and I will also gently and quietly remove followers that I don’t feel are appropriate to have in certain spaces
playlist curation; deleting playlists I never invested fully in making (you’ve been here for 2 years and have 5 songs you have to go), unfollowing playlists that aren’t the vibe, and making an overall playlist for the year (akin to the pinterest board but for sound) that has music I have been touched by - it doesn’t have to be new to me or new to the world, maybe it’s a song I loved when I was 15 and it’s really impacting me again. Whatever feels relevant goes on here.
deleting contacts - maybe they aren’t your friend anymore or you have 3 numbers saved for one person or whatever it is. get rid of who and what you don’t need in there. I’m no longer keeping contacts for a rainy day - this includes removing people from my facebook as well
clean up the google calendar - remove reminders you don’t need, add in the ones you do (like garbage days and important payments)
SPIRITUAL-CARE
pull a card - I don’t do this every day, but it’s an excellent mini ritual for when I feel drawn to a little extra guidance or understanding
lighting an incense - I do this every single day and sometimes more than once a day. not only is it cleansing for the space but I like it when it smells like home
using candle light for my bath/shower routine instead of overhead
ask myself “what colour am I today?” this helps me determine my mood, my needs, what to wear, eat, etc.
fill Berkey water filter, taking a moment to consciously put my attention and intentions into it
send a note of love - at least once a day I send an intentional, heartfelt wish to someone I love; “Good morning, Angel. I hope today is peaceful, there is sun on your face, you eat delicious food and everything moves at a pace that feels nourishing. Sending you a long hug and grounding energy.”
take off all my jewellery at the end of the night; I think this is a sensory thing as well as an energetic thing. Just like my clothes and make-up, I want to have a moment to cleanse myself in all ways of whatever I may have been holding that day
cleaning altar spaces; listen everywhere in my life is an altar in some way. I dust, wipe down, reorganize, and set intentions as it feels appropriate. my vanity is an altar, my books are an altar, my bedside table is an altar, my bathroom is an altar, my fridge is an altar.
sound frequencies like solfeggio and binaural beats to clear out energy, infuse spaces with intention and just get things moving in general. I also will sing and sometimes during breathwork or meditation will let whatever primal, gutteral sounds that need to emerge from me come forth. this is also sooo good for vagal toning.