theconnectionsnj.com HEALTH & WELLNESS PAGE 43 Please Call Irene Lebbad, MSW, LCSW 908.963.7645 RSVP prior to attending www.intrapersonalwellnessllc.com , LLC SEPARATION AND DIVORCE Healing and Recovery Support Group 8-12 Week Open Group for Women Mondays 6:30-7:45 • $25 per week In aworldof uncertain times and ever-changing variables, having rituals can feel like a lifesaver and a much-needed constant. A ritual is a repetitive action or event with which we often associate religious, cultural, or social significance. Rituals can be public and group-oriented, and also private and individually focused. Rather than feeling rigid, rituals can actually take a wide variety of forms and are an ancient and inextricable part of human nature. And there are reasons why …. We’ve got it down when it comes to externally-created holiday rituals and special events, but how about internally-created rituals around our daily routines and goals? These are things we might not think of as rituals, yet we do them over and over like eating meals at the same time each day or washing our clothes on a designated laundry day, or having pasta for Sunday dinner. We’re so used to them that we don’t think much about them. And there are reasons why .... We can even do more with them to improve our daily life. Rituals give us security. Children thrive on the rhythm of rituals. Now more than ever, in times of seeming chaos, children of all ages need them to ground us and hold us together. They relieve stress because we don’t have to think to make them happen. We set them up and then we repeat them over and over again. And there are reasons why … Rituals help us grow. Daily rituals are proven to get you desired results. They improve your life dramatically in a few short weeks of implementing them. Even in the time of Aristotle who believed, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.” This winter I found myself short on time and began falling into old patterns believing I don’t have enough time to do the things I want to do, particularly my morning walk and my reading. Pain is a great motivator for change. So that became decision number one. It was time to find the time for what is important to my body and my brain. Ritualizing these 2 things helped me get back on track. Instead of leaving my reading and waiting for “the right time” (that never seemed to happen) I made a switch. The good news is that thinking you don’t have enough time is so far from the truth. You do have the time if you choose to create it. I promise you’ll thank me… it will be the best choice you’ve ever made to implement rituals that improve your life and make you feel better overall every day. And there’s a reason why… So what did I do differently? I made 2 small changes that would make it easy for me to slip in the time I needed to accomplish my goal. These non-negotiable changes were: • get up a 6 am instead of 6:30 am • have my audiobook/podcast list set up in my phone/ ready to hit play I created a walking library! I walk and learn at the same time. I get my exercise and my learning before anything can get in my way. I’m sure you can imagine how good this feels to accomplish what you want. You might be thinking, “But Rosie, I need my sleep”. And I would politely reply, “Tuck yourself in 30 minutes earlier at night”. The thing that I discovered about ritual is that when you set yourself up for consistent success, and have an intentioned result while putting your attention on doing it each day, you’ll win! And the reason why… is that rituals actually live, thrive, and grow in the largest part of your brain: The Subconscious - 90% of your brain, which does most of the work that you don’t even “think” about breathing, maintaining your 98.6 body temperature, and of course the constant rhythm of your heartbeat. It’s also the home to your imagination and intuition! Ready to start your own new ritual now? Here are 5 ideas for powerful daily rituals that will change everything: • Prayer Time - Create prayer time before you even put your feet on the floor in the morning. It’s a great time to start your day with God - and your day will be so much better for it. • Meditation Time - Create 10 minutes of stillness to make a world of difference in how you interact throughout the day. Magic literally happens as you set the stage to show up in silence each day. • Journal Time - Create self-love and awareness with your journal pages to bring everything into perspective. • Chocolate Time - Create a “presence” ritual with moments that settle you down and bring enjoyment. With one square of fine chocolate that never even touches your teeth, you allow for joy-filled moments as you hold it in your mouth until it melts. Savoring the taste and feel in your mouth gives you the golden silence that we long for. It’s definitely something to look forward to. You can do this every day and you won’t even get fat! • Gratitude Time - Create a bedtime ritual of either writing or speaking aloud to your partner. Discuss 5 things you are grateful for that day. You’ll sleep better and dream bigger. Do any of these calls to you? What else is important to you? What’s missing from your life? What do you want to add in? Once you know what it is that you’re wanting, you can create that space to consistently ritualize the actions. Small little bites will bring you to your desired goals in a very short time. Give it 30 days, and let me know what happens! Rosie is a Spiritual Counselor who teaches Self Love-You-tensils & Spiritual Essentials. Join Rosie’s weekly Journaling Group for connection and clarity or for personal life/wellness coaching - email rosie@rosiebattista.com or text 908 872 8613 USING RITUAL TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE By Rosie Battista ROSIE BATTISTA
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