5 Daily Rituals That Will Improve Your Health and Your Life

"The human soul can always use a new tradition. Sometimes we require them." 

~Pat Conroy~

I have daily rituals that help me think clear, improve my health and reduce stress. I'm betting that you have daily rituals too. The word ritual is usually associated to religious practices and ceremonies. But I promise that I'm not going to go there.

I'm more interested in the practical definition of ritual: A detailed method of procedure faithfully or regularly followed.

Daily rituals are powerful because over time they become deep-seeded habits. Do you wash your hands before you eat? Do you even have to think about it? You've probably practiced the ritual of washing your hands before you eat so many times that you now do it automatically with little thought. It is a habit.

The cool thing is that you can create new daily rituals and therefore new habits. You can also get rid of destructive rituals and habits.


A resource for you to check out is the book, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. I've read the book and found it to be a useful tool for understanding and changing habits. Here's a video from Charles explaining how to break a habit.




You can also checkout this flowchart explaining how to break a habit and this flowchart explaining how to make a habit.

Establishing a new habit is the act of creating a new daily ritual that you practice over and over again. For better or worse, eventually you have a habit. Let's look at 5 Daily Rituals you can start today to create powerful habits that will lead to health, clean energy and reduced stress levels.

5 Daily Rituals for Health, Vitality and Longevity
1. How you start your day is a major influence on the rest of your day. One daily ritual that I've found increases my energy and helps wake me up is to drink a tall glass of cold water as soon as I wake up. 

I've found that drinking a glass of cold water first thing in the morning wakes up my mind, increases my energy, helps with digestion and ensures my body is getting all the benefits of drinking water.

Instead of running straight to the coffee pot in the morning to get a shot of caffeine have a glass of water. Soon you'll wake up reaching for your water glass without thinking about it and you'll be enjoying all the health benefits this new habit brings. I'm not suggesting you skip your coffee. Just make sure to have some fresh water first.

2. Another ritual to practice first thing in the morning is to show gratitude. I keep a gratitude list in my journal. Usually my journal is on my nightstand and I can grab it as I go out to the kitchen for my glass of water.

There's no set number of things you have to write down. All you need to do is write one thing in your journal that you're thankful for. It could be as simple as being thankful that you woke up today.

I used to believe that I could just think about things I'm grateful for and that would be good enough. But the truth is that there is something more significant about actually writing these things down.

I've not made this an actual habit, yet. I have to make a conscious effort to write my gratitude list every morning. But taking that time in the morning to concentrate on what I'm grateful and happy about puts me in a more productive state of mind for the rest of the day. I also find that I appreciate my life more and it helps me realize that I'm surrounded by abundance.

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” 

~Oprah Winfrey~

Sorry to sound a little new age with this gratitude stuff but I believe that I have to tell my mind what to focus on or else it finds things on its own... and what it finds is not always good. A cool site to checkout is Gratitude Log which is coined as "The Happiest Place on the Internet."

3. Get outside in the afternoon for a walk and some Vitamin D. This might sound crazy but I think you would actually do your body, mind and spirit more good by skipping lunch and taking a walk outside with fresh air and sunshine.

Lunch is one of those meals during the day that I feel is more of a ritual then it is a necessity. Do you have to eat lunch? I'm not convinced that you do.

If I follow my regular schedule of eating a high protein and fat breakfast I find that I'm usually not hungry until late afternoon around 5 o'clock. If I'm staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water my energy levels actually improve as the day progresses and I might even make it until 6pm, or later, before I'm actually hungry.

I hear from a lot of people that they feel sluggish after lunch. They might even need a nap! This is especially true for people who eat the typical sub sandwich for lunch with a bag of chips and a cola on the side.

Lunch or no lunch one thing is certain, we sit too much. I also think that most of us don't get enough natural Vitamin D from sunlight. Usually you're inside eating lunch during the part of the day where you can get the most Vitamin D from the sun.

I encourage you to try a new daily ritual. Get outside at lunch time. Take a walk. If you want to eat something take an apple or a handful of nuts with you along with a water bottle. I promise you it will be the best lunch ever and you'll have more energy for the second half of your day.

Bonus points if you grab a friend and have fun talking as you take your walk. Of course, everyone is different so test it out and see if it's right for you.

4. Practice mastery in an endeavor outside your normal work and obligations. I've had the goal to learn to play guitar for a while. I've dabbled and picked up some chords but I haven't really dedicated myself to practicing a little each day.

When I was practicing on a regular basis I felt a calm and presence that is hard to come by during "normal" daily activities. I get this same type of feeling playing sports or going to the gym. It comes from having a clear mind and focusing on one objective.


Think about something you've wanted to learn and go do it. It's exciting to learn new things and to become good at them. To learn more about practising mastery I encourage you to read Mastery by George Leonard.

"How do you best move toward mastery? To put it simply, you practice diligently, but you practice primarily for the sake of the practice itself." 

~George Leonard~

5. Turn off your phone, computer, laptop, tablet and TV at least 90 minutes before bed. This is another ritual that has been hard for me but I'm persisting.

When I practice the no screens before bed ritual I find that my body naturally winds down and I get sleepy. If I'm on the computer or reading on my phone my mind starts going and I could stay up until 2 am. This leads to not getting enough quality sleep and the next day my energy and productivity suffers.

Instead of staring at a screen that two hours before bed you could practice mastery in your new subject from ritual number four. You could spend that time reading a new book or writing in your journal. It could be a great opportunity to spend time with your family and loved ones. The possibilities are endless.

Good sleep is so important to our overall health and well-being that it deserves serious attention. Here's a great article from Mark Sisson on how light can impact your sleep.

"Blue light regulates our secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Exposed to blue light, we limit the production of melatonin, and we stay alert and awake; in the absence of blue light, melatonin production ramps up, and we get sleepy." Mark Sisson

Turn off those screens and immerse yourself in something "offline." Disconnect and let your mind wind down naturally. Sometimes deadlines and obligations get the best of us and we have to burn the midnight oil. But if you're able to make this ritual part of your normal day to day life it will pay dividends.

5.5. Here's a quick bonus ritual that you might want to try. Meditate or practice positive visualization for at least 5 minutes a day. It doesn't matter what part of the day you do this as long as you do it for at least five minutes every day.

I like to visualize the goals I have and picture what it will be like to achieve them. It's actually a lot of fun trying to see how bright and clear you can make the pictures in your mind. Take this five minutes and do some deep breathing as well.

Sometimes I find myself taking shallow breaths. This is especially true when I'm stressed out. Taking deep, mindful breaths can relieve stress, increase energy and boost your immune system. Check out this clip from NPR.

Going forward be mindful of the daily rituals that are part of your life. Have you consciously chosen these daily rituals? Do you have habits that have chosen you that you would like to change? It all starts with recognizing our current daily rituals and deciding which ones to keep and which ones to get rid of.

Make sure to share these ideas with your friends. Good ideas and good health are worth sharing.

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7 Ways to Adjust Your Mindset about Money

Think about the fact that the currency we exchange is nothing more than printed paper. It doesn't really have any value at all except the value that’s been assigned to it. Why would we want to measure our personal worth against printed paper that has no value? And yet, this is the mindset that millions of people have adopted.

Look at the effect money has on the way we view ourselves. To some degree, our sense of self-worth and security tends to rise and fall with our income. And regardless of how we reason on it intellectually, the truth is, we all have an emotional connection with money because we always feel better when finances are not an issue.

Let’s adjust the picture a little
Imagine if the whole value exchange system had been built on something like strips of red ribbon. “Oh, I've got more red ribbon than you so that means that I am a more valuable person.” The whole concept is so absurd, it’s laughable. And yet, in reality, a strip of ribbon is probably worth more than a dollar bill.

A long time ago, currency was intended to represent a commodity like gold or silver, but is that still the case? No! There is no commodity to back it up – they just print up currency and put it into circulation. And because most people still hold a commodity based mindset about money, the whole economic picture is just an illusion. But it’s a picture that we are all involved in, so what can we do?

Obviously, we need some financial security in our lives. Sadly, the way we've been programmed to attract money is probably not the best way to satisfy that need. Let’s go over several false notions about the almighty dollar and its place in our lives, and consider some alternative approaches.

How we are conditioned to think and feel about money
From early childhood we are told that money makes the world go around. As a little kid we might have looked at our parents and said, “Can I have a dollar?” Then, if they asked why we would reply, “I need it to get one of these.” So right away, we learn to recognize that everything we want in life has a price tag on it. From that point on our mindset is that to get anything in life requires money.

As we get older we start to link our worth with our hourly wage. As a result of this emotional link, our sense of personal value gets all wrapped up in what we are able to earn per hour. Notice how this conditioning process unfolded. Initially, money had value because it represented what we could buy with it. But then, it took on a personality of its own.

On an emotional level money is linked to pain and pleasure
We all need money so we can pay the rent and put food on the table. The need is real and without adequate finances things can get very uncomfortable. This adds another dimension to our mindset about money. Now, lack of money equals pain and having money equals pleasure. Is it any wonder that it is almost impossible to avoid forming an emotional attachment with that worthless printed paper?

What happens to our emotional stability when the economy is floundering and personal assets start evaporating? Our sense of security can easily turn into panic and leave us wondering how in the world we are going to cope. That’s a lot of leverage for paper with no intrinsic value.

How can we avoid the emotional roller-coaster?
Independent of the economy or our personal financial status, a balanced perspective can go a long way toward neutralizing the emotional influence of money. Maintaining the right mindset will not only help us to get through tough financial times, it will also help us prosper in the future.

Let’s try looking at this whole monetary issue with a more empowering mindset. We can do this by ignoring the negative press and addressing our personal relationship with money.

7 ways to adjust your mindset about money

1. Don’t entrust your finances to others. Financial management tools are informative, but it is also important to have faith in your own ideas and take control of your financial future. Investments are often not as secure as acting on your own productive ideas. If you come up with a sound business idea, create a business plan and act on it promptly. Don’t allow limiting beliefs about your abilities to create income stifle your creativity.

2. Dare to operate from abundance instead of scarcity. Giving is a powerful way to attract what you need, and generosity opens the flow of abundance. I'm not saying you should give away your last dollar. But a mindset based on hoarding is a sure way to create scarcity. Remember, there are many ways to give outside the realm of finances. Could you give of your time or experience to help others?

3. Don’t put off enjoying your life and your resources. Planning for your retirement is not as powerful as living in the present with an awareness of your future. Putting enjoyment off until a future time is like pushing away your current prosperity. When you delay enjoying your life until your circumstances improve, you actually do yourself a grave disservice. A  mindset built on postponement links your emotional happiness to your financial future.

4. Don’t expect money to solve all your problems. Money is not the path to happiness or fulfilment and maintaining this emotional separation is vital for a happy life. Money will not make your life feel more meaningful, or improve your relationships. Always remember that money only solves financial problems!

5. Let go of limiting financial beliefs. A belief such as, “money is the root of all evil” will only block your prosperity. There is no shame in a modest lifestyle, but there is also nothing noble about lacking money or anything else. Holding a mindset that allows you to be respectful of, but emotionally detached from money will help you make better decisions in every area of life.

6. Don’t be afraid to chart your own path. Scarcity is mostly a matter of mindset and so is abundance. Human creativity can solve any financial problem and find ways to profit along the way. If you can block out the negative feedback and learn to think and act differently than the struggling masses, you may be astonished at what you can accomplish.

7. Spend some money on things that make you feel good. Practical spending is valuable and prudent, but you also deserve to enjoy some of the fruits of your labour. When you buy something that helps you feel good, you encourage a positive emotional response to money and feed your abundance mindset. When you feel better about yourself, you naturally tend to be more productive.

Never allow yourself to be a slave to finances
An obsessive view of money can foster unhealthy responses like greed and dishonesty. This can be true whether a person has a lot or a little. When money has that kind of power in a person’s life, they become its slave.

When we have the mindset that money is just a tool, and avoid forming an emotional attachment to it, we are in control. Remember, it’s just printed paper with no intrinsic value whatsoever. You, on the other hand, are extremely valuable. The more you actively share your unique value with the world, the greater your sense of self-worth and abundance will become.

Do you view income as emotionally influential?
Does your sense of self-worth fluctuate with your finances?
The lines are open!


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Want To Be Happier? 10 Questions To Ask Yourself Right Now

How to boost your mood, STAT.

Think fast: Are you happy? If not, there’s some good news: According to Elizabeth R. Lombardo PhD, happiness—just like a new sport—is a skill that can be mastered. The author of Better Than Perfect: 7 Strategies to Crush Your Inner Critic and Create a Life You Love and TEDxTalk presenter shares her 10 (quick!) check-ins that can help you flex your happiness muscle. Ask yourself these questions today and walk away with long-lasting, mood-boosting strategies and a new POV, just in time for the weekend. (Good timing, no?)





What do I admire in others?
What you admire in others is an indication of what you value in yourself. When you apply your values into your life, the result is greater happiness.

How can I move more?
Exercise reduces stress hormones. And here’s the good news: There’s no need to go to the gym for an hour a day; any type of movement is beneficial. For an even greater mood boost, exercise outdoors in the fresh air.

Who do I care about?
So often, we put our relationships on the back burner so we can focus on work, but spending time with people (especially happy people) can help us experience more joy.

What do I appreciate?
Gratitude is one of the quickest and most effective ways of boosting your happiness. Take time to identify who and what you appreciate.

Do I want to be right or happy?
When you interact with others, do you focus more on being right or enjoying your time together? The latter will help you be happier.

Am I more motivated by fear or passion?
Fear entails judgement, focusing on what’s wrong, resentment, anger, guilt and shame. Passion, on the other hand, is based on optimism, empowerment, gratitude and a deep desire to focus on what you want to create to make things even better. Try to start each day and task from a place of passion rather than fear.

Am I a perfectionist?
Being a perfectionist can significantly deplete your happiness. While the motivation behind your mindset is positive (to achieve excellence), perfectionism is riddled with harsh judgment for yourself and others.

Do I positively impact others?
When you volunteer, or even just hold the door open for someone, you feel a sense of connection and contribution. The key is not to go overboard by focusing only on other people’s needs and failing to address your own.

How can I incorporate more quality down time?
An important part of being happy is taking time to decompress. And this doesn’t mean you spend an hour each night on Facebook. Meditation is a great way to calm your mind as is getting quality sleep.

Where am I directing my focus?
So often, we are focusing on the past in a state of regret or worrying about the future, both of which can deplete our happiness levels. Try being more present. And when you do think about the past, forgive what took place and use tough experiences as learning opportunities. When thinking about the future, focus on what you want to have happen.

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