Habits are the building blocks for your rituals, which, if practiced daily, will ultimately determine how you spend your time and create your life.

There is relief in rituals. Practicing your daily rituals can positively lower your stress levels while improving your mental health. That’s because predictable and repetitive routines can reduce anxiety, according to research gathered by Tel Aviv University for Science Daily.

If establishing better habits and not falling back into old ones is an intention you’ve set for yourself this year, then focus on the behavior, not the outcome. According to author James Clear, seeking a result, not a ritual, is a common mistake that can cause new habits to fail. “New goals don’t deliver new results. New lifestyles do. And a lifestyle is not an outcome, it is a process. For this reason, all of your energy should go into building better rituals, not chasing better results.”

What better habits could you build?

Some better habits you can build for yourself and incorporate into your daily rituals include:

• Drinking 16oz of lime water
• Practicing yoga for 30 minutes
• Walking or running for 1 mile – preferably outside in nature
• Reflective meditation for 20 minutes
• Reciting affirmations three times a day

Building Better Habits for Your Daily Rituals

So now you know the importance of building better habits for your daily rituals; here’s how you can build them in five ways:

1. Set an intention behind the ritual.   
An intention is your reason behind the change you want to make. It’s more effective if every new habit you work on has a specific purpose: to keep you motivated and add value to your life. An example of an intention can be making more time for meditation to focus better on my work or eating more plant-based foods to feel my best and have more energy.

2. Center the ritual you want to build around your wellbeing.
When building better habits that benefit your wellbeing, make sure you choose a habit for your physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental self-care. For example, having a workout routine is caring for your physical self. Spending time in prayer is a way to practice spiritual self-care. Taking several deep breaths is an excellent exercise for your emotional self-care. Journaling for 10 minutes is a way you can better care for yourself mentally.

3. Start with something small.
I’m sure you’ve seen this quote before, “Small Steps, Big Results.” This slogan is the key to consistency and long-term success. It’s better to break down a big goal into smaller habits that make it easier to achieve and longer to sustain. There’s no need to put a lot of pressure to go big or all in. It’s more effective to start by meditating for five minutes. Then over time and with consistent practice, move up to that 20 minutes goal by adding five-minute increments at a time.

4. Make habits stick through “Habit Stacking”.
In the book, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, James Clear says, “One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top.” He termed this “Habit-Stacking,” which is the combining of two habits into one, making it easier for you to build a better habit by taking advantage of an old one. For example, drink 16-32 oz. of water while reading in the morning. The idea is to make the new habit easier or more enjoyable by combining it with another habit you currently have.

5. Keep track of your rituals.
Holding yourself accountable will help keep you on track when building better rituals. Track your progress by journaling how you feel after practicing that ritual in a photo diary for visual motivation. Find a friend to help hold you accountable and with whom you can discuss your goals. Plan to reward yourself with a special gift or treat. Something you can look forward to once you reach your goal or milestone.

I hope these five ways of building better habits for your daily rituals make the intentions you’ve set less overwhelming. Just remember to start small and track your progress. Know that you are worthy of the better life and wellbeing you want for yourself.

You got this!

And if you want to become consistent, and bring to life the ideal lifestyle and health you are visualizing, join me, and others who are also working towards building better habits in the Get Loved Up 10-Day Challenge.

Recommended Reading: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones