My typical morning centres around the school run. I drive in rush-hour city traffic and the journey takes twice, sometimes three times, than the distance actually calls for. People are busy. In a hurry. Liberal use of the car horn. You get the picture.
For a while I was simply in a bad mood during the trip. Then I reframed the whole experience. And rituals helped me do that.
This is what I do: I park 100 m from the school so I can walk my son to the front door. Most other parents join the slow-moving caravan to the gates, allowing the kids to jump out quickly during a momentary stop.
There is a set of stairs inside the main entrance. Every day, I watch my son climbing those stairs. He turns at the top and waves. I wave back.
That’s the best moment of my day.
Though I’ve just spent significant time in city rush-hour traffic I’m hugely fortunate that my son’s school is located near the natural park that overlooks Barcelona. After the wave I drive a further two minutes before going for a walk or run with my dog.
And we have our rituals too.
There is a less frequented path we often climb up. In a peaceful, secluded part of the forest there is a fallen tree trunk that makes for a perfect bench. I’ll often sit there and have a coffee, listening to the distant sounds of the city, but immersing myself in the much louder sounds of nature that surround me in the forest.
Below is the photo I took this morning while drinking my coffee. You will note the city-scape and Mediterranean sea in the distance through the trees.
Rituals are more than habits or behaviours. They are imbued with meaning and purpose. That wave with my son, and coffee sitting on the tree trunk, connect me with my family and with nature. They provide me with deep renewal.
Yes, they are examples of habits and routines. Yet much more.
The power of habit and routine comes from their automaticity. We can easily operate on auto-pilot, and we need that auto-pilot to save time and energy. To get on with our busy lives.
Rituals are characterised by higher levels of consciousness, presence and awareness. Rituals therefore, provide the necessary counterbalance to a busy world that encourages us to optimise every single second of time. They delineate a sacred space to keep us connected to the present moment.
Look in the transitions
So, where should you start to place rituals? I think transitions present a fantastic opportunity. Several of my coaching sessions in the past week or two have looked at the challenges of making the switch from a busy working day to be fully present with family. This can be especially hard when working from home.
What rituals can you implement when closing the laptop? or parking the car in your driveway? or opening the door and first talking to your family?
As well as the transition from work to non-work, or vice-versa, there is the transition from our waking day to sleep. Is there a pre-bed ritual that could work for you? Journaling perhaps? And again in the morning, the transition to a new day.
When bringing rituals to these spaces, we bring intentionality and awareness too. In a busy, always-on world that might be the greatest benefit of all.
Renew through Rituals
My typical morning centres around the school run. I drive in rush-hour city traffic and the journey takes twice, sometimes three times, than the distance actually calls for. People are busy. In a hurry. Liberal use of the car horn. You get the picture.
For a while I was simply in a bad mood during the trip. Then I reframed the whole experience. And rituals helped me do that.
This is what I do: I park 100 m from the school so I can walk my son to the front door. Most other parents join the slow-moving caravan to the gates, allowing the kids to jump out quickly during a momentary stop.
There is a set of stairs inside the main entrance. Every day, I watch my son climbing those stairs. He turns at the top and waves. I wave back.
That’s the best moment of my day.
Though I’ve just spent significant time in city rush-hour traffic I’m hugely fortunate that my son’s school is located near the natural park that overlooks Barcelona. After the wave I drive a further two minutes before going for a walk or run with my dog.
And we have our rituals too.
There is a less frequented path we often climb up. In a peaceful, secluded part of the forest there is a fallen tree trunk that makes for a perfect bench. I’ll often sit there and have a coffee, listening to the distant sounds of the city, but immersing myself in the much louder sounds of nature that surround me in the forest.
Below is the photo I took this morning while drinking my coffee. You will note the city-scape and Mediterranean sea in the distance through the trees.
Rituals are more than habits or behaviours. They are imbued with meaning and purpose. That wave with my son, and coffee sitting on the tree trunk, connect me with my family and with nature. They provide me with deep renewal.
Yes, they are examples of habits and routines. Yet much more.
The power of habit and routine comes from their automaticity. We can easily operate on auto-pilot, and we need that auto-pilot to save time and energy. To get on with our busy lives.
Rituals are characterised by higher levels of consciousness, presence and awareness. Rituals therefore, provide the necessary counterbalance to a busy world that encourages us to optimise every single second of time. They delineate a sacred space to keep us connected to the present moment.
Look in the transitions
So, where should you start to place rituals? I think transitions present a fantastic opportunity. Several of my coaching sessions in the past week or two have looked at the challenges of making the switch from a busy working day to be fully present with family. This can be especially hard when working from home.
What rituals can you implement when closing the laptop? or parking the car in your driveway? or opening the door and first talking to your family?
As well as the transition from work to non-work, or vice-versa, there is the transition from our waking day to sleep. Is there a pre-bed ritual that could work for you? Journaling perhaps? And again in the morning, the transition to a new day.
When bringing rituals to these spaces, we bring intentionality and awareness too. In a busy, always-on world that might be the greatest benefit of all.
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