Navigating Through Tough Times
There are times when we go through emotional storms and tough times in our life. Whether it is the pain of losing a loved one; anxiety about our future; experiencing a break-up, divorce, illness, or accident, these can cause emotional turmoil and pain. We have all experienced ups and downs in life, unexpected events, life-threatening situations, and uncertainty which not only lead to an immense emotional upheaval but can also cause anxiety and anger. We go through tough times in our lives at times and one of the most underestimated and often overlooked tools to navigate through these is with the help of ‘Rituals’. To simply define, a ritual is a series of actions performed in a specific way. People engage in rituals with the intention of achieving a wide set of desired outcomes, from reducing their anxiety to boosting their confidence, alleviating their grief to performing well in a competition. Whatever may be the purpose of following a ritual, the outcome is to give you the inner strength to sail through difficult times and emotions associated with them.
Rituals can take various shapes and forms and they bring about a certain degree of predictability to an uncertain future. Research suggests that even simple rituals can be extremely effective, and they can have an impact on people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Rituals have stress-busting qualities and have a positive effect on our well-being. They can help us in gaining nourishment, stability, security, power, and growth. They help us with our heavy emotions by easing pain, creating a space for growth, and forming connections between our inner and outer world. They give us the power to sail through the rough seas.
Rituals are meant to ease our stress and not add on to it, so it becomes extremely important to do them right! To begin with, focus only on one positive change at a time and go slow with implementing a new ritual. Keep your rituals small and simple initially till you are able to get the hang of it. Always remember that consistency is the key so do not miss your ritual even for a single day, although it may always seem as a tempting choice. It is also important to identify what works for you and what does not. Explore different options that might work for you better. The most important part of creating your ritual is the purpose behind it. Whatever may be the reason, it must resonate with you.
With your creativity and consistency, you can turn any action into a ritual that resonates with you and connects with your inner self. Wondering what some of your powerful rituals can be? Waking up at 5 am, writing in your journal, lighting a candle, practicing meditation, saluting the rising sun or watching the sunset, singing or listening to your favourite song, gifting flowers to yourself or someone else, keeping a gratitude jar, having a special Sunday breakfast with your family, going on a nature walk, five minutes of family cuddle time, baking together with your child every Friday, wearing your favourite colour on a certain day of the week, this list can be endless and can go on and on. The key is all about how you connect with the ritual that you follow and the impact that it has on you- how do you feel after following it. Does it give you the much-needed strength to navigate through the chaos you are going through?
In times of crisis, let us construct our lifeline by identifying and practicing the rituals that can have a healing effect on us. Let’s use our creativity and come up with our own healing rituals today. Experience the effect and power of this amazing practice and heal your life. Design your own toolkit of one, two, three or as many rituals as you would like to inculcate in your daily regimen comfortably, and triumph over any adversity that you may face.