Life can be monotonous at times. Today might look similar to yesterday — every day may look the same as always. Nonetheless, life being monotonous at times gives comfort. We expect things to work the same as they did yesterday, the other day, or maybe the other week. We are limiting ourselves to the risk of disappointment.
Rituals, routine, or whatever you want to call them, it’s what we do each day. The order of things, how we prioritize each task, and how we schedule every single thing to fit in the 24 hours of each day. It can also be the things we do before we perform a specific task, or before we go on a journey. It can be the things we do before we try something way out of our comfort, or before we do a nerve-wracking activity. All in all, rituals are done to have a sense of comfort.
The kind of comfort that we can’t find from other things, that for some odd reason we only get to feel that relief when we have tried and performed our ‘usual’ or the rituals.
Rituals give comfort
The repetitiveness provides a feeling of being in your safe space. An error for mistake is minimal because you already know what you are doing. And that feeling of certainty is comforting — for committing mistakes can be daunting most times.
Especially for people who like to be in control over every little thing, for people who are perfectionists, and for people who easily get anxious.
Having a sense of structure will make you feel more in control of everything. Things are predictable, everything is the same, this very reason is what’s making having a ritual less terrifying to face your day.
Rituals are great distractions
Many people suffer from social anxiety, it can be quite difficult for some to get out of their houses and be with people.
Moreover, there are also people who fear public speaking and experiencing stage fright. We can avoid these situations as much as we want to, but these situations are also inevitable. Sooner or later, you have to face your fear of speaking in front of a huge audience, you have to face your fear of being with other people.
Easier said than done.
However, because of the inevitability of these situations, the majority of people who experience these kinds of moments may have already formed a sense of security through time. This is where rituals will fall. In performing a task that can be stressful — like public speaking or performing, a ritual serves as a form of distraction.
The attention is being diverted to doing the ritual rather than focusing on worrying about the task. Some people do deep breathing, some are listening to music, and some pray before doing the things that they are scared to do.
Rituals help you focus
Many people may not notice this but sometimes we spend so much energy worrying about little things — the uncertainty of tomorrow, the stress that we may face, the things that are beyond our control. When there is a ritual, you will that you have a hold of the situation. We save so much energy instead of wasting it by worrying. You get to focus on the things that you really need attention too.
Rituals increase productivity
The structure that rituals create, gives us a better system. We get to do each task that we need to do in a day. Since we are also more focused on doing the important task, we get to finish everything that we are assigned to do in a day. May it be a “me” time, a house chore, an errand, or work.
Most of the time, I also get overwhelmed when there’s so much to do. However, with the help of planning and rituals, I get to feel more relieved than worried because I know I have a structure that is well thought of. The more task I get to finish, the more fulfilled I feel at the end of the day.
Rituals are really helpful
See, even though life may seem monotonous at times because of the routines and rituals we’ve built, there are still the positive effects that it brings to our lives. If you have your own ritual that you like to perform at the beginning of the day, in the middle of the day, or by the end of the day, continue it. As long as it does not affect your day-to-day life negatively, there’s nothing to worry about.
Rituals have been present for hundreds of years now, so if it helps you gain courage in facing the crowd, doing a dare, trying new things — like speaking in front of a huge audience, or whatever fear and worry you may have, then there is nothing wrong with it. For rituals make us grounded. It makes us feel safe. It provides a sense of security. And lastly, rituals make us present.
