Routine and ritual can help us create healthy habits and turning those rituals into small, simple rituals makes it easier to stick with them. When we make things complicated or change feels too big, it’s easy to procrastinate or believe that we aren’t capable of change. That’s why we have to make change simple and small … tiny even.
3 Simple Rituals To Help You Let Go
Letting go of your stuff or other things that weigh you down and hold you back can take a long time. It can be a stressful process but the following simple rituals will help you let go with more ease for a happier life. These 3 simple rituals will let you experiment with something new without getting overwhelmed.
1. Make a daily gratitude list.
Name the things you are grateful for on a daily basis. This allows you to give more attention to what you have instead of what you lack. I often notice that when I am actively paying attention to a few things I’m grateful for that I need less than I think to feel happy. That makes it easier when it is time to let go. We often make this simple ritual more complicated by thinking we need to have the right journal or list a certain number of things or do it a way that feels unapproachable. Instead, keep it small. Only list 1-3 things and on the days when you can’t think of anything, repeat items you’ve listed before. Who says you can’t be grateful for the same thing day after day?
2. Share love.
This is similar to a gratitude list but you are magnifying your love and gratitude by sharing it with someone else. Make this simple ritual small enough that you can do it every day. Some ways to share your love might include sending a short message to a family member to simply say, “I love you.” or “I’m glad you are in my life.” You might resist because you haven’t reached out in awhile and think you have to start with a long call or detailed email but a 3-word message is easy enough to do and can go a long way. If 3 words feels like too much, start with a heart emoji. Don’t discount the power of making your simple rituals as accessible as possible. As you get consistent with your love notes and sharing love in other ways (email your favorite author, leave a big tip after a dinner out, or Venmo a friend coffee money), you will feel more loving and loved making it easier to let go of things that aren’t serving you, that aren’t loving and that you don’t really want in your life anymore.
3. Connect your mind to your body.
Reinforce your mind-body connection with simple rituals. The more connected you are to yourself, the more you will trust yourself to know when it’s time to hold on or let go of something. Therapist, Rachel Shanken from MindBodyWise suggests a mind-body scan. She says, “Pause to notice what you’re feeling in your body. I like to scan starting with my toes and moving all the way up, part by part and tuning in. No need to judge what you notice. No need to change anything. Just noticing is hugely calming for your whole system.” Make this a simple ritual by setting a 3-5 minute timer for the whole scan. If it feels good, you can do it longer later but for now, keep it small.
Close the gap between inspiration and action
If one of these simple rituals sounds interesting to you, close the gap between inspiration and action and put it on your calendar or make it so tiny that you can start right now. Even with a busy day, there is a small step you can take to get one of these simple rituals off the ground.
For instance, if you are reading this on your phone, make your gratitude list in a notes app instead of trying to find a pen and write it down. While you on your digital device, you can send a loving emoji to someone on your mind right now. And finally, if you want to start with number 3 and try a mind-body scan, close your digital device and give a 3-minute scan a try. Allow these rituals to bring you back to yourself, to hold on to what matters and let go of the rest. You’ve got this!
P.S. Join me for the free Tiny Step Simplicity Challenge starting this week!