Creating Healthy Rituals that Motivate Us

We all are looking forward to the Covid vaccines on the horizon, and returning to those feel-good things like outings to restaurants, shopping and fun get-aways. Until they are widely available and provided, we must create new healthy rituals. Here are some ways in which to do that.

Creating rituals motivates us, shifts our mood, and helps us to accomplish our goals and bring new energy to a moment, task, or event in our day. We can make rituals out of the simplest task like a morning coffee or making dinner.

Creating any ritual involves 3 things:

1. Intention: Your thoughts or feelings when thinking about an action.
2. Attention: What are you focusing on?
3. Repetition: An action that you carry out on a regular basis, usually at a particular time of day, and as part of a recurring activity sequence.

Here are a few healthy suggestions…

Morning ritual – Brew the perfect cup of coffee or tea to start your day. A brisk walk, yoga flow or a workout get those endorphins working. Some upbeat tunes also help start the day.

Mid-day mindfulness ritual – sit on a cushion or lay down, focus on your breathing, and listen to some soothing music with your eyes closed for a few minutes. Nature sounds can be very relaxing as can the humming of a steady note.

Bath time ritual – Dissolve some Epsom salts with a few drops of essential oils in a warm bath. Turn off the lights and light some candles. Close your eyes…but don’t fall asleep! Or leave the lights on and read a good book.

Dinner prep ritual – Play some music, light a candle, and have a kitchen dance party.

Bedtime ritual – Wind down with a book after applying your favourite skin cleaning oil or put some lavender essential oil in a diffuser. For minor sleeping disorders, taking melatonin can help you get a restful night’s sleep. Or some romance helps you fall into a relaxed slumber.

Look for these items to help you:

• All Rescue Remedy products
• Sisu L-Theanine which helps the body deal with stress, anxiety & sleep issues
• Sisu Magnesium Powder – A delicious hot drink that contains L-Theanine (as above) and Gaba which is a mood enhancer.
• Sisu Sweet Dreams – Melatonin – A naturally occurring hormone in the human body that helps with circadian rhythms.
• 5HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) – The feeling is much like how eating turkey dinner feels. Just not as delicious.

At Howe Sound Pharmacy we are committed to helping each of our neighbours and friends with healthy solutions to achieve their lifetime goals.