Small Rituals Big Difference

“I feel horrible for 10 days before my period and have really low energy for 5 days during my period. Then it takes me 5 another days to recover. So I really only feel good for about 10 days in a month.” A girlfriend once said this to me, half seriously and half jokingly, over a cup of tea. But she’s not unique.

Many women feel the same way: at their best only a third of the time, and the other two-thirds basically beaten up by PMS, fatigue, mood swings, or other merciless monsters.

What a rotten deal! If we were smart, and if we could, we’d walk away from such a terrible bargain wouldn’t we?

Well I did. Since I took PMS into my own hands, my life has changed for the better. I used to have chronic fatigue, and now I feel energetic most of the time. PMS moods used to rule my life, and now I show them that I’m the boss. Not only that, I also feel more focused, fulfilled, optimistic and happy about my life in general.

And you can, too.

What have made a big difference for me are certain small rituals I’ve incorporated into my life.

Here are a few examples of my current weekly or daily rituals:

• I meditate every morning for 30-45 minutes;
• I go to a belly dancing class on Tuesdays, do yoga at home on Mondays and Wednesdays, play golf on Saturdays, and go hiking on Sundays;
• I take a 10-minute walk twice a day: after lunch, and again at about 3pm;
• I take a handful of nuts or some fruit at midmornings and at mid-afternoons;
• And I take calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin B-6 and fish oil supplements twice a day.

My current rituals have helped me tremendously in managing my energy and moods, and they’ve led to a healthier and more balanced life.

As I’ve made them a part of my routines, they become effortless and do not require much help from my will or discipline. So I’m now ready to add a few more new rituals in my life, including:

• Review my goals after meditation before starting my day;
• Reflect on my day before going to bed;
• Go joggling on the beach for 30 minutes on Thursdays;
• Go to bed before 11pm each night and wake by 6:30am;
• Take a five-minute break every hour to get up, stretch, and walk around;
• Take a hot and relaxing bath every Friday;
• And treat myself to a relaxing massage at the end of each month.

The truth is we all have our own rituals. Some are healthy and support us, and some are not so healthy and deplete us.

What are your current rituals? Do they nourish you and give you energy? If not, what are some of new rituals you’d like to bring into your life to change how you feel for the better?

I encourage you to take a moment to write down your current rituals and some new ones that you’d like to develop.

In my next post, I’ll share with you a few tips to make those new rituals a natural and automatic part of your day. Hey, if we’re truly creatures of habits, why not use them to our advantage. Don’t you agree?