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During times of transition and uncertainty, it’s especially important that we stay grounded and maintain perspective daily, that we remember it’s up to us to create the kind of world we want to live in and the kind of life we want to lead.

These are excellent times to start engaging in small, sustainable rituals of self-care to help us stay centered and be the best we can be, both to ourselves and to the world.

I recommend cultivating a ritual you think you can sustain for one month. Think of it as a test run. Some ideas are:

• Consciously engaging with the outside world. Commit to not checking anything on your phone or computer until you have gotten out of bed. Maybe add to that, not until you have used the restroom, had a glass of water, or taken note of three things for which you are grateful.

• Lighting a candle. Commit to lighting a candle around the same time each day and stopping to breathe deeply and/or meditate in front of it for only one minute. If you achieve this (almost) every day of the month and like it, consider doing it for two minutes each day the following month.

• Consciously closing out the day. Commit to sitting in a chair for one minute to breathe and/or meditate just before slipping into bed. As you breathe, you can visualize all the things that took place during the day going down a hollow tube into the center of the earth. Then, envision golden light coming from above, entering your crown, and filling your body up from toe to head.

Once you engage in these very small self-care rituals for a month or so, they will begin to become automatic. You may choose to try a different one or maybe expand the one you have cultivated (e.g., extend the amount of time, light incense or a candle, or ring a bell). The more your ritual appeals to your senses, the more your subconscious mind will register it as a moment of self-care or relaxation. That said, I recommend taking baby steps and not committing to too much too soon. Over time, you will start to cherish these moments and see how valuable they are to your ability to remain centered and grounded.

As we move closer to this year’s end and next year’s beginning, let’s commit to taking time to shut out the noise and listen to our intuition. Let’s commit to taking those deep breaths, leaning into the season’s changes, and trusting that the universe has our backs.

Do you have any small, sustainable rituals of self-care to share? The more ideas the better! Please let us know in the comments section below!

Much light,

Tim