The Life-Altering Magic of Daily Rituals for Wellbeing 

From daily meditation, prayer or chanting to a coffee mug with personal significance, rituals connect us to ourselves, our sense of transcendence and meaning to our Oasis Life community. Read on for easy ways to add stability, positivity and love to your day.

Habit or Ritual: What’s the difference?

Both habits and rituals involve repetitive actions undertaken on a regular basis and both can involve actions or items that may otherwise seem mundane. So what differentiates one from the other? The answer to that question is the ingredient which makes all the difference: Our own approach. Where habits can be done without thinking, rituals are deliberate, mindful and imbued with meaning. “At heart, rituals are how we tell ourselves and others what we value,” says Casper ter Kuile, author of The Power of Ritual. “The most ordinary acts — a walk, a meal, a cup of tea — can become sacred when we imbue them with intentionality.”

The science is in: How rituals really do work

Discover soulful strategies for better health, mental strength, social bonding and emotional wellbeing at Oasis Life. 

• Rituals boost our focus and flow
  Studies show that consciously aligning a repeated action with a meaningful intention helps us switch mental states and activates the brain’s reward and attention circuits, thus fostering flow states and reducing decision fatigue.
• Rituals enhance our overall clarity, happiness and creativity
  Ever felt as if the positive effects of a mindful practice like journaling, stretching, conscious breathing or meditation expands into the rest of your life? That’s because it does. Scientific studies have found that people who regularly participate in these kinds of rituals have reduced density of the amygdala (the brain’s fear centre) and increased cortical thickness in the prefrontal cortex, which is linked to greater concentration and emotional regulation.
• Rituals enhance our feeling of place and belonging
  Shared rituals connect us to community, faith and balance, whether they revolve around a spiritual belief, a purpose or simply being in nature. This profound sense of grounding and sharing is especially important in our age of division, distraction and stress. And, as Dimitris Xygalatas notes, ritualised group experiences are cognitively as well as emotionally supportive — “So much so that rituals which increase a sense of belonging and transcendence actually activate the brain regions linked to meaning and social connection.”
• Rituals elevate the everyday
  Rituals enhance everyday moments with wonderfully positive results. Toasting before we drink, for example, doesn’t make a drink more delicious, but it does enhance the flavour of the whole experience, from the sentiment of the pledge to details like clinking glasses and looking someone in the eye. Similarly, a simple meal feels more special when it’s served on a plate that’s connected to a precious person, place or experience.

• Rituals reduce anxiety
  The uplifting effect of rituals can apply to almost any high-pressure situation. In one study, for example, two groups of participants were asked to perform a song for a bunch of strangers. The first group was given a pre-performance ritual. The second received instructions about their performance and was left to sit quietly. “Participants who completed the ritual sang better and experienced less anxiety than those who hadn’t,” says Francesca Gino, co-author of the study.
• Rituals mark the passage of time
  Personal, social and religious rituals define significant beginnings and endings and they can be customised to your life — for example, celebrating the end of a demanding project with an ice-cream sundae, spritzing a new home with specially chosen fragrances or honouring a friend’s achievement.
• Rituals boost confidence
  “From job interviews and presentations to first dates, pre-event rituals help us feel more grounded, focused and in control before high-anxiety tasks,” says Gino. Some examples: Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal enacts 19 rituals before matches and repeats a ritualistic sequence before every serve. “It’s a way of ordering my surroundings to match the order I seek in my head,” he says. Speaker Tony Robbins uses a range of rituals including bouncing on a trampoline before he takes to the stage.
• Rituals help us process painful situations
  “Even simple rituals can be extremely effective when it comes to grief and loss,” says Gino. “End-of-life rituals, for example, can create stronger connections between the dying and their loved ones, with one study showing lower grief for participants who performed personal rituals like regularly washing the car of the deceased or writing about the end of a relationship.”

Ritual as a way to come home to yourself

A ritual can be as simple as stretching with intention or taking three deep breaths before a meeting or event. What matters most is not what you do, but how you do it. In a world that prizes speed and multi-tasking, a daily ritual is a way to prize ourselves.

5 Simple ways to add rituals to your day

“Rituals can look different for every person,” says author Mason Currey. For some, they involve spiritual or religious practices like prayer or chanting. For others, their usual actions are amplified by appreciation and intention, such as watching the sunrise every morning. “Introduce new activities into your life or reimagine current ones. Whatever your choice, maintain a sense of reverence, don’t rush and be present,” advises Michael Norton, behavioural scientist and author of The Ritual Effect.

1. Drink morning coffee in silence
   Enjoying morning coffee or tea without screens or distractions helps ground the day in intentionality and calm. It’s also a great form of self-care, as mindful eating and drinking have been shown to reduce stress levels in general. To enhance the experience, choose a mug with lovely personal associations, add a prayer or mantra and read or listen to something uplifting, whether that’s a talk or a piece of music.
2. Journal for five minutes
   Studies have shown that expressive writing improves immune function, reduces stress hormones, and supports mental health and optimism. That’s a brilliant pay-off for the simple exercise of setting aside a little time to write down your thoughts, gratitudes or intentions.

1. Get in touch with nature — literally
   Putting our hands in soil, watering a plant or walking barefoot in grass for a few moments every day can yield incredible effects, including lowering blood pressure, measurably reducing stress and activating the Vagus nerve, which reduces inflammation, anxiety and depression. Oasis Life estates are beautifully landscaped with footpaths set alongside indigenous fynbos to promote connection with nature and to enhance tranquility.
2. Light a candle at sunset
   Marking the end of the day and pausing to reflect or give thanks in this way enhances emotional wellbeing and promotes better sleep, with research showing that evening rituals signal the brain to begin melatonin production, thus improving the circadian rhythm and promoting deeper rest.
3. Try the Three Good Things Practice
   This simple but powerful ritual benefits mind, body and spirit: Every night, think of three good things that happened to you during the day. Write them down in a dedicated notebook. Spend at least a minute reflecting on how each one felt and say thank you. In addition to cultivating positivity and supporting restful sleep, a regular gratitude practice has been shown to improve wellbeing and reduce symptoms of depression.

4 Guidelines to follow as you follow your bliss

• – Rituals don’t have to be daily and can relate to astrological or calendar-based events, like the full moon or solstice. You’ll find free resources, guided meditations and more on YouTube.
• – Experiment and have fun. There are no rules for rituals, and what works one day might not work on another. A ritual is a path, not a destination.
• – Don’t worry about other people’s opinions and don’t disclose your rituals if you think you’ll be misunderstood.
• – If your rituals feel weird, you’re in good company. Igor Stravinsky did headstands before composing. Maya Angelou rented a motel room, removed distractions including pictures and TV sets and began writing at 7am sharp, armed with a bottle of sherry, a deck of cards, her Thesaurus and her Bible. Beethoven counted out exactly 60 coffee beans for his morning brew before working until 2pm.