Mindful micro rituals are small moments where you can pause, tend to your wellness, and reset your mind, body, and spirit. As much as it would be nice, you might not always have that extra hour in the morning, afternoon, or night to complete a full wellness routine. Instead, you can take a 5-minute break throughout your day whenever you need a reset.
Doing a little bit of something is always better than doing nothing at all, so make it a habit to take mini moments for yourself during your day. While you might tend to reach for your phone to doomscroll whenever you need a break, it’s typically distracting you more than anything and can suck you in longer than you intended, leading to decreased productivity levels.
How Can Mindful Micro Rituals Positively Impact Your Day?
Mindful micro rituals can help you to:
- Refocus
- Clear your mind
- Feel gratitude
- Boost your energy
- Reduce anxiety
- Increase feelings of happiness
- Increase productivity
- Calm your nervous system
Below are several ideas for mindful micro rituals that you can choose from to give you the reset you need. Choose a couple to try out or test them all to see which ones work best to give you a mental boost and dopamine hit.
Mini Meditation-
You might feel that if you can’t allocate 20 minutes to a meditation ritual, then you shouldn’t even bother, but that’s not the case. Pop in some headphones, close your eyes, and follow along to a 5-minute guided meditation whenever you need some inner peace.
Body Scan-
This type of meditation should only take a few minutes. Scan your body slowly from the top of your head down to your neck, shoulders, arms & torso, hips & glutes, down your thighs, knees, shins, and feet. Notice if there’s any tension you’re holding onto or if you feel relaxed. This quick exercise can help to ground you in your body and anchor you to the present moment.
Deep Breathing-
If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, breathe in for 4 counts, hold it for 4 counts, and then breathe out for 4 counts. Repeat this exercise 10 times. After a few breaths, you should begin to feel your nervous system calm down and your breathing deepen.
Stretch-
We hold a lot of tension in our bodies and store a lot of emotions as well. Release that pent-up energy by doing a quick body stretch. Begin with your neck, back, arms, hamstrings, quads, calves, etc. Put on your phone’s timer and hold each stretch for 15 seconds. Stretch for 5 or 10 minutes, or until you’ve hit every muscle group that you need to.
Cold Plunge-
If you’ve ever done a cold plunge before, then you know it’s a hell of a reset. If you have a cold plunge tub, jump in for 30 seconds to a minute, or if you don’t own a cold tub, end your shower with an icy blast of water for 30 seconds to a minute. Alternatively, if you aren’t yet ready for the above, fill a bowl with ice water—large enough for your face. Dunk your face in it, hold for 10 seconds, come back up for air, and repeat x2.
Hydrate-
When you feel brain fog begin to creep in, not being hydrated enough could be a reason. Whenever you need a quick reboot, drink 8oz of water to raise your hydration levels. If you’re not someone who drinks enough water, then buying yourself a cute water bottle or adding fruits or herbs like lemon, lime, oranges, mint, cucumber, or rosemary can make drinking water a more enjoyable spa-like experience.
Mindful Eating-
Have a healthy snack throughout your day, like fruit, veggies, or nuts, when you need a mindful micro ritual. Practice mindful eating by eating it slowly and focusing on the taste and texture. Stay off your phone during this mini exercise and be truly present in the moment.
Get Outside-
Humans weren’t made to be stuck inside all day staring at a computer screen, so it’s no wonder you get a little antsy after a certain number of hours. When you begin to notice your mental capacity fading, it’s probably time to get some fresh air.
When you have a break, head outside and go for a short walk. Preferably somewhere trees and flowers are visible. You should still aim to do this in winter if it’s not too cold, even for just a few minutes. If you can’t go outside for whatever reason, find a window with adequate sunlight that you can stare out of for a couple of minutes.
Brain Dump-
If your thoughts are racing and you need to regain your focus, grab 1 piece of paper and a pen. Write down whatever comes to mind first without censoring yourself. Write single-spaced until you hit the bottom of the page. This doesn’t need to be a good piece of writing, just a way for you to get your thoughts out of your head. After you’re finished, if you feel like it, you can rip up the paper and throw it out or keep it in a special journal if you know that no one will read it.
Aromatherapy-
A simple way to instantly reset your nervous system is to include aromatherapy in your mindful micro rituals lineup. Scents like lavender, vanilla, or jasmine can bring you an immediate sense of calm. You can use aromatherapy roll-ons to bring with you from place to place, or you can use a diffuser in your home to give your space a spa-like atmosphere. Scent can play a critical part in how we feel. It can invoke positive childhood memories or make you feel safe and at ease. Use the power of scent as a part of your mini daily rituals.
Reset your Space-
If you mentally need a reset, take a look around you. Does your space look cluttered and chaotic? It can be hard to have a clear mind when things are visually disorganized. Your mind will focus on what’s in front of it, so make it peaceful. Whether it’s your office space, car, or living room, spend even 5 minutes every day clearing it up.
Throw out any garbage, put papers in an organized pile, and make your bed. If you work all day on your computer, your desktop might become cluttered. Discard unneeded documents and organize things in folders to the best of your ability. Don’t become overwhelmed and think you need to reorganize your life; just 5 minutes a day resetting your space is all you need to bring you mental clarity.
Set the Mood-
Small tweaks in your space can make all the difference. If you’re at home, you can:
- Light a candle
- Light incense
- Dim the lights
- Plug in your diffuser
- Play calming music
If you want to be serene on the inside, create an atmosphere of tranquility in your home by doing one or several of these simple mood-setting tips.
Single-Tasking-
As much as you may think you’re a great multitasker, and maybe you are, having too many tabs open at once can cause chaos in your mind. Maybe it’s not realistic all day, but spend at least a chunk of your day focusing only on one thing at a time.
Gratitude-
Taking a few minutes every day to either write out or think about 3-5 things that you’re grateful for can completely and positively alter your mindset. You might often be focused on what’s going wrong in your life instead of what’s going well. Use gratitude as one of your daily mindful micro rituals to acquire more contentment.
Tea Time-
Making yourself a cup of tea is the perfect mindful micro ritual when you need a break. Choose something soothing and caffeine-free, like mint or chamomile, or if you’re not a tea fan, enjoy a matcha. Sip it slowly and savour the cup before you need to head back to your daily duties
Final Thoughts-
These mindful micro rituals are the perfect way to reset when you’re short on time but need a pause. If you can’t complete a full morning or night routine due to a busy work or life schedule, use these mini intervals to breathe and enjoy a moment for yourself. Whether it’s doing things for your physical well-being, like cold plunging or stretching, or clearing your mind with a brain dump or mini meditation, you don’t need unlimited time to have a wellness routine.
The more you complete these habits regularly, the more you’ll reach for them when you need them instead of doomscrolling. Hopefully, these mindful micro rituals can bring you the calm you’re searching for.
