Daily Rituals as a Wellness Practice

Artist: Seema Choudhary

Written by: Seema Choudhary, Young Women’s Leadership Program Manager

Wellness is an incredibly popular buzzword these days, but what is it exactly and how do we access it? The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness as “the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.” It started to gain visibility during the 20th century due to the writings of a number of US-based medical professionals but can be traced as far back as 3000 BC in an ancient Indian healing system called Ayurveda. Fast forward to today, wellness has exponentially grown in both scope and popularity. But, how do we access it and sustainably incorporate wellness into our busy, city-dwelling lives?

The answer is daily wellness rituals! This particular access point is about building intentionality into our day. A wellness ritual includes anything that allows us to slow down in a mindful and meaningful way. That’s right, it’s not about perfection or creating grand wellness practices that stress us out even more. The main goal here is to be fully present while partaking in our daily ritual. It can be anything from drinking a cup of warm lemon water at the start of our day to reading short passages of a book during our morning commute. It can also include preparing a nutritious dinner or connecting with a loved one at the end of the day. The purpose of a wellness ritual is to lend a moment of our day to releasing all of the mental weight and chatter within so that we can be fully present in a meaningful way. So, three key things to remember when creating a daily ritual as a wellness practice are: (1) pick something small that you enjoy and can commit to every day (or most days!), (2) be mindful and present while engaging in this practice, and (3) make the experience meaningful!

What’s one wellness ritual that you’d like to start incorporating into your daily life?