It's 11 a.m. on Thursday. You have already seen two clients this morning and are now sitting down to an all-staff meeting, called at the last-minute by your executive director. You had to scramble to rearrange your schedule and get to the meeting on time. This afternoon, you will be leading the clinical team in a staff training excercise before you see 2 more clients, return your voicemails, and answer emails. You need to fit in a lunch break and make a list for the grocery shopping that needs to be done after work. Your child's music recital is also tonight and your partner is away on business so you have a scheduled phone call to check-in. There are chores to be done, a dog to be walked, and homework questions that need answered.
How do we find it within ourselves to be present to each of these moments? To honor the situations we encounter, the weight of people's stories, the stress of full days... but to not carry it all with us as a burden from one space to the next?
Creating rituals can be a way to transition between moments and places in healthy ways. Rituals are symbolic enactments that hold the intentions you have placed upon them. When you are are fully engaged with the rituals you have created- however brief they are- space is made for meaning making and relief.
Take a moment to answer these questions for yourself.
Where and when do I want to incorporate rituals?
What would a creative ritual look like for myself?
How can I place intention upon a brief ritual- such as 3 deep breaths before each transition in my day?