Daily rituals that will make 2019 the best year of your life

At what point do we stop believing in magic?

We live in a world that goes too fast. When we are children we play, we create, we celebrate every little daily thing with enthusiasm and we move forward with creativity and hope. Then we grow up and at some point we feel that that child in us is lost in the daily routine, work and family responsibilities, bills and other problems. STOP.

You may think that being an adult means to stop believing in magic but that is not the case. Today we are going to give you some practical advice so that you can believe in her again, so that you can believe in yourself again and make this year the best in your history.

Photo Ethan Hoover via Unsplash

Change your habits to change your world

After years of reading personal development books and trying to put into practice many of the things that are preached in them, we can assure you that the first step to change your world is to change your habits. It may sound like a utopia, you may have tried a thousand times, you may feel that it is impossible. But believe us: it can. It just requires willpower and some clarity of mind.

We are not going to give you a foolproof and miraculous formula that works for everyone equally, sorry. But below you will find a series of rituals that we learned after reading the book Little Course in Everyday Magic by Anna Sólyom (Edit. Dome) and that you can put into practice from today at different times of the day to regain balance in your life and feel happier.

How to start the day on the right foot

Surely you have heard of the new fashion to get up early to achieve better results in your personal and professional life. It seems that it is something that the experts are quite in agreement on but many people feel that this method does not go with them. What is clear is that we all need a proper night's rest and an energetic awakening to face the day with a better attitude.

How do I put it into practice? Make sure you get a good night's rest by trying to go to sleep around the same time each night, in a comfortable bed, and with a suitable pillow. Make the moment of awakening as pleasant as possible by starting the day, for example, practicing yoga or stretching and enjoying your favorite music.

Clothes can change your life too

All (or almost all) of us are passionate about fashion and, of course, clothing. But many times it can become our worst enemy and sap our energies. Choosing the clothes we wear is a full-fledged ritual and as we already explained, your style when it comes to dressing says a lot about you. Also, the colors you choose when dressing can change your mood for the better (or worse). And by now, thanks to the Marie Kondo-mania, we all know how important it is to keep only the clothes that make us happy.

How do I put it into practice? If you are someone who suffers every morning thinking about what to wear, prepare what you are going to wear the night before , one less problem! Not sure which clothes suit you best? Take our test to find out what type of body you have and how to take advantage of it. Finally, surrender to the CLARA method. Organizing your clothes will help you to be neater, to dress faster, and to be left with only the clothes that you really wear and make you feel good.

Forget being Wonder Woman

We recently shared on our Instagram account the phrase: Women are expected to work as if they had no children and to raise their children as if they did not have a job, and it far broke the record for "likes" and comments. A lot is often expected of women, and sometimes we are the most demanding of our own abilities. If you live overwhelmed and feel that you do not get to everything, we suggest you learn to establish (and respect!) Your priorities. A first step to dedicate time to what really matters and to lead a more balanced personal and work life.

How do I put it into practice? Nobody said it's easy, it requires intense and constant personal work but trust us, it will help you. Starting to write a journal or a Bullet Journal will make you aware of all your responsibilities and the importance they have in your life. It is also helpful to know your purpose , the reason for being that makes you really happy, to be able to prioritize those things that are worthwhile and avoid distractions in things that are not important or urgent.

All you need is … a hike!

Face it, we haven't taken our eyes off our smartphones in recent years. Never before has such a level of stress and depression been recorded in our society. The solution may be much simpler (and obvious) than we think. There are many techniques, such as the Japanese Shinrin-yoku that defend that reconnecting with nature by walking when you need to recharge has multiple benefits for health and for your inner peace.

How do I put it into practice? Give your head a break and get in touch with your body by going for a walk. Observe your breathing, your steps, what you see around you … all this will help you free your mind from the emotion that was overwhelming it. The ideal is to go for a walk in the forest but you can also enjoy some time walking through a park or garden depending on where you live. There are no excuses! Take 20-30 minutes to walk at lunchtime.

Learn to manage your email

Email has become an essential means of communication in our personal and work life. We spent hours reading, sorting, and replying to messages … do you feel like it got out of hand? now is the time to manage your mail efficiently.

How do I put it into practice? A first step would be to manage 3 different accounts to separate what is important from what is not really important : an account for work emails, another for your personal affairs and a third for advertising emails, newsletters, subscriptions, etc. If you really receive a lot of emails and they are a constant distraction, try setting pre-set times to review and answer it , for example: at 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Limit the time you spend on social media

An excessive use of social networks can be detrimental to our mood and detrimental to our health. Have you ever had the feeling that your day is hours away? If you add up all the time you spend on each social network, you can get a big surprise. Remember that both networks and emails are tools to make our lives easier, not to become slaves.

How do I put it into practice? Being aware of the time you spend on your networks and deciding how many hours of your day you really want to dedicate to them can be very practical. Also, do not be afraid to establish certain moments of the day of disconnection such as during meals and meetings with friends. One life-changing habit is to avoid making social networking the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do before bed. You will notice the difference!

Get the job done on time

You may also be overwhelmed by not finishing your to-do list for the day and not getting up from your chair until everything is done. Or maybe your workplace has become a refuge where you don't deal with your personal life and you spend more hours there than you should. Work is necessary but so is rest time , we have to learn to set certain limits and do everything possible to respect them.

How do I put it into practice? A good start would be to set priorities and leave until tomorrow what you have not been able to finish unless they are really urgent matters. Try to be strict defining the time you spend in the office working and your time off and when you go home. Focus on the results of your work , perform all your tasks and leave at your time marking inexcusable commitments such as a sports session or a meeting with a friend. At the end of the day, if you respect your rest, you will be happier and, therefore, more productive. Everybody wins. Doesn't life give you? Do not miss these tips to be more productive.

Happy people drink tea

Drinking tea has multiple health benefits (there are even many infusions that help us lose weight) but it is also a delicious ritual that helps us slow down, relax and take a short time to contemplate and enjoy.

How do I put it into practice? Reduce the number of coffees and replace them with an infusion. Take a break if you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed to slow down and reconnect with yourself while enjoying your tea. Enjoy the entire ritual in a conscious way : when preparing it, it awakens senses such as smell with the aroma it gives off and touch with the temperature of the cup. When it comes to savoring your tea, awaken your taste by savoring the flavors and take the opportunity to disconnect for a few minutes from everything else.

The art of doing nothing

It is what Italians call the dolce far niente and it has nothing to do with being lazy, but with learning to enjoy a break in your day-to-day life by doing nothing, relaxing. In our times many of us do not know how to be without worrying about something and letting go of worries and it is strictly necessary that we learn to stop for the benefit of our inner peace and well-being.

How do I put it into practice? Connect with nature and with your passions (dancing, meditating, painting …) find something you like and enjoy the moment without distractions. To do this, train your ability to disconnect from all the technological devices that enslave us, mainly the mobile. It will be hard at first, but you will appreciate it. It is important that you free yourself from guilt (thinking "I'm not doing anything" or "I should be doing this") and fully enjoy YOUR MOMENT.

Learn to say NO

"You can't like everyone, you're not a croquette" is the phrase popularized by La Vecina Rubio. And as such, sometimes we have to learn to say NO to what others ask of us because that means saying YES to ourselves , to our priorities, to our happiness. The key is to respect the needs of the other without forgetting our own.

How do I put it into practice? Practice assertiveness. Find a way to express your needs without verbally attacking the other person but always respecting your will and your priorities. Read more tips to be assertive from psychologist Rafael Santandreu.

As you can see, the rituals that we propose are simple, the complicated thing is to incorporate them into your day. The good news is that, little by little, if you manage to do it, you will experience positive changes that will make you feel safer, more confident, freer, and ultimately happier.

And if you want to live much more calm, apply these simple changes in your day to day to forget about stress.