How the Power of Ritual Can Support Mental Wellness

Harnessing the magical art of rituals can improve mental health.

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There’s something mysterious and perhaps even a bit magical about rituals.

An ancient art form, they’re something we’ve practiced for thousands of years and used for everything from appeasing the gods and ushering in a bountiful harvest to crushing a work presentation or having a kick-ass first date.

Rituals have long been viewed as effective conduits for protection, ensuring desired outcomes, and bringing good fortune.

There’s no right or wrong way to perform one. It doesn’t have to be religious or involve candles, divination, or physical offerings.

Rituals are simply about the intentions we hold for them.

It can be a small act of self-care, like brushing our teeth and washing our face every night to increase self-love, or far more elaborate and culturally established rites of passage, such as celebrating the birth of a child or honoring death.

The difference between rituals and routines lies in how we practice them.

Routines can be considered rituals in their own right but can just as quickly become activities we do on autopilot. They might bring us measurable results…