Morning & Evening Rituals

Hello, little friends.

It’s 10:30pm here in San Diego. I just had to change my blog’s official time zone from New York to Los Angeles (San Diego isn’t even an option…what does that mean!? #overthinking). This way I can do my 100 Day Blogging Project on Pacific time.

I’ve now been in San Diego for almost 24 hours. We got in around midnight last night after a really long day of moving. I ended up sending out my weekly Friday newsletter around 6pm today (which means 9pm Eastern…probably not what the marketing experts would recommend as far as timing – but I can’t usually be bothered to follow those guidelines anyway). ;)  So thanks for being patient with me on timing as my body and mind attempt to get on track. 

One thing I wanted to mention that has stood out to me lately about change and transition is how important it can be to have morning and nighttime rituals that feel grounding and make us feel like home no matter where we are. 

Starting the day and ending the day in a way that feels familiar is like bookending your day with comfort. Like putting bumpers in the gutters when you’re bowling, to pad you from flying off track.

For me, those rituals involve morning and nighttime beverages. Specifically, yerba mate and magnesium. 

Making a french press full of yerba mate is one of my most cherished morning rituals. It can be done with coffee too, but I tend to go on and off of coffee, so yerba mate feels like more of a constant. Ideally, I do a french press with loose leaf tea, but I try to bring tea bags with me if I don’t have access to those things.

Last night, in my carry on, I brought a bag of loose leaf yerba mate with me because I knew making my tea in the morning in San Diego would be the first thing I could do to curb any feelings of groundlessness when I woke up the next morning. Of course, I had already checked to see if my Airbnb had a french press.

I also brought a container of magnesium for magnesium tea. As soon as Joel and I got in, even though we were exhausted, we made a pot of hot water and drank our magnesium tea on our little back porch before bed. I can have a “home” in my rituals, even if my home is in transition. 

Even though these 2 beverage rituals are seemingly small parts of my day, they feel like powerful grounding tools for me. I remember I used to feel the same about having a daily yoga practice. I haven’t done any yoga since my tailbone broke about 6 months ago (the tailbone doctors said all the tucking of the tailbone, even doing cat/cow, would aggravate it) but I remember feeling the same way about yoga…that wherever I was in the world, I could do a yoga practice that made me feel “home” in my body and on the mat.

Running was another pre-tailbone injury ritual that would make me feel at home in any city. No matter where I was in the world, I could lace up my shoes and head out the door for a run. Taking a long walk with my headphones in is a good substitute. 

Morning pages and meditation are other examples of daily rituals I’ve had that could go with me anywhere.

Rituals are an important part of life because they keep us connected to something grounding and familiar, in the midst of constant change. It helps us to reduce anxiety that can come with uncertainty – having these little moments of familiarity and predictability.

I liked what Ryan Holiday said in this Inc. article: 

There is a reason that most successful people have routines. It’s not because they’re OCD or eccentric. Successful people develop routines for a simple reason: they want to reduce friction in their lives so they can focus on what they do best.

As you become successful, whether it’s financially or in mastering a craft, you realize that time is your most precious commodity. There is simply never enough time. There is always too much to think about. So you come up with routines, rituals, and habits that simplify your life and save you time.

I agree with the idea that routines can save you the time that comes with decision-making, which frees your mind for more creative work. And I think there’s a lot of genuine value to creating rituals you can bring along with you in life, that make you feel more like yourself.

With my little rituals, all I need is a mug and some hot water and I can sip on a cup of home within myself, wherever I am.

What are some of your little rituals or routines you do to feel at home, even when you’re on the road?  

Sipping my magnesium now and getting…very….sleepy….

I love you,
Jenny