What routines, habits or practices do you do to stay grounded, happy and healthy?
What are the little things you do regularly that make you feel good, whether physically or mentally or both?
The Well section recently posed this question to readers and then rounded up some of their responses in “The Little Rituals That Keep Us Going.” The article begins:
Sam Chaim’s wife hates the smell of bananas, so he takes one out of the house with him for a daily morning walk. For Margaret Clerkin, the five minutes she spends reading Nancy Drew before bed are essential. One Times reader dresses up her breakfast with fancy plates; another makes it a rule to to do a handstand when thinking through a difficult problem.
These were just a few of the responses to the Well desk’s question for Times readers: What are your wellness “non-negotiables?” Nearly 2,000 people shared practices that anchor and animate their days. Below is an edited selection of some of our favorites — ways to stay grounded, become healthier or just a little bit happier.
Here were some of the wellness habits readers shared: I use different plates for breakfast on the weekends. Rather than the grab-and-go-shovel-in-the-food weekday morning routine, my bright blue and yellow plates with bread, jams and fruit are a reminder to enjoy life, slow down and savor.
I'm interested to know if you guys have any concrete ways you "ground yourself" i.e. realizing that you don't need much to be happy or that there's much to be thankful for at the present time. Somehow, I just feel like the digital age has sped up our minds and we (or I) tend to forget to just slow down and plant my feet on the ground.
One thing I do is I look back at how worse things were just a few months or a year ago. Our family is currently going through something financially and it's been a wild ride to say the least. But slowly, we've been able to get back on our feet. I just try and pinch myself every now and then thay things are actually looking up.
I realize—there are things to be happy for.
Many of our programs require an intensive time commitment. In my case, I also commute an hour to school each way, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. When we just can't get a full eight hours of sleep per night (I know I'm averaging 5-6), is there anything else we can do to keep ourselves healthy?
I know exercise and eating healthy are huge, but I'd love to hear any specific practices you all have found over the years that help keep you from falling apart.
What's your tip or story?
— Daniela Reik, Manhattan : I talk to my best friend before the day begins. We recently shifted our non-negotiable morning talk to be a non-negotiable morning walk, and the benefits are amazing. We feel like we are seen, heard and connected before we go out into daily life, and the walk makes us feel like we have succeeded before we even go to the office.
— Heidi Schmidt, Roanoke, Va. : My non-negotiable is counting yellow doors out loud. Whenever I leave my house, I make a point to look for and count every yellow door I see. I adopted this habit as a way to help myself stay more present. It’s like a game — seeing how many doors I can count that day. (Thirty-two is my record to date!) All of my friends know not to be offended if I stop midsentence to yell “10!” Most of them will shout out if they notice a yellow door before me.
One of my friends plays her version of this with her husband; they count dogs. My mental health, like many others’, took a significant hit throughout the pandemic and one of the biggest issues I have struggled with is staying present and not letting my thoughts spiral. This habit has been very helpful for helping me find joyful moments every day.
— Kris Aldous-Traynor, Boston
I know it sounds crazy, but a highlight of my day is sitting in my recliner after dinner and having our cat, Buffy, sit on my lap while I watch TV with my husband. One of the benefits of being an empty-nester is being able to do things that you love on a consistent basis. Spending time with the cat on my lap ticks a lot of my boxes. It is lovely.
— Cristie Carlisle, Arlington, Va.
I started an art practice a while ago — 15 minutes painting in a sketchbook first thing in the morning before I’ve even finished a cup of coffee. There is much less pressure if I know I only have 15 minutes. I can easily experiment, but mostly I’m just happy to go into the world having exercised my creativity a bit.
— Mary E. Lee, Minneapolis
I take a shower right before bed. Even if it’s one minute long. Even if the water is cold. Even if I don’t wash anything. I just need to stand under the water to reset and find a moment of calm, totally alone, before falling asleep.
— Caitlyn Burford, Redmond, Ore.
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
What is one little habit, ritual or routine that you do regularly to help stay grounded, healthy or happy?
What inspired you to start this practice?
Why is it important for you to do this thing on a regular basis? How does it improve your life? Would you like to try any of the “wellness non-negotiables” that you read about in the article? If so, which ones, and why? What are the little Rituals that keep You going and make you move forward with your life? What is the bare minimum I should be doing each day?
A lot of the advice here is to read, meditate, exercise, and a whole lot of awesome things. But I kind of see them as level 2. I need to start developing habits from the ground up, and I say this as someone who forgets to eat pretty regularly. I'm looking to make a daily routine that includes the things that people take for granted- brushing teeth and hair, eating at least two meals, etc. What does a normal adult's daily routine look like before all of the add-ons? What are your daily practice routines? Do you enjoy them? I tend to get avoidant behaviour once I set a routine in.
If I just play songs I can do it daily, once I put in like scales for X amount of minutes, arpeggios, slap exercises etc l. It works for a day or two, then I get terribly avoidant, and start seeing bass as a chore, I really can’t get into the “fun practice” mind set and if I force myself I can’t groove anymore and just generally start disliking bass but for sure I would like to practice more as I know that is essential, any tips? What does it mean to have a healthy daily routine? How do you even fit all the life stuff in?
Hello lovely ladies,
What’s your morning routine like?
Sick of seeing the same old morning routines everywhere, where people somehow seem to be waking up at 4:30 am, whipping out their yoga mat and doing a 40 min workout, snorting some chia seeds for breakfast, etc etc. I want to hear your realistic morning routine- what works for you? What has been a habit that you incorporated that has been a game changer? What makes you feel productive and sets yourself up for success for the rest of the day?
I (F30) have spent my teens and twenties in the deep dark depths of depression. In the past few years I've gotten therapy and decided I would like to be alive. The problem is, having never imagined I'd get this far, I have no idea how to manage my life as an adult woman. There's so much to do. What does normal look like? How do people get enough sleep AND work 9-5 (which tbh is more like 8-6) AND exercise AND maintain a social life AND love their partner/care for pets/raise children. Let alone all the extra stuff? Please show me examples, I am lost.
Kind regards, Fat and depressed, but trying my best.
The Well section recently posed this question to readers and then rounded up some of their responses in “The Little Rituals That Keep Us Going.” The article begins:
Sam Chaim’s wife hates the smell of bananas, so he takes one out of the house with him for a daily morning walk. For Margaret Clerkin, the five minutes she spends reading Nancy Drew before bed are essential. One Times reader dresses up her breakfast with fancy plates; another makes it a rule to to do a handstand when thinking through a difficult problem.
These were just a few of the responses to the Well desk’s question for Times readers: What are your wellness “non-negotiables?” Nearly 2,000 people shared practices that anchor and animate their days. Below is an edited selection of some of our favorites — ways to stay grounded, become healthier or just a little bit happier.
Here were some of the wellness habits readers shared: I use different plates for breakfast on the weekends. Rather than the grab-and-go-shovel-in-the-food weekday morning routine, my bright blue and yellow plates with bread, jams and fruit are a reminder to enjoy life, slow down and savor.
I'm interested to know if you guys have any concrete ways you "ground yourself" i.e. realizing that you don't need much to be happy or that there's much to be thankful for at the present time. Somehow, I just feel like the digital age has sped up our minds and we (or I) tend to forget to just slow down and plant my feet on the ground.
One thing I do is I look back at how worse things were just a few months or a year ago. Our family is currently going through something financially and it's been a wild ride to say the least. But slowly, we've been able to get back on our feet. I just try and pinch myself every now and then thay things are actually looking up.
I realize—there are things to be happy for.
Many of our programs require an intensive time commitment. In my case, I also commute an hour to school each way, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. When we just can't get a full eight hours of sleep per night (I know I'm averaging 5-6), is there anything else we can do to keep ourselves healthy?
I know exercise and eating healthy are huge, but I'd love to hear any specific practices you all have found over the years that help keep you from falling apart.
What's your tip or story?
— Daniela Reik, Manhattan : I talk to my best friend before the day begins. We recently shifted our non-negotiable morning talk to be a non-negotiable morning walk, and the benefits are amazing. We feel like we are seen, heard and connected before we go out into daily life, and the walk makes us feel like we have succeeded before we even go to the office.
— Heidi Schmidt, Roanoke, Va. : My non-negotiable is counting yellow doors out loud. Whenever I leave my house, I make a point to look for and count every yellow door I see. I adopted this habit as a way to help myself stay more present. It’s like a game — seeing how many doors I can count that day. (Thirty-two is my record to date!) All of my friends know not to be offended if I stop midsentence to yell “10!” Most of them will shout out if they notice a yellow door before me.
One of my friends plays her version of this with her husband; they count dogs. My mental health, like many others’, took a significant hit throughout the pandemic and one of the biggest issues I have struggled with is staying present and not letting my thoughts spiral. This habit has been very helpful for helping me find joyful moments every day.
— Kris Aldous-Traynor, Boston
I know it sounds crazy, but a highlight of my day is sitting in my recliner after dinner and having our cat, Buffy, sit on my lap while I watch TV with my husband. One of the benefits of being an empty-nester is being able to do things that you love on a consistent basis. Spending time with the cat on my lap ticks a lot of my boxes. It is lovely.
— Cristie Carlisle, Arlington, Va.
I started an art practice a while ago — 15 minutes painting in a sketchbook first thing in the morning before I’ve even finished a cup of coffee. There is much less pressure if I know I only have 15 minutes. I can easily experiment, but mostly I’m just happy to go into the world having exercised my creativity a bit.
— Mary E. Lee, Minneapolis
I take a shower right before bed. Even if it’s one minute long. Even if the water is cold. Even if I don’t wash anything. I just need to stand under the water to reset and find a moment of calm, totally alone, before falling asleep.
— Caitlyn Burford, Redmond, Ore.
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
What is one little habit, ritual or routine that you do regularly to help stay grounded, healthy or happy?
What inspired you to start this practice?
Why is it important for you to do this thing on a regular basis? How does it improve your life? Would you like to try any of the “wellness non-negotiables” that you read about in the article? If so, which ones, and why? What are the little Rituals that keep You going and make you move forward with your life? What is the bare minimum I should be doing each day?
A lot of the advice here is to read, meditate, exercise, and a whole lot of awesome things. But I kind of see them as level 2. I need to start developing habits from the ground up, and I say this as someone who forgets to eat pretty regularly. I'm looking to make a daily routine that includes the things that people take for granted- brushing teeth and hair, eating at least two meals, etc. What does a normal adult's daily routine look like before all of the add-ons? What are your daily practice routines? Do you enjoy them? I tend to get avoidant behaviour once I set a routine in.
If I just play songs I can do it daily, once I put in like scales for X amount of minutes, arpeggios, slap exercises etc l. It works for a day or two, then I get terribly avoidant, and start seeing bass as a chore, I really can’t get into the “fun practice” mind set and if I force myself I can’t groove anymore and just generally start disliking bass but for sure I would like to practice more as I know that is essential, any tips? What does it mean to have a healthy daily routine? How do you even fit all the life stuff in?
Hello lovely ladies,
What’s your morning routine like?
Sick of seeing the same old morning routines everywhere, where people somehow seem to be waking up at 4:30 am, whipping out their yoga mat and doing a 40 min workout, snorting some chia seeds for breakfast, etc etc. I want to hear your realistic morning routine- what works for you? What has been a habit that you incorporated that has been a game changer? What makes you feel productive and sets yourself up for success for the rest of the day?
I (F30) have spent my teens and twenties in the deep dark depths of depression. In the past few years I've gotten therapy and decided I would like to be alive. The problem is, having never imagined I'd get this far, I have no idea how to manage my life as an adult woman. There's so much to do. What does normal look like? How do people get enough sleep AND work 9-5 (which tbh is more like 8-6) AND exercise AND maintain a social life AND love their partner/care for pets/raise children. Let alone all the extra stuff? Please show me examples, I am lost.
Kind regards, Fat and depressed, but trying my best.
