{"id":50859,"date":"2021-10-07T11:49:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-07T15:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=50859"},"modified":"2021-10-10T11:50:03","modified_gmt":"2021-10-10T15:50:03","slug":"happiness-rituals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/happiness-rituals\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Health and Happiness Rituals From Robin Sharma"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What are Robin Sharma’s ten health and happiness<\/a> rituals from The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari<\/em>? How can these daily rituals help you improve your life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rituals exist in everything from grand religious ceremonies to daily life\u2014for example, knocking on wood to ward off bad luck is a type of ritual. Studies suggest that rituals are so common because they work<\/a>. Rituals give you a feeling of power and control\u2014in this case, power over yourself and control over your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue reading for Robin Sharma’s ten daily rituals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Ten Rituals for Health and Happiness<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sharma argues that these ten simple health and happiness rituals can help ensure that you\u2019re constantly improving yourself<\/a>. The rituals can take as little as an hour each day to complete, but they must be performed every single day. <\/strong>Furthermore, these rituals work best if you practice each one at the same time every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The First Ritual: Taking Personal Time <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Take 15-50 minutes every day to simply sit alone, in silence. Do this someplace that you find beautiful, because beauty soothes the mind. The space can be as simple as a spare room, or even a corner of a room that you decorate to your liking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Psychotherapist Amy Morin describes several benefits of spending time alone<\/a>. These benefits include increased empathy, creativity, and productivity.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Second Ritual: Exercising<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mental health and physical health are intrinsically linked\u2014if you feel unhealthy and lethargic, or if you\u2019re in pain, it\u2019ll be hard for you to muster the energy and concentration for kaizen. Therefore, you should seek to improve your body as well as your mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exercising for five hours per week is enough to start practicing this ritual. Make sure to pick an activity that you enjoy<\/strong>\u2014you\u2019re more likely to stick to your rituals if you have fun with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article from Dispatch Health<\/a> describes the link between mental and physical health in more detail. For example, mental health conditions like anxiety and depression<\/a> can seriously harm your physical health<\/a>, both because they put a lot of strain on your body and because they make it harder to take proper care of yourself. Conversely, regular exercise can help reduce the symptoms of those conditions.<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Third Ritual: Eating Healthy Meals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To strengthen your body and restore your energy, eat a diet of \u201clive foods.\u201d In other words: fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains. Avoid meat and processed foods\u2014you don\u2019t have to give them up entirely, but try making such things occasional treats instead of the centerpiece of every meal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studies show that heavily processed foods<\/a> like cookies, frozen dinners, and premade sauces carry a number of health risks.<\/a> Such things tend to be loaded with extra salt, fat, and sugar, while their natural nutrients get lost in the processing. The result is highly fattening food that we digest too quickly, leaving us hungry for more. Furthermore, some studies have shown that heavily processed foods increase the risk of cancer. <\/a>To clarify: These concerns don\u2019t apply to things like bagged salad or canned vegetables (although those are technically \u201cprocessed\u201d). When in doubt, check the ingredients\u2014a long list of additives could be a red flag. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Fourth Ritual: Reading<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Read for 30 minutes every day. Choose what you read carefully\u2014remember to only let the right thoughts into the garden of your mind<\/a>. <\/em>Historical novels, inspirational biographies, and educational books about topics that interest you are all excellent choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, don\u2019t just read <\/em>the books; study them. Think deeply about what you\u2019re reading and how it applies to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In How to Read a Book<\/em><\/a>, Mortimer J. Adler discusses how to increase your reading comprehension<\/a> and retention by asking yourself four key questions while you read: What is the main idea of this book? What is the author giving the most details about (in other words, what topics does the author think are most important)? Is what\u2019s written in this book true? Why is this book important?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Fifth Ritual: Reflecting on Your Day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Take some time every evening to think about your day. Consider your thoughts and actions, and whether they were productive or harmful.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, it may be hard to remember your thoughts from the day, but with practice you\u2019ll find that your memory gets clearer. You might also find it helpful to keep a journal of the significant events that happen each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This ritual will quickly and clearly show you what you\u2019re already doing well, and which areas of your life need improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharma suggests keeping a journal<\/a> to help remember what you did each day. As it turns out, journaling may have more benefits than just as a memory aid. The American Psychological Association (APA) notes that journaling is often an important part of trauma therapy<\/a>: It helps patients come to terms with their experiences, and manage their responses to those experiences. More recently, researchers have noticed that keeping a journal of your feelings can improve your health<\/a> as well. The current hypothesis is that journaling relieves emotional stress, which boosts your physical health\u2014remember the connection between mental health and physical health, which we discussed in the Second Ritual. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Sixth Ritual: Getting an Early Start<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Get up each day at dawn, or at least earlier than you\u2019re used to. Most people sleep more than they need to, and can function perfectly well on six hours of sleep a night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Most modern research suggests that adults should get anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep per night, depending on personal needs. To learn more about this research, read our summary of Why We Sleep<\/em><\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After rising early, use the extra time for something that will put you into a positive, constructive mind frame. For example, try going for a walk in nature, watching the sunrise, listening to your favorite music, or meditating on the good things in your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you tend to go to bed late and wake up late, then shifting your schedule to rise with the sun like Sharma suggests may seem difficult. A New York Times article titled A (Former) Night Owl\u2019s Guide to Becoming a Morning Person<\/em><\/a> <\/em>offers some suggestions for how you can get to bed earlier, and feel more awake in the morning. A couple of examples are:  Start to relax 1-2 hours before bed. Avoid heavy meals, exercise, and TV or computer screens during this time. Give yourself something to look forward to in the morning. This could be something as simple as spending some time listening to music, or making a nice breakfast; just make sure that you\u2019ve got a reason to get out of bed.  This ritual is an abbreviated version of what Sharma writes about in an earlier book of his, The 5AM Club<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Seventh Ritual: Listening to Music<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Spend some time every day listening to music that you enjoy, even if it\u2019s just in the car on the way to work. Also, try using music to rest and recover when you\u2019re feeling drained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Music isn\u2019t just enjoyable\u2014studies have shown<\/a> that listening to music has mental, emotional, and even physical benefits. It relieves stress, improves your mood, and boosts your concentration.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Eighth Ritual: Reciting Mantras<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Find a mantra <\/em>or two that is meaningful to you. A mantra is a simple phrase that can be repeated a great number of times. Doing so focuses your mind and influences your self-image based on that phrase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, to motivate himself, Julian might say that he is inspired, excited, and disciplined. He\u2019d repeat this mantra out loud 200-300 times\u2014but, if you don\u2019t want to speak it aloud, written mantras are just as effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A group of doctors in Ireland performed a systematic review<\/a> of studies that claimed to show the effectiveness of mantras and meditation<\/a>. They concluded that mantras may offer \u201cminimal to moderate\u201d mental health benefits. However, the doctors also noted that most of the studies they reviewed were of low quality<\/a>. Therefore, while the evidence does seem to indicate that mantras are an effective way to focus your mind and improve your mental health, the scientific community still considers those conclusions to be dubious.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Ninth Ritual: Reflecting on Yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Take some time every day to meditate on the following values: <\/p>\n\n\n\n