The year is now one-quarter complete and those New Year’s resolution are long in the past, life coach and author Dannie De Novo has a few tips to help people succeed year-round with daily rituals. Dannie, the author of Get in a Good Mood & Stay There, says “Your good mood New Year’s resolution success will live and die by the habits you put into place to secure your desired goals. So, it stands to reason that the better the habit, the better the results you will see.”
But the idea of instilling new habits doesn’t usually sound like a fun thing to do. “That’s why I advocate for the adoption of rituals, which are nothing more than patterned behaviors but with a slightly more positive vibe,” Dannie continues. “When you adopt rituals, you train your brain to go through certain programming automatically. At that point, the behavior you desire is no longer ‘work’—you just do it.”
5 Good Mood Rituals
Ritual #1 Meditation
The more frequently you practice meditation, the more the effects sustain themselves throughout your day and throughout your life. Daily meditation practice equals daily sustained good mood.
You don’t have to devote more than a few minutes each day to meditation and you don’t have to be perfect in your practice. Keep it simple. Focus on your breath. Focus on a mantra or affirmation. Focus on the quiet. What your practice should be is meaningful for you. With meaning and connectedness, comes happiness.
Ritual #2 Gratitude
Gratitude is feeling or showing appreciation toward someone or something. A gratitude practice is a daily commitment to focusing your energy and thoughts on what you appreciate. There are few things you can do to build and maintain your happiness as important as exercising daily gratitude.
Gratitude shifts our thinking to the present moment. Gratitude allows us to celebrate what we have now and what we have accomplished. It also allows us to refocus our energy on our dreams and goals.
Ritual #3 Remind yourself of your why
If you don’t remind yourself each and every day why you made the decision to seek and hold on to your good mood, you won’t keep going after that goal.
Remind yourself often of why you made your decision. Take a piece of paper, write out your resolution in big letters at the top, and under your resolution list all the reasons why you are going to accomplish it. Make these statements positive. Place this paper in a visible area and make yourself read it and really reflect on the reasons why you started on this journey and why it is so important for you to continue.
Ritual #4 Be a dreamer
Your imagination is the gateway to your good mood and, ultimately, to your ideal life. You have the amazing ability to form the picture of any life you want and, by so imagining it, then living the life you desire. When your mood is dark and small, so is your world.
Carry with you the attitude of a dreamer. Never stop dreaming—even when things aren’t going your way. See yourself living life in a good mood and hold that picture in the forefront of your mind. You deserve to be happy.
Ritual #5 Something that makes you feel good
I love nature. When I am in and around it, I feel good mentally, physically and spiritually. So, I make being outside for each day one of my rituals. I also think movement is important for my good mood. Daily exercise or some kind of movement helps keep everything in balance.
You should be incorporating rituals that make you feel complete and like a better version of yourself. Whether those rituals include journaling, reading, doing affirmations, spending time with pets, spending time with loved ones, or laughing, the idea is the same. Make these good mood activities daily practices that help contribute to an overall good mood.
About Dannie De Novo: Dannie is an author, attorney, coach, entrepreneur and podcast host who loves horses, traveling and learning. Her book Get in a Good Mood & Stay There launched in 2018. She spends her days finding ways to help those who aren’t experiencing the most fulfilling version of their lives. Her greatest job and joy is serving as mom to an amazing beacon of light and hope, her daughter, Carson. To learn more visit: www.DannieDeNovo.com