A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence.

Find out how having a simple but meaningful routine can help you find focus whenever you feel overwhelmed.

1. Mindful Meditation

Meditation might not be for everyone. It's definitely a test of patience and sitting still is not exactly an easy thing to accomplish. However, sometimes the act of staying still might just be what you need. The most interesting you learn though is that meditation is not total silence and the absence of thoughts, but the act of allowing all these thoughts and sounds to float in and out of your consciousness without judgment. It's a great exercise in focus and mindfulness.

It's a nice ritual to start your day or end your evening. It's also a nice break you can take when you find yourself stuck, be it with your thoughts or with your current task.

Curious at how meditation works? You can try this guided meditation created by researcher Emma Seppala, Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.

2. A Calming Cup

The act of preparing a cup of tea is soothing in itself. You wait for the water to bubble and boil while you select the leaves that you'd like for the day. You prepare the drink, let it steep, and then you wait. You pour it into your favorite cup or mug and then take your first sip that almost feels like a warm hug.

It's a nice alternative to coffee and a great drink after every meal. Need help falling a sleep? Some warm tea before bed might help you relax.

Not a fan of tea? Or maybe a bit adventurous? Try some golden milk by following this recipe here. Trust us when we say it'll be your new favorite!

Feel fancy or just want to take a break? Enjoy afternoon tea at 4 o'clock in the afternoon with some of your favorite pastries and fancy it up with this great Gibo Studios' find:

3. Tune Out Technology

Unreachable (especially when it comes to communication) at this day and age? What a concept! It's a concept that we actually miss. Gone are the days when you clock out of work and you actually mean it.

For those working from home, this may be a daily work week (and sometimes even a weekend!) struggle. Where do you draw the line when people make it seem like it's okay to overstep and take over your personal time?

This is all about setting healthy boundaries and sticking to your schedule. Sure, if there's something urgent you can do overtime work, but surely the world won't stop if you only reply to that email the next day, right?

Don't worry, you're definitely not alone in this. We're also trying to convince ourselves to put our phones face down after work. We'll get there. 😉

4. Write That Down

One of the things (among a long list of things) we regret not doing at the beginning of the Pandemic was keeping a record of how the days were going. Sure, it's a scary situation trying to write down your thoughts and feelings especially at a time when things aren't making sense and you don't want to confront said thoughts and feelings.

However, when your days start to blur and your concept of time and day ceases to exist, journaling can actually help you start to make sense of things. It may feel like a chore sometimes, but at the end of each session it actually feels cathartic.

Wind down your evenings on a notebook, a password protected app, your laptop, an expensive Hobonichi. Whatever it is, it's a record of how far you've come.

Feeling overwhelmed by the Pandemic? Check out the Pandemic Project, to help you get started with journaling or expressive writing.

5. Treat Yourself Day

Long day at work? Treat yourself! Long week at work? Treat yourself! Finally able to crush that 30-day no junk food challenge? Treat yourself!

Treating yourself doesn't actually have to be expensive or excessive. It can be as simple as giving yourself an extra hour of Zzzzs during the weekends or trying out a different delivery service every Friday evening. The reward is all up to you. What's important is, is that you acknowledge that you did a good job, especially at a time like this, when it's hard to function as a human being on most days.

On the other hand, if you're frustrated or feel like you aren't doing well enough, don't be too hard on yourself either. Again, these days, it's hard to function as a human being. Be kind to yourself. We're all doing the best we can at a time like this.

Need rewards ideas? Check out some items from our Balay Collection: