Brits reveal habits and rituals that get them through the day - including a regular cuppa


Brits reveal habits and rituals that get them through the day - including a regular cuppa

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But in true British fashion, the simple act of a cup of tea or coffee at the same time of day was named the top ritual for keeping calm, collected and centered.


Others rely on making sure they take time to eat away from their desk and looking out of the window to give themselves a minute to relax.


It also emerged 51 percent adopted more rituals over the last 18 months as they attempted to get through the pandemic.


Of those, 15 percent now set a day for the whole family to share a meal to ensure they have quality time amid their hectic schedules.


And the study, commissioned by Healthspan as part of its Rituals to Wellbeing campaign, found 35 percent claim their lives are heavily structured around the routines.


Psychologist Dr Meg Arroll, who is working with Healthspan, said: "Many of our daily habits and practices have now been given new meaning in light of the pandemic and have become valued


rituals.


"This is notable as transforming a set of actions that you do every day - even something as simple as making a cup of tea - into a ritual will give you the added well-being benefits such as


stress management and feeling grounded in the present moment.


Many of our daily habits and practices have now been given new meaning in light of the pandemic and have become valued rituals


"Many of us have just experienced incredibly high levels of stress and anxiety over a lengthy period of time, not only as we dealt with the worry that came with the pandemic itself, but also


as we adapted to the restrictions changing our day-to-day lives.


"Rituals are all about the meaning behind why we do something.


"The survey highlighted that 52 percent of people have adopted new rituals which have helped improve their quality of life, whether it’s to help keep you calm and collected, reduce stress,


or simply help you get through everything you have to do that day without feeling overwhelmed or burnt-out.


"But, while the pandemic saw us unable to do some of the rituals we had previously swore by, it was also an opportunity to create some new ones or view our habits and practices in a new


light."


The study also found more than a third of those polled swear by carrying out certain rituals because it makes them feel good, while 33 percent use them to feel calmer.


More than a fifth (21 percent) said it helps them manage stress, and 19 percent rely on them to help improve their overall mood.


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But one in five believe the rituals help them feel more connected and in the moment, while 58 percent think they make their life easier.


Generally, more than a third believe rituals have helped them, with 21 percent believing they helped to get them through a particularly stressful period.


Another one in ten think they prevented them from getting ill, while nine percent feel they have allowed them to better cope with parenting.


Others think they have helped when going through a divorce or bereavement, retirement or when starting a new job.


The study, carried out via OnePoll, also found 54 percent feel there are aspects of their lives that they don’t feel completely on top of.


Of those, 43 percent think they are struggling when it comes to the physical fitness, while 40 percent need more help with sleep.


Mental health, money and relationships are also among the areas where people think they are finding it hard to cope.


But 77 percent admitted they are unsure how to gain control of the areas of their lives they don’t feel completely on top of.


Dr Meg Arroll added: "Habitual practices that were carried out routinely for years have now been transformed with new meaning to become health and wellbeing rituals.


"This demonstrates how some of the toughest times can allow us to develop important coping strategies that we can then use in our everyday lives, which act to increase mental strength,


provide meaningful human connection and protect physical health.


"This concept known as "post-traumatic growth" is a key aspect of positive psychology and is something that we can all take forward after the past gruelling 18 months.


"These rituals will also help us to cope again if we need to brace ourselves for a further wave of Covid, or any other future difficulties."


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