What are your daily rituals to stay happy & motivated?

I have a rule. My phone is not allowed in the bedroom.

So on my nightstand, there's only a kindle - and I use this every evening to "cool off" before sleep, effectively getting 30-45 minutes of reading in every day.

I sleep so much better now, and I'm consuming deeper content is helpful for both focus and motivation, as well as learning something new.
(As opposed to mindlessly scrolling TikTok before sleep).

I can highly recommend trying it out 🙌

For me, a better version of the gratitude journal idea: My wife and I often do gratitude out loud. Just a simple "You know what I'm grateful for?" and then give an example, and we go back and forth a few times.

We both find this extremely helpful to make us happy, and if I lived alone I would probably do it by phone with my Mom, sister, or a close friend.

I write a post-it note with my to-dos on it at the beginning of every day, and stick it to my monitor. By that point, I can immediately cross off the first task, because it's always "make a to-do list." The next few tasks are simple and easy to accomplish, too. I find this gets the ball rolling, and gets me into the right mindset.

I use the app Routinery (highly recommend) where I have put together my morning & routine (different routines for work day and weekend) and so i just need to click ”play”:

My morning routine involves:

• put on music (i often need music to get up, mostly slow-paced to set a good vibe and sometimes fast-paced when I have a hard time getting up for work)
• drinking tea
• write what i’m grateful, how i want to feel today & the focus of the day (using a daily template on notion)
• write my todo list for the day on the same notion page
• sometimes I meditate using Balance
• sometimes I read

My evening routine involves:

• calm music i love - sets the vibe, lets you slow down
• 5 min for put stuff in it’s place (aka quick clean)
• journaling (on the same Notion page from the morning)
• writing down my highlights of the day as bulletpoints on Notion
• sometimes I write my to-do-list for my next day

Since the start of this year, my 6 year old daughter and I plan a "special" for the day. Usually its something that's lightweight, fun for both of us and new. Yesterday we painted toenails. One day we each drew pictures of a scene that dad gave us a prompt for. On Valentine's Day, we baked bruschetta on bread cut in the shape of hearts. Daily special moments.

I recently started listening to 10-minute mediations on energy, abundance, gratitude or whatever you're feeling the need for that day. There are great options on Youtube and Spotify.

I believe that nowadays you should be able to adapt;

I try to adjust my daily rituals to tackle everyday challenges and prioritize the most rewarding ones.

I got most of my inspiration from these two excellent books: "Make Time by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky." and "Atomic Habits from James Clear."

I learn new things. I use udemy like most use NetFlix.
I lift heavy weights, get some cardio in and combine it with yoga/flexibility.
I eat red meat and eggs daily, this has been a game-changer for my mental and physical health, I avoid refined carbohydrates such as flour and sugar.

Morning:

1. Read my affirmations first thing in morning
2. Yoga, Pranayama
3. Vipassana Meditation

Evening:

1. Workout
2. Read my affirmations just before going to bed

Iced Americano in the morning keeps me motivated/curious about things for at least 3 hours. I found getting new paying customers helps with motivation for that particular project too.