Science rituals, why they are needed and how to use them

Why would a man rituals

In ancient times, numerous rites accompanied all human life - from birth to death. Many of them have been associated with religion, but their effect is not limited to the strengthening of faith.

Rituals help people to maintain order in society, pointing to each in his place, to eliminate doubts and created a clear structure in the chaos of life. People spend a lot of time on unnecessary seemingly rites, but instead got the confidence and psychological comfort.

In terms of psychology, we are not so different from the religion of their ancestors. Life of modern man is riddled with rituals from meaningless, like spitting over his left shoulder, to the practical - drawing up the list of cases in the morning.

Despite the development of medicine, science and technology, our life remains unpredictable, chaotic and dangerous. No one is immune from harm and diseasesWe are still mortal, and sometimes - suddenly mortal.

In this chaos and uncertainty poor human brain is simply obliged to find a calm island to not tremble in terror every day, and to gain confidence in the fact that we do everything correctly, and life goes on plan. It is for this and need rituals.

And it's not just a theory. The need for rituals for our peace of mind and well-being proven by science.

How the brain reacts to rituals

Using EEG, scientists have discovered how the human brain responds to the error. 50-100 milliseconds after the incident, there is a reaction in the anterior cingulate cortexCognitive and emotional influences in anterior cingulate cortex, Called "negative, due to an error» (error-related negativity, ERN).

As a rule, ERN value is associated with the ability to identify their miscalculations and do a good job. The larger ERN, the more attentive and focused man, the less he makes oversights.

However, in the experimentRituals decrease the neural response to performance failure. Psychologist Nicholas Hobson (Nicholas M. Hobson) this relationship broke down due to the rituals.

Hobson decided to see how the new rituals, repeatable day-to-day impact on people ERN. One group of students during the week made the same gesture with his hands. The control group also perform movements, but each time they were different, so do not become a ritual.

On the day of the test, two tests were the students: to perform the ritual and after it. Students who are accustomed to the ritual, prior to running a negative reaction to an error was high, and then decreased significantly. The accuracy of the responses fell.

The students who were carrying out a random set of movements, the value of ERN was approximately the same in both tests. Scientists have concluded that rituals help calm down, Feel more confident, but it does not reduce the quality of the responses.

rituals benefit study also confirmedDo not stop believing: Rituals improve performance by decreasing anxiety Alison Wood Brooks (Alison Wood Brooks). Rituals before performing tasks to reduce anxiety and improve the results of the participants.

Rituals help people cope with anxiety, provide confidence and reduce negative emotions error.

How to make useful rituals

Three simple steps to help you make a useful ritual:

1. Remember what makes you more relaxed, productive and happy. If something makes you feel better, you can do this ritual.
2. Make a plan for the ritual of 3-5 points. It should be simple and easy to remember, so you do not have to pry every time, what's the next step.
3. Repeat the ritual every day, with no gaps. It should become a permanent part of your life.

What rituals to perform morning and evening

To make it clearer, we give good options for rituals in the morning and evening. Use if they are suitable for you.

morning ritual

It will help you start your day without stress and anxiety. Follow immediately after waking.

• meditate. Meditation helps to be more calm and focused during the day, good to resist stress, and experience fewer negative emotions. Meditate 5-10 minutes immediately after waking up. You can concentrate on your breathing or on what is going on in your head.
• Take charge. Some physical exercises and gentle stretching can help you remove the stiffness after sleep and feel refreshed and energetic.
• Eat a healthy breakfast. Teach yourself to eat high-protein breakfastAnd you do not feel hunger and frustration before lunch.
• Make plans for the day. Just select a few key things that need to have time for a day, or use other planning methods. This will help you tune in to perform tasks and make a little more certainty in their day.

evening ritual

Follow evening ritual an hour before bedtime. It will help you to calm down, to fall asleep quickly and sleep very well.

• Keep a journal. hand writingThat happened during the day, what you care, distressed, happy. This practice teaches you awareness, it helps to calm the mind and even improve health.
• Prepare everything for tomorrow. Decide what will go to work, prepare clothes and clean shoes. If you exercise in the morning, bring the bag to the gym. Wash the dishes, decide what you will eat breakfast - do everything possible in the evening. So you unload the morning, you will be able to spend it more enjoyable and relaxed.
• read a book. In contrast to the view of social networks or movies, reading beautifully soothing. Study6 Minutes to Slumber showed that only six minutes reading reduce stress levels by 68% - more than listening to music, tea and a walk.
• meditate. Meditation helps to calm down, clear the mind from the challenges and experiences. So you will not be until the middle of the night looking at the ceiling, digesting the events of the day and worrying about the future.

This is only examples of rituals. Free to change the items if they do not suit you. For example, if in the morning you do not really want to eat, breakfast can be replaced with a delicious tea or coffee - it will also be part of the rite.

The main thing - to repeat a ritual invented every day, with no gaps. When you get used to it, your day will be much more relaxed and happy.

see also

• 10 morning ritual for a productive start to the day →
• 25 daily rituals of the most successful people →
• Simple morning ritual of the author of the book "The Magic of the morning," Hal Elrod →