How Simple Daily Rituals Can Help You Step Into Your Full Potential
- May 30
- 7 min read
If you’ve been feeling lost, scattered, or disconnected from yourself, you might not need a big change—just a few intentional rituals and a bit more structure.
Small daily rituals or routines can have a big impact on your life and wellbeing—and in this blog post, I'll share how they can help you step into your full potential, build your confidence, boost your mental health, and live a life that's fully aligned with you.
Coming back from Korea a couple of weeks ago, I noticed something: My routines had completely fallen apart. And even though the trip was amazing, the disruption reminded me how much I rely on simple daily structures for my mental and emotional wellbeing + how much more productive I am with them in place.
🎧 I go into much more detail in the podcast episode - if you want to know how I'm building back my routines, listen to the entire podcast episode here.
The Power of Routines & Rituals: Why They Work
According to a study by Arlinghaus et al. (2018) a healthy lifestyle—meaning one that supports long-term wellbeing— includes three key areas:
Regularly eating nutritious food
Regular physical activity
Consistent sleep
From my years of experience as a coach and psychological consultant, I'd add emotional and spiritual wellbeing to this list.
So what does this mean?
When you put in place routines that support these core areas, you set yourself up to function at your best and highest potential.
Interestingly, these areas are also at the base of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. They support your physiological and safety needs—the foundation of everything else you build our life on. Without these met, your system goes into survival mode, not thriving mode.
How Daily Rituals Help You Step Into Your Full Potential
Parents know exactly how important habits and routine are for their kids. Study after study shows that routines help kids build resilience, emotional regulation, and even cognitive development.
Just take these findings:
Bedtime routines improve sleep and family functioning.
Family routines are tied to academic success and social skills.
Stable, predictable home environments improve cognitive development, self-regulation, and emotional behaviour. They help build self-esteem, self-reliance, and mental health in children.
Routines create predictability, which helps children feel safe and secure. And when they feel safe, their brains can focus on learning, social interaction, and emotional regulation.
But here’s the thing: it doesn’t stop with childhood. Adults need structure too. In fact, observational research shows that people who are in good health tend to follow routine health behaviors—they don’t leave wellness to chance.
Having a few predictable daily routines in place can:
connect you with yourself and your essence
lower your stress and anxiety
help you feel in control of your thoughts and wellbeing
improve your focus
create a sense of safety (which soothes your nervous system)
save energy (you stop negotiating with yourself—“Should I go to the gym today?” “Maybe I’ll journal later…”—you just do it).
Want to hear exactly how these habits and routines help you reach your full potential? Listen to the full episode here.
Where to Start: Build One Routine at a Time
If you're wondering which routines you should implement first, ask yourself: Which area of my life is currently the most dysregulated (sleep, nutrition, exercise, emotional and spiritual wellbeing)? Where could I use some structure?
And then start with one area and one small new routine. Maybe it’s your sleep. Maybe it’s your emotional wellbeing. Maybe it's exercise.
One study found that it takes on average 66 days to form a habit—but the range was between 18 and 254 days. So expect it to take time, start small and be patient with yourself.
Why Morning Routines Are Magic
If you’re not sure where to start, let me make a strong case for implementing a simple morning routine.
I know, I know—you’ve heard this advice a hundred times. But here's why those first few minutes after you wake up are so powerful:
✨ Your brain is in alpha state
This is a relaxed, subconscious-accessible state, which you can naturally access in the morning right after you wake up or at night right before you fall asleep.
In coaching, we use it for inner work, healing, and reprogramming because this is where the door to the subconscious is more open.
✨ It sets the tone for your entire day
Whatever you do in the first 15–20 minutes acts like an energetic blueprint and sets the foundation for your day.
If you start your morning with stress, it's more likely you'll be stressed out for the rest of the day.
If you start in connection with yourself (this is when it’s extremely beneficial to meditate, journal, connect with yourself in any kind of way, have a gratitude routine, prayer routine..), you'll be much more in your power, calmer and focused.
✨ It’s a window to connect with yourself before the world intrudes
This is the time when you’re most likely to not get lost in the business of the day, which makes it a perfect slot to add small routines to.
As soon as the day starts it’s harder to find time for rituals - things happen, maybe the ego comes up with excuses, and next thing you know, another day has gone by and you didn't make time for your routine.
So what kinds of small daily rituals are amazing in the morning?
Meditation
Journaling
Gratitude
Prayers
Visualisation
I like to include a simple 3-item to-do list so I know exactly what I want to focus on throughout the day
Movement (even 5–10 minutes of stretching or yoga)
....
In my experience, some combination of the these in the morning sets an amazing foundation for the day:
You’re more centered, grounded, in your power
You're clear on what you want to focus on
You get less triggered through the day
Changes happen more easily
It’s the perfect foundation to step into your potential
Want to go know more about why morning routines are so important to reach your full potential? Tune into the full podcast episode here.
Night Routines: The Other Magic Hour
If mornings are impossible for you, no worries. Evening rituals are just as powerful.
As you wind down, your brain starts shifting into that same alpha state that you have in the morning. This makes it a beautiful time to come back to yourself.
So ask yourself:
What do I need in the evening?
What helps me feel more centered, calm and safe?
What helps me fall asleep peacefully?
Here are some ideas:
Reading a book
Listening to a guided meditation
Light journaling (especially wins + gratitude)
Visualization
Reflecting on the day
Gentle breathwork
...
You get to choose whatever feels best to you.
Final Thoughts: Think of These Small Daily Rituals As A Way Of Self-Parenting
As an adult, you're responsible for your own wellbeing and if you want to feel good, function at your highest potential, and create an aligned life & career, it's important that you show up for yourself as if you were your own parent: with care, compassion, predictability, and presence.
So ask yourself:
What do I need?
What kind of structure would benefit me?
What’s one small routine I can implement into my life?
Then just test it for 30 days. No pressure to be perfect. Just play with it and see what happens.
When you create even the tiniest amount of structure, your life begins to shift. You feel more clear. More connected and in your power. And you make choices that are fully aligned with who you are. 💗
If you want a deeper dive into all of this—plus a behind-the-scenes look at how my trip to Korea disrupted (and reminded me of the power of) my own habits to reach your full potential—go listen to the full podcast episode right here.
✨ Bonus gift alert ✨
If you leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re tuning in from, and DM me a screenshot on Instagram, I’ll send you my exclusive Mindset Journal to support you with implementing a simple, but powerful morning routine. ✨🙏
Ready to take the next step?
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From my heart to yours
Tajda 🌷🫶
📚 Sources:
Arlinghaus KR, Johnston CA. The Importance of Creating Habits and Routine. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2018 Dec 29;13(2):142-144. doi: 10.1177/1559827618818044. PMID: 30800018; PMCID: PMC6378489.
Selman, S. B., & Dilworth-Bart, J. E. (2024). Routines and child development: A systematic review. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 16(2), 272–328.
Heintzelman, S. J., & King, L. A. (2018). Routines and Meaning in Life. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 45(5), 688-699. (Original work published 2019)
Author
Tajda Glazer
Professional Life & Career Coach, Psychological Consultant and host of the podcast "What If It Is Possible?"
I'm a lawyer turned Professional Life & Career Coach and I've helped hundreds of clients go from feeling lost, anxious, burned out and stuck on the hamster wheel, to finding their purpose and turning their dream life & career into reality. I believe in making changes from the inside out, in a way that feels easeful and aligned with you. ✨ I host the podcast "What If It Is Possible?", mentor students in reaching their goals, and help leaders elevate their conscious leadership skills.
