The other day, I stumbled upon a curious and joyful May Day tradition—Morris Dancers calling in the summer on Dartmoor. It reminded me how rituals, big and small, help us mark change—not just in the seasons, but in our lives. The Beltane Morris Dance is a yearly ritual here on Dartmoor that marks a big transition in the northern countries – the flurry of life returning to the countryside. The fresh unfurling green of deciduous leaves, the sound of the cuckoo, grasses, vegetables (and weeds!) sprouting up. It was a joyous and festive event with music, singing, and dancing. All done with the aim of calling in the summer and marking the end of winter.

Navigating transitions, seasonal or otherwise, is part of our journey as people – whether that is growing up or taking on the things that life throws our way. And these transitions can be small, like getting ready for bed, or big ones like getting married or ending a career.

Anyone who’s tried getting a little one into bed knows the power of a good routine. Making my little ball of love and light ready to switch off for the day isn’t always an easy task. Our routine is teeth, pajamas, bed, bedtime story, talk about the day – “Roses & Thorns,” and then a soft song after the light goes out.

For me personally, I have been closing out the day with a reflection on my successes (big and small) as well as my reflections and gratitudes. And I can safely say this has made me a more resilient human, both as a parent and sole-entrepreneur facilitator.

What rituals do you use to help get you in the right mindset?

And in case the word “ritual” fills you with shivers of “wooo ju-ju”, please don’t worry. By ritual, I simply mean any regularly repeated process.

This could involve movement, words, and/or any other action done at a certain place or time. Doing this age-old practice helps set a useful mindset or intention for any transition. This can be daily (meditation then coffee), weekly (Friday lunch and review), or even seasonally – as with the Beltane Morris Dancers.

In their article on ritual, Dinesh Bhugra and Antonio Ventriglio point out some key ingredients, as well as a few things to be mindful of, when it comes to making healthy rituals:

  • They are voluntary: This helps people participate in an engaged way, and also separates them from coercive acts used by some groups to manipulate people.
  • They are participatory: That is, they require some kind of action from those involved. Eating wafers at communion or throwing salt over the shoulder are examples of this.
  • They are symbolic rather than functional: The activity isn’t just a means to an end; participating in it has meaning itself.
  • They are repeatable: When things are done again and again, they create a sense of belonging and comfort. These can be repeated by a group once, i.e., a graduation ceremony, or by an individual on a regular or nominated basis, like locking the smartphone in a cupboard at 9 PM.

One thing to bear in mind when it comes to rituals is that they are often comforting and meaningful to those participating, while appearing strange and weird to those who witness or stumble across them, especially if they are practiced within the context of a different culture from our own. (I witnessed this on May Day as some tourists entered the scene at 6am to crowd of whooping maniacs dressed like Mad Max characters!)

Just as our personal rituals anchor us, work places often develop their own rituals to build connection, predictability and culture. These can include Friday (now Thursday) night drinks, half-year reviews, or “bonus time,” even job interviews. One person I know carries the watch from his great-grandfather in his pocket to meetings to help him be on time.

We all have rituals tucked somewhere into our lives –

Remember putting on your special underwear for a date – regardless of whether it was going to be seen or not?

Rituals don’t have to be sacred or showy—they just need to be meaningful to the person doing them. So, what small acts do you return to, again and again, to feel grounded in your life?”