How To Turn a Routine Into a Ritual

A Daily Upgrade: We all have parts of our day that are so routine, we barely think about them, like brushing our teeth or reading before bed. Routines offer predictability and structure. But rituals give us more: meaning, purpose, even emotional regularity. In her new book, “Where the Heart Is,” interior design expert Katie McCrory has some advice on how we can turn routines into rituals to feel more at home in our home.

The Benefits: Rituals offer a form of connection to ourselves and others — even a higher power, in the case of spirituality. They indicate rites of passage or transitions. They provide expected outcomes that can decrease anxiety or worry (“If I do X this way again, then Y will happen”). With added intention, reading before bed moves beyond just a nightly routine. Lighting a scented candle, putting your phone away, immersing yourself in the story to relax — that’s self-care. The result? We feel more comfortable and nurtured at home.

How To Do It: Think about what existing routines can become rituals. McCrory says rituals must have three components: clear purpose that answers why you do it, specific behaviors that make it intentional, and a designated space with visual clues and without distractions.