No matter where you are in the world, the seasons are shifting. In Australia, this week we’re moving into Spring, where parts of the northern hemisphere shift into a wintery cold. With the change of seasons, it can be common for our wellness routines to shift too.
Warmer weather naturally draws us outdoors and cooler climates ask us to find solace under a thick blanket. It’s normal for our routines to eb and flow throughout not just the seasons of weather, but also through the many seasons we’ll experience in life. The way you moved at 21 may not be the same as when you’re in your 30s and vice versa.
Movement changes, our lifestyles change and with that comes a new wave of personal rituals and routines to meet us where we’re at. But, when your seasons are changing, you might be feeling lost or disenfranchised with your routine as it stands. Through this transition phase, we invite you to take the time to reflect on those habits which feel sticky in the body and potentially at odds with your mind. Not all routines need to stay the same forever - so this week, let us get a bit meta with it all and help inspire you with simple micro-rituals you can adapt during the change of seasons.
What does the research say on habit formation?
Science shows that it takes 66 days to form a habit, and the research consistently demonstrates that “too much change, too fast” is likely to end without positive results. It’s a common experience many have fallen into before - the ‘all or nothing’ mindset. But, when you’re craving a genuine change to your routine, how do you build it into your week without causing overwhelm? We know that we’re in an era of optimisation overwhelm, where proprietary research by KIC Wellness has shown that 97% of people have felt pressure to optimise their health in the last 12 months.
Where’s the middle ground? What’s truly worth spending 66 days on implementing into our routine that isn’t a flashy new social trend? The answer might be thinking smaller about your desired habits.
The same research from Arlinghaus & Johnston in 2018 found that when implemented, routines do not require conscious effort or thought. So in order to enable the best adoption of a new routine or habit into your current lifestyle, it is best to structure your day in such a way that fewer decisions need to be made. One answer to help defeat the decision fatigue, is the adoption of micro-rituals.
Psychiatrist and neuroscientist David Rabin, MD, PhD shared with Goop that “short, intentional wellness practices can absolutely take the place of a more elaborate routine,”. A 2025 psychological research report defined micro habits as: “smaller, often unconscious habits that are interwoven with or surround broader habits and routines. These micro-habits operate as subtle, supportive behaviours that reinforce or enable larger patterns of behaviour, often part of a larger habit cluster.”
There’s merit to the saying that change can start small. So here’s three small things you can try if you’re craving a change in this new season.
Looking to journal...
Way back in ISSUE 8 of The Ritual, we shared a list of the new journalling trends we’ve been loving. As part of that was the art of ‘morning pages’. This trend focuses on dedicating a set amount of time each morning to writing about anything that is on your mind. Originally popularised by artist Julia Cameron, this practice focuses on filling three sides of paper with words, stream of consciousness-style, first thing every day.
Previous contributor for The Ritual and writer Hannah Cohen, recently shared with us how she’s been implementing morning pages in her new routine. “Morning pages have become my everyday ritual. Groggy and puffy-eyed, each morning – whether hungover on my bed in Amsterdam or scribbling from a balcony somewhere in Northern Italy – I reach for my journal, and I write. Sometimes what comes out is pure drivel. Sometimes my anxieties find their way onto the page. Sometimes I feel like I’m receiving divine downloads from the universe in real time. Either way, it’s a protected, inherently mindful practice that carves out a sacred moment of stillness in my day. As a result, I’m cultivating a stronger sense of presence, of grounded-ness. And slowly, I’m getting my mojo back.” The best part? This doesn’t need to be a laborious activity. Set a timer for 2 minutes and let the words flow without judgement.
Remember to breathe....
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, our breath is our greatest and simplest tool in our wellness toolkit. Breathwork as a concept can sound intimidating if you’ve never tried it before. In actuality, it’s a ‘process of control’ where you guide your breath through different patterns to either relax or excite the body, according to the University of Wollongong. Breathwork isn’t a new concept, it’s been a practice used across culture and history, such as Qi Gong in China and Pranayama breath in India. However you choose to practice, this video from Imogen - our Head of Training at KICStudio - is your perfect companion to helping you get out of bed, when your energy is at its lowest.
Movement can be small and slow too ...
Speaking of Qi Gong, this can also be a form of movement which feels attainable to integrate into your everyday, without the overhaul overwhelm that comes with joining a new gym. Qi Gong is a Chinese traditional medicine that uses vegetative biofeedback therapy to promote health and wellbeing and to assist with medical conditions. Research published in 2022 by the National Library of Medicine shares that: Traditionally, Qi Gong has been defined as the harmonisation of Qi (the internal vital energy of the body) and blood in the body, aiming to prevent disease and improve health. It is usually a slow and gentle practice, making it easier to incorporate into your daily routine.
Our content creator Grace is a big advocate for incorporating this into her morning routine. “I started doing Qigong in the mornings and I can't stop talking about it. It began as a simple intention - less screen time, more energy, some gentle movement - and it's quietly become one of the best things I've added to my days. My routine is simple: 7 moves, 1 minute each. I try to do it outside - usually halfway through a morning walk - or if that's not possible, in the backyard/as a desk break. No mat, no equipment. Just me and the morning.
The benefits a few months in for me - better energy through the day, improved sleep, and that hard-to-describe feeling of having reset my nervous system (especially before the morning chaos of kids) or as a midday reset.
It's meditative without asking me to sit still, physical without feeling like a workout. Simple enough that I now know the moves - so, no phone (the goal all along), just me, getting outside.
Your micro-movement routine doesn’t need to be 7-minutes long, but this is a reminder that the simplicity of your movement is enough to awaken your body without needing 20 additional steps in your 5-9 before your 9-5.
This interview was initially published in ISSUE 29 of The Ritual, you can subscribe here to read every week for free at Thursday 8am.
