Juicy summertime rituals for 2026

As another season lands, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite routines and rituals. The value of having this regular actions in my day is that it offers a sense of being grounded. It offers consistency. It creates a sense of safety. And, when life gets crazy (because we know it will), these small actions can help feel centered, despite navigating chaos.

Typically, when we are taught about morning routines, we are taught that they have to be the exact same thing every day and that they need to abide by a strict timeline. As someone who has a calendar full of deadlines and meetings, the idea of needing to have a perfectly optimized, consistent, and strict morning routine created pressure that made it impossible to commit to anything. Rather than getting out of bed, I would fall into a scroll spiral until I absolutely had to get out of bed and face the day. But that was a gross way to start the day. I think we can all agree that getting sucked into your phone just stacks anxiety onto the overwhelm.

After contemplating the difference between habits, routines, and rituals (read here), I have been more intentional about my own! My morning, daily, and evening routines have become rituals as my intention has become about creating a sense of stability, safety, and connectedness.

Mornings

For summer 2026, I dedicate my morning to me! I am grateful for the privilege I have to make that choice, and take advantage of it these days. I choose to make my morning flexible. I get out of bed, make my bed, then make coffee, take my cats outside, then choose to: paint, crochet, read, meditate, journal, or do yoga or breathwork. What I do each day depends on how I am feeling and what I am interested in. It is sweet to offer myself options and flow with what I feel called to. The flow is was takes this routine into a ritual. The flow helps me feel at ease, and offers me space to create, move, and/or come home to myself. Enjoying time outside in the morning, 90% of the time, also offers consistency and stability so I can feel safe and at home each day. I have committed to this easy morning because consistency and stability helps my body and mind feel safe. I’m not doing it to optimize or perfect. I’m doing it to help myself feel at ease.

Throughout the day

It has been really important for me to reintegrate movement into my days. I’m working on choosing movement because it feels good; it makes me feel alive. So, I’m going on walks! Sometimes I listen to an audiobook. Sometimes I listen to music. Sometimes it is just me and my thoughts. Sometimes it is just going around the block. Other times, it is around the river. Sometimes I throw a few running intervals in, and follow it up with Pilates. Similar to my morning routines, these walks (that sometimes become runs), are used as an opportunity to feel grounded in life, rather than lost in thought. I spend so much time reading, writing, and thinking. Movement helps me come back down to Earth!

I always like the idea of using active transportation to get where I’m going too. But last year, my days were so chaotic that it made biking, longboarding, and walking to destinations challenging. My calendar was so packed that I had to drive! With it being summer, the academic calendar is a little quieter, and I have fewer sessions with clients. So, I have more time in my days to get to choose active transit. I get to walk to coffee shops, longboard to markets, and bike to see friends. Flowers I’ve spotted on these adventures are featured below!

I am also more intentional about my posture and how I am breathing throughout the day. When I was in the thick of PhD chaos, I would disconnect from my body, and sit for so long while I braced my muscles because I was stressed, that I would ache when it was time to get home. My lower back felt 80. My posture was straight shrimp. I was in chronic pain. Rather than becoming my chair, I’m staying connected to my body, breathing well, which makes sitting tall easy. I take movement breaks as needed, and pay more attention to how activated I am as I write.

It has also been sweet to feel like I have the capacity to prioritize my physical space. This starts with making my bed each day. I have also committed to keeping my sink clear of dishes, and dust my desk more regularly. These small commitments to keep my space clear contribute to the ease I’m working to cultivate!

Evenings

My evenings look similar to my mornings. But instead of consuming coffee, I’m consuming YouTube. My rotation include paranormal and true crime, as well as comedy podcasts. I also recently watched 13 Going on 30. And it holds up so well! You did not come here looking for movie recommendations. But I’m giving you one.

I’m also working on setting up my sleep space to make it more conducive to rest. This set up mostly includes organizing my pillows so I have knee support. Sometimes it also means folding up and stacking a few heavy blankets on my body to feel more grounded. As I fall asleep, I’m also working on listening to my body and feeling safe to rest, rather than needing to keep my mind distracted from the fatigue.

This is a snippet of how I spend my days when I’m not writing manuscripts and connecting with clients. <3

Much love,

Karissa