Rituals for Deepening Relationships
Rituals are key to strengthening relationships with the people you care about. We define relationship rituals, explain the benefits, and how to get started.
What is a Ritual?
Rituals serve to put some structure into our chaotic lives. It’s a series of actions driven by deliberate intention and focus that invoke a state tied to a goal. They are a powerful tool for connection that requires intent and engagement.
A study found that when people are put under stress they unconsciously resort to ritualistic behaviors. It directs your attention to the act of connecting, therefore blocking negative emotions that may arise.
Qualities that make a ritual:
- Predictable
- Repetitive
- Shared goal
- Carries a symbolic meaning
Benefits of Rituals
- Increases focus
- Improves performance and confidence
- Provides sense of security
- Reduces anxiety
- Lowers blood pressure
- Increases immune system function
What is a Relationship Ritual?
Rituals are also a fun and profound way to enrich any relationship. When created for the purpose of deepening your relationships, a ritual is about agreeing on a cadence to regularly connect with family and friends by sharing life updates (How are you really doing?).
The function of a shared group ritual allows you to participate fully in the social world by affiliating with members of the group, reaffirming your position in the group, and sharing important social conventions and cultural knowledge. The simple act of stating your intention acts as a social cue, a reminder, to the person or group of their shared values – in this case, your relationship.
The repetitive actions of ritual leads to better memory recall – rather than catching up, you’re going deeper. Over time, you begin to gain a better understanding of each other with each interaction.
Benefit of Relationship Rituals
If your ritual is about connecting regularly and sharing life updates, you’ll experience these benefits:
- Deepens relationship over time as trust builds and opens each other to be more vulnerable
- Transfers meaning to the people we’re connecting with, leading to feelings of shared unity
- Regulates negative emotions and anxiety as framing the act as a ritual gives it inherent meaning
- Promotes a sense of control and enhances self-esteem as the successful completion of a ritual acts as a signal to that you have control over a situation.
- Regulates your connection to a group through shared attention and emotional experiences.
- Increases the perceived value of the relationship as each time you complete the ritual it transfers meaning.
How to Develop Relationship Rituals
Here are a few ways you can create meaningful rituals to connect with the people you care about:
- Mindset: Affirmations and set your intention
- Action: Share your intention & goal by having a conversation with the people you want to regularly connect with.
- Incremental steps: Agree on a timing; twice a week, once a week; if your goal is to connect 3x times a week, start with once a week or bi-weekly and work your way up.TIP: If you can make it the same day or same time day each time you connect, this makes your ritual even sticker.
- Accountability: Set reminders
- Reflect: Check in with each other to see how the process is going and how you’re feeling about it.
- Celebrate!
About Fabriq
Build Better Social Habits
Fulfilling relationships are scientifically proven to keep you happy and healthy — boosting your immunity and longevity. When you prioritize the people that matter most, even when life gets full, you naturally show up better for them and yourself.
Science-backed and the first of its kind, Fabriq is designed to improve your social health and make building better social habits easy, so you can focus on what (and who) really matters.
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