The Happiness Lab podcast- The power of a made-up ritual

On this episode of The Happiness Lab podcast, Dr Laurie Santos and her guest, who the listener knows only by the name ‘Vlad’, discuss the power of rituals and family traditions. Vlad explains how during his childhood his Mother taught him a family tradition to remember his Grandpa when eating the first fruits of the season, as a way to believe that his Grandpa would also taste these fruits from heaven. When Vlad sadly lost his Mother to cancer, he came back to this ritual that he once questioned, but this time thinking of his Mother. Whilst Vlad does not believe that the practice works, this ritual has had a huge positive effect on him and has helped him in navigating his grief. 

The research discussed in this episode found that those who engage in rituals after a loss tend to feel more in control, and as a result, they experience less grief. This is an important finding as it means that we can create new rituals whenever they are needed, although most do not realise that we have such a powerful tool available to us.

Science suggests that taking part in rituals can have an extremely positive effect on our wellbeing, even the first time they are performed. Rituals are often used to honour people after they die. When we think of grieving, we often think of widely used cultural rituals such as gathering for prayer or sending flowers, however this can be more nuanced; meaning people are often unaware of the rituals they are taking part in. Personal practices such as listening to a loved one’s favourite song in private honours the person lost and can help the bereaved to recover. 

We would recommend listening to this episode of The Happiness Lab, as although rituals and traditions may not be your bag, through this episode and understanding the science of the mind, it may inspire you to give it a go! It could be eating the person's favourite food, walking to their favourite place, or watching a movie they loved. The power of ritual is repetition but there are no rules around how often, so make it fit in with your lifestyle and way of doing things!