Activity Rituals

Are there any things that you need to do a certain way? For me, i can't write essays or basically do anything as an aspiring English major unless it's 11:30 at night, the caffeine is flowing, and my feet are kicked up on my desk with my laptop in my lap. I've tried writing with feet flat on the floor, back straight, and shoulders back only to find out just how much i love stumbleupon.

My roommate's GF needs to make sure everyone in the room has matching socks on before she'll come in and socialize.

How about it TFP, is there anything that you do (out of bed) that you need to do a certain, quirky way?

 

Back when I wrote exams, I had a ritual that I used to calm myself... prior to leaving for the exam, I would take an hour to relax and play solitaire (with actual cards). The concentration on the game took away the tension associated with the exam and all the jitters of "do I know the material well enough?"

I teach my players to have a consistent pre-game ritual... after having used a diary for at least a year of what they did/ate in the hours prior to the game, with a self-rating of how well they then did. Most don't do it, but the best ones I've ever had did, and found out that there were certain foods/activities that relaxed them or just helped them give their best performance. It was, and should be, highly individual, but it works. And it can work for just about any stressful situation that you face repeatedly.