Simple Rituals for Type-Bs to Find Creative Freedom and Focus

ground your chaos brain

Seven days into 2025, I’ve already found more freedom and focus than ever before. How? By creating a simple ritual for myself—a habit stack, if you prefer a productivity bro lens.

This post will be brief. I’ll share everything you need to ground your chaos-brain and build a ritual that works for you.

I’m pro-rules and pro-structure. Boundaries aren’t constraints—they’re creative tools. With clear limitations, our brains can relax, focus, and push deeper. Why? Because boundaries provide comfort. They’re like soft edges in a sandbox, giving us room to play without the fear of falling off the edge. When the brain isn’t busy worrying, it’s freed up to focus on the good stuff: the creative work.

Your ritual doesn’t have to look like mine. Mine starts with writing because that’s what feels right for me. Yours could begin with taking a photo, going for a walk, or drawing the same plant every morning. The key is to choose something that resonates with you and commit to it.

🗑 The Prep 🗑

If you’re hooked on social media (no judgment, it happens), the solution is simple but not easy: get off it. I was addicted to the endless scroll on TikTok—mesmerized by the talking heads and bite-sized entertainment. But it reached a point where it felt like brain-rot.

Last year, I quit Instagram completely. I’d already started cutting back, so the shift wasn’t shocking, but freeing. A decade and I was done.

If you’re struggling to quit, try reframing your mindset. Instead of thinking, Wow, this is so entertaining or educational, focus on the downsides: the repetition, the time sink, the emptiness. Get bored with it. Disgusted, even. That mental shift can make detaching easier.

🕯 The Ritual 🕯

Here’s the daily ritual that grounds me and creates space for deeper work:

1. Write for 30 minutes.
   It’s not about the exact time—it’s about consistency. Some days it’s shorter, some days longer, but I always start my morning by sitting in bed with my notebook. If I feel blocked, I use prompts from GPT to kickstart ideas.

2. Open Notion.
   My entire work life lives in Notion, but I’ve learned that it only works if I open it daily. Last year, I failed a 100-day action plan simply because I didn’t check in consistently. Now, opening Notion is a non-negotiable. It’s a tiny step that keeps me moving forward.

3. Engage with people.
   Rebuilding my life in public means connecting with others. I start online—Substack chats, LinkedIn, or email—but I aim to take it offline. This week, I scheduled two coffee dates. Whether it’s a walk, a call, or an in-person meeting, the goal is to show up for real conversations.

4. Reflect at the end of the day.
   Each evening, I spend a minute jotting down three things: what I accomplished (or didn’t), what surprised me, and what I’ll focus on tomorrow. It’s a quick way to create closure and prepare for the next day.

✏️ The Tools ✏️

Here are the tools I swear by:

• Stalogy B5 Notebook. Perfect for freewriting or drafting posts offline when I need a break from screens.

• ANECDOTE Black Ink Gel Pens. Smooth, reliable, and satisfying to use.

• Adult Contemporary Jazz or Meditative Music. My favorites are WGBO and Osaki playlists. They create a calm, focused vibe.

📒 Bonus Rituals 📒

• Reading library books. With three library cards, I love wandering the aisles and picking whatever catches my eye.

• Watching movies nightly. It’s a way to wind down while avoiding the trap of mindless TV.

• Honorable mentions: Taking meds, running, walking my dog.

I’m not claiming to be perfect. I still watch Real Housewives—I’ll never give it up. But I’ve noticed that during stressful years, I could only handle junk food for my brain. Now, I’m reclaiming habits that feed my creativity and curiosity.

What’s one ritual you can try this week? Share it in the comments—I’d love to hear what grounds you!