Have you ever had one of those days where everything feels a little off, but you can’t quite put your finger on why?
Maybe you’re more irritable than usual. Maybe your home feels cluttered no matter how much you clean it. Maybe you’ve been carrying around the same stress, conversation, or mental to do list for days and it’s starting to catch up with you.
Sometimes what we’re feeling isn’t something we can solve with another workout, supplement, or productivity hack. Sometimes we simply need a reset.
Many spiritual traditions share the belief that energy is meant to move. When it becomes stagnant, it can leave us feeling stuck, depleted, and disconnected from ourselves.To explore simple rituals for clearing that heaviness, we turned to Misun Delmon, founder of Cedar & Myrrh, whose approach to ritual centers around the idea that scent, atmosphere, and intention have the power to shift how we feel.
Looking for more ways to reset? Be sure to read our guide on How to Clear Your Energy: 7 Rituals to Reset After Work, Travel, or a Breakup.
7 Rituals to Help You Feel Like Yourself Again
+ Start With Stillness Before You Try to Fix Anything
When we’re feeling off, our instinct is often to immediately reach for a solution. We scroll, distract ourselves, power through, or convince ourselves we’ll feel better once we’ve checked one more thing off the list.
But sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is pause.
“When my energy feels unsettled, I try not to immediately fix it,” says Misun. “My first ritual is usually creating stillness. I dim the lights, open a window if possible, and burn either palo santo or hinoki incense. Then I sit quietly for a few minutes without my phone or distractions.”
It’s easy to miss how much we’re carrying when we’re constantly moving. A few quiet minutes can be enough to notice what’s actually weighing on you.
Misun often reaches for Cedar & Myrrh’s Palo Santo or Hinoki Incense during these moments. Both are designed to create a grounding atmosphere, but she says the Hinoki scent in particular has a calming, almost meditative quality that helps her slow down and reconnect with the present moment.
+ Work With Smoke Intentionally
Sage bundles and palo santo have become wellness staples over the last several years, but their roots run much deeper than aesthetics.
Traditionally, these tools have been used in rituals designed to mark transitions, clear emotional heaviness, and create a sense of renewal.
The key, according to Misun, is intention.
“A lot of people treat palo santo or sage like a quick room fragrance,” she says. “But traditionally these materials were used much more intentionally. Before lighting anything, I always recommend slowing down for a moment and asking yourself: What am I trying to release? What energy do I want to invite in?”
Whether you’re moving through a breakup, closing out a stressful work week, or simply feeling emotionally cluttered, approaching the ritual with purpose can completely change the experience.
Open a window. Move slowly through your space. Let the smoke symbolize release rather than simply scenting a room.
For those looking to create a more intentional practice, Cedar & Myrrh’s Sage Bundles, Palo Santo, and Hinoki Incense are thoughtfully designed around ritual and grounding rather than home fragrance alone.
+ Create a 10 Minute Reset Ritual
Not every energy-clearing practice needs to be an event.
In fact, some of the most effective rituals take less than ten minutes.
“One of the simplest rituals is what I call a reset ritual,” says Misun. “Open a window. Light incense or a candle. Slowly tidy one small area around you, even just your desk or bedside table. Take a few deep breaths and consciously release tension from your body.”
Then comes the part most of us skip.
“Sit quietly for two minutes without consuming anything. No scrolling, no music, no stimulation.”
It sounds simple because it is. But fresh air, scent, light, and a few moments without distractions can completely change how a space feels.
Sometimes all it takes is lighting a candle or incense to signal that you’re stepping out of “doing” mode and into something a little slower. Misun often incorporates Hinoki Incense or Cedar & Myrrh’s Deep Breath Candle into these moments to create that transition.
+ Clear Physical Clutter to Move Stagnant Energy
Energy and environment are deeply connected.
It’s one reason why so many spiritual traditions incorporate sweeping, cleaning, and organizing into cleansing rituals. When things accumulate physically, they often begin to feel heavy emotionally too.
You don’t need to Marie Kondo your entire home overnight.
Instead, focus on creating movement:
• change your sheets
• clear off a cluttered surface
• throw away dead flowers
• organize your nightstand
• wipe down mirrors
• clean your entryway
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s creating space.
Sometimes what feels like an energetic block is simply a reminder that something in your environment is asking for attention.
+ Create a Space That Feels Sacred
Most of us have that one chair, corner, or spot in the house where we naturally feel calmer. If you don’t, creating one can be surprisingly powerful. It doesn’t need to be elaborate, a candle you love, a stack of books that inspire you, fresh flowers, a journal, or a meaningful object collected during your travels. Anything that encourages you to slow down and spend a few moments with yourself.
These small spaces become anchors.
Over time, your body begins to associate them with calm, reflection, and presence. In a world that constantly pulls our attention outward, having a place that brings you back to yourself can feel surprisingly grounding.
+ Release What No Longer Belongs to You
Not all heavy energy comes from our surroundings. Sometimes it comes from what we’re still carrying long after a situation has ended.
An unresolved conversation. A relationship you’ve outgrown. Expectations that no longer fit the season you’re in. Even positive life changes can leave behind emotional residue that quietly takes up space in our minds and bodies.
One of the reasons symbolic rituals have remained part of spiritual traditions for centuries is that they help create a sense of closure when life doesn’t always offer it naturally. Writing down thoughts that have been circling in your mind, journaling about what you’re ready to release, or creating a simple full moon ritual can provide a tangible way to acknowledge what’s weighing on you and consciously choose to move forward.
The ritual itself is less important than the intention behind it. What matters is creating a moment to ask yourself what you’re still carrying that no longer needs to come with you. Sometimes simply naming it is enough to begin letting it go.
+ Create a Nighttime Ritual That Signals Closure
For many of us, the day doesn’t actually end when work is finished. We move from emails to texts, from social media to television, and eventually collapse into bed without ever giving ourselves a chance to transition.
It’s no surprise that so many people struggle to feel rested when their nervous system never receives the signal that it’s safe to slow down.
This is where evening rituals can become incredibly powerful. Rather than viewing them as another wellness task to complete, think of them as a way of creating emotional closure between one day and the next. A few minutes spent reading, stretching, lighting a candle, journaling, or simply sitting in a quieter atmosphere can help create that separation.
For Misun, evening rituals are one of the most meaningful parts of her day.
“Our Hinoki collection works beautifully in the evening because the scent feels grounding, soft, and emotionally quieting,” she says. “I also love using our Deep Breath candle at night because it creates a slower, more reflective atmosphere after a long day.”
Together, they help create the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to put your phone down, take a deep breath, and finally exhale.
The beauty of ritual is that it doesn’t need to be elaborate to be effective.
“I always say ritual does not need to be complicated,” she adds. “Even lighting one candle with intention can become a meaningful act of emotional closure.”
Maybe that’s why these rituals resonate so deeply right now. Life isn’t getting any quieter, but creating even a few intentional moments throughout the day can change how we move through it.
Whether it’s lighting palo santo before a difficult conversation, taking two minutes of stillness before reaching for your phone, or ending the day with a candle burning beside you, the goal isn’t perfection. It’s simply creating space to let go of what’s heavy and make room for what comes next.
