#VirtualRitual – Each weekday our friends from Penn, including Students, Staff, Faculty, Penn Religious Communities Council and other voices from campus will be sharing the ways their spiritual rituals have adapted while staying at home and as they connect to their spiritual communities remotely.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Working from home has disrupted many people’s daily routines, including rituals associated with commuting to and from campus. The altered experience of staying at home allows for the development of new habits. Being mindful of this, Lisa Marie Patzer, Communication and Web Director, has been supplementing her morning and afternoon cups of coffee with an 8 oz. glass of water. Drinking plenty of water has many health benefits including reduced headaches, increased energy, better digestion, lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and increased physical performance. Although Lisa Marie has been aware of the benefits of increased water consumption, her go-to beverage for her daily commute has always been coffee. Drinking coffee is an experience that she associates with travel and working in an office, making it an incredibly difficult behavior to change. One trick Lisa Marie has been using to reinforce the decision to drink more water is adding fresh squeezed lime-juice. Lime juice is loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants, as well as citric acid. Plus, it tastes good! Over time, it has become easier for Lisa Marie to select water over coffee as her beverage of choice, and with enough reinforcement, it is a habit she will continue when her daily routine once again includes a daily commute. #workfromhome #wellness⠀