‘Psyched’ is your monthly insight into the psychology and social science that guide our everyday choices. Authored by Summer Treseder, a strategist at Wavemaker and B&T Women in Media Awards winner, ‘Psyched’ unpacks the ‘why’ behind consumer choices with each edition delving into a provocative topic. From exploring ‘the rational reasons why Karens exist’, dissecting ‘OnlyFans Marketing’ to examining our obsession with ‘brand trainwrecks,’ no subject is off limits. Each issue equips marketers (and us ad folk) with deeper insights into consumers’ minds, creating more meaningful connections.
September is often the industry’s busiest month: planning in overdrive, budgets under the microscope, award entries piling up. In that chaos, it’s tempting to stick to the obvious routines. But real success rarely comes from the obvious, it lives in the invisible: micro rituals, tiny habits that quietly shift energy, focus, and outcomes.
While much is written about broad habits like meditation, exercise, or making your bed, I’m fascinated by the deeply personal, almost secret rituals unique to each individual. To see this in action, I asked some of our industry’s greatest to share the small, quirky practices they swear by.
Priming Confidence & Readiness Through Physical Rituals
1. Everyday anchors
For Aimee Buchanan, WPP Media ANZ CEO, it starts with the everyday:
“My silver bangle is my everyday good luck charm. It was my mum’s, and I always feel like she’s with me when I wear it.”
Others carry similar silent anchors. Maria Grivas, CEO of Mindshare AUNZ, wears a necklace she bought on her first day at Mindshare to “carry the energy of that first day” and remind herself of the values she leads with.
Catherine Rushton, chief strategy officer at This is Flow, swears by pen and paper, stating: “I’m ridiculously picky about the pen I use (‘Sharpies gel clickable’ for anybody who’s asking…). Some people meditate; I click my pen. In an AI and efficiency-obsessed world, I’ve found the opposite works for me. This physical ritual slows me down to sharpen my thinking.”
2. High-stakes moments
Some rituals come alive when the stakes are highest. Peter Vogel, CEO of Wavemaker AUNZ, blasts “We Are the Champions” by Queen before pitches and big meetings.
Sophie Price, chief strategy officer at EssenceMediacom, wears client brand colours for a pitch, a superstition turned ritual, while Buchanan avoids repeating outfits that she wore in a lost pitch.
Preparation itself can be ritualised. Aimee Buchanan scripts her notes in full, then distils them into cue cards she doesn’t use but always carries for reassurance. James Hier, Wavemaker chief growth and product officer, takes a more physical approach as a manifestation of a safety blanket:
“When I’m about to write something I need to be sitting really, really tightly in my chair. I lock the arms under the table so I can’t move and get into the brace position.”
Reframing & Perspective
Rituals don’t always look like lucky charms, sometimes they’re deliberate acts of reframing. Chris Colter, managing director, media strategy at Accenture Song ANZ, walks a different route to work almost every day to avoid creative stagnation. He also protects “airtime as downtime,” refusing to work on planes. For him, hours in the sky are a refuge from hyper-connectivity.
Some rituals are about mindset. Chris recalls advice that stuck:
“When things feel hard, arduous or overwhelming reframe the thinking from ‘I’ve got to do this’ to ‘I get to do this.’ It sounds fluffy but reminding myself of the privilege we all have, doing what we do has been genuinely transformative.”
Buchanan also uses language as ritual. She never says ‘good luck’ believing that’s almost bad luck. Instead, she follows a mantra from her OMD days; ‘don’t fuck it up.’ The phrase now even sits on a plaque on her desk, a Christmas gift from her former EA, and those who have worked with her for years continue to say it to each other before big moments.
These choices aren’t about superstition or habit for habit’s sake, they re-calibrate energy, sharpen clarity, and create perspective when it matters most.
Caring for Self Through Small Rewards
Some rituals are about nurturing yourself. Sophie Price finds solace in a cup of English breakfast tea before tough meetings, “like a warm hug.” Colter celebrates achievements with strawberry milk in a cardboard carton. In an industry where milestones often revolve around alcohol, he opts for a nostalgic, meaningful treat entirely his own (at least for now).
These small acts of self-care may seem minor, but they help recharge energy, lift mood, and keep focus steady.
And there’s a method behind all these micro rituals. Psychology shows that repeated, intentional micro-actions create neural pathways that reinforce focus, productivity, and even resilience. They work like anchors, tiny cues that prime us for certain states, reduce decision fatigue (cognitive offloading), and over time, become identity statements as much as habits.
So, while success may look like champagne toasts on LinkedIn, in reality it’s built on silver bangles, strawberry milk, and the quiet mantra that you don’t have to do this, you get to.
The takeaway: Find your physical anchor, adopt a personal mantra, or create a small self-care ritual and use it to shift your mindset, reclaim focus, and show up fully, even on the most stressful days.
