I used to bite my nails. It has been the hardest bad habit to shake by far. I had been doing it for years, and it would be so bad that my mother would try to scare me when I was a child. She told me that I would lose my fingers if I kept going. I knew that she was probably right, but I still could not stop.
I tried all the tricks, like that disgusting transparent nail polish designed to discourcage nail-biting by making your nails taste like chemicals. It would work for a while, but it never worked for good. At best, I once stopped for a month. Still, one stressful moment was enough to be right back where I started. So I gave up. I accepted I would lose a finger someday, and maybe that would finally be the moment I stop.
Then I met my partner. She also pointed out that I should really stop. Her support, and her stubborn belief that I could do it, gave me the energy to try again. I told her I had never managed to stop for more than a few weeks. So she came up with a great idea: I should take a photo of my nails every day. I forced myself to take that photo every day. And it worked!
It has been a year now. I still take a photo every day. My nails have never been better.
I am still hesitant to say I have completely ditched the habit. I do not want to jinx it, but for the first time in my life, I am very sure I will not go back to biting my nails. Bundling the intention with a daily photo gave me the push I needed. It became a ritual, and the streak kept going and kept me honest.
This is a very personal example, but there are many reasons to take photos regularly. Maybe you want to track your gym progress, or strive to eat cleaner. You could start a study streak, even if to learn a little but learn a little every day. Maybe you want to take a photo of your child every day, and watch them grow up. Maybe you want to become a better photographer, and a daily photo forces you to get creative. Or maybe you just like to take photos.
I realized how much power a consistent ritual can have. I realized how well photos fit into that. So we built Rituals in Ente Photos.
You can create a ritual linked to an album. Pick the right days and time for it. When it is time, you get a notification. The app takes you straight to an in-app camera. Take your photo and watch it get uploaded automatically to your linked album.
And because this is Ente, those albums are end-to-end encrypted. That means the privacy and security you need, even for intimate rituals.
It also gives you a clear overview of your consistency. A streak counter. A month overview. And a quick view of the last few days.
It is simple. It is satisfying. And it makes it easier to keep going.
The new year is approaching fast. We hope Rituals will be a small help to make 2026 more mindful than the last year. We are curious to see what rituals you will create. Come tell us what you are planning in our community! See you next year. Happy new year!