We’re not all morning people. Many of us wake up grumpy, drowsy, and annoyed with the world for forcing us to get up and get the day going. But it doesn’t have to be this way, even if you’ve never been the kind of person who likes mornings to begin with.
The fact is that getting the day started with a good mood and attitude can work wonders on your daily productivity, activity levels, happiness, and overall behavior. Seriously, you’d be surprised how a good dose of positive thinking can benefit you for the rest of the day. The best part is that this is totally doable, as outlandish a concept as it seems! Here are some morning habits that will help you wake up in a good mood.
“People in good moods are better at inductive reasoning and creative problem solving.” – Peter Salovey
Here Are 5 Morning Habits That Help You Wake Up In A Good Mood
1. Set one specific wake-up time – and stick to it!
By nature, humans are creatures of habit. Set one specific time to wake up every morning, no matter when you sleep. Whether you’re heading to bed later than usual or right on time, wake up at this set time every morning. And yes, this includes on weekends!
Sleeping in on weekends and getting up early on weekdays can actually result in sleep inertia, where the brain is still in deep sleep from the weekend schedule when it is jogged awake on weekdays. This will cause important decision-making parts of the brain to experience a delayed wake-up, which can be very jarring.
Sticking to the wake-up time you set is important no matter what. It can be very tempting to hit the “snooze” button on your alarm, but snoozing doesn’t give you any of sleep’s benefits anymore. In fact, hitting snooze can cause what is referred to as a cardiovascular assault on the body and lead to severe nervous system upset. So once you hear your alarm, get out of bed and start your day. Your body and brain may need a while to get used to this, but you’ll be glad once they do.
2. Get dressed well.
When you’re feeling sluggish in the morning, you may find yourself throwing on just about anything you can find in a rush by the time you can crawl out of the shower. This can result in messy attire, unstyled hair, and a feeling of mild unkemptness as you rush out the door.
Even if you’re not someone who typically cares how you look or what you wear, putting a tiny bit more effort into what you put on every day can add a little spring to your step. Just sprucing up your look a little bit can boost your confidence because when you look great, you’ll feel great.
Are you worried that choosing an outfit or doing something nice with your appearance will take too long? Prepare your clothes for the next day the night before! Better yet, have a list of tried and true outfits you can throw on whenever you need an extra confidence boost.
3. Exercise.
It’s definitely understandable that the idea of exercising first thing in the morning isn’t exactly palatable. But there are so many benefits that early exercise can bring, and countless reasons that many people consider mornings the best time to exercise!
Those who exercise at least 2.5 hours per week are known to have better sleep quality. Additionally, they often feel less tired daily and have less difficulty falling asleep. Exercise also helps release endorphins, which are feel-good hormones that will improve your mood quickly. Physical activity can boost your overall mental and physical focus, performance, and energy. On top of all that, if you aim to lose weight, morning exercise is more likely to help you hit your goals faster!
You don’t have to do a huge amount of exercise to see benefits. Half an hour of mild physical activity – or even around 10-15 minutes of it, if that’s all you have to spare – can net you some positive benefits that will boost your mood and help you feel great.
4. Create better sleeping habits.
How you sleep will change how rested you feel when you wake up, so start by cultivating healthy sleeping habits. They will help you fall asleep more easily and promote more restful sleep, making you feel more awake and inspired every morning!
To start, try to go to bed at a similar time every night, and make sure it is relatively early. Ideally, you’ll want to aim for at least eight hours of sleep per night. You should also switch off your electronic devices well before going to bed, as the light these devices produce can prevent you from sleeping and disturb melatonin production.
You should also avoid eating within three hours before sleeping and especially steer clear of alcohol at night. Although alcohol can help you fall asleep more quickly, it also prevents the body from slipping into its deep sleep phase, leaving you tired in the morning.
5. Start a new routine that you love.
Sometimes, all it takes is something simple but meaningful that you love to help you look forward to getting out of bed. Create a new morning ritual that you can perform daily and look forward to without fail.
You can also think of this as positive reinforcement. You’ve gotten out of bed on time and are powering through your morning as well as you can, so you deserve a little reward that makes you happy and that you can look forward to every single day! Are you stumped on what a good, happy morning habit would be? Here are some ideas:
- Listening to your favorite music
- Take your dog for a walk
- Cuddling or playing with a pet
- Having a good, delicious breakfast
- Listening to a podcast or figuring out what is an audiobook you’d enjoy
- Reading a few pages of a book or magazine
- Writing a short journal entry
- Drawing, doodling, or coloring
- Dancing
Whatever it is you choose to do, as long as it makes you happy, it will give you plenty of reason to get up every morning!
Final Thoughts on Psyching Yourself up for a Good Mood Every Morning
Starting your day in a bad mood can bring everything to a grinding halt and slow down your schedule unnecessarily. By creating a routine incorporating these five habits, you’ll be able to prevent morning grumpiness and become the morning person you never knew you could be!
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