8 ways to begin your day on a positive note
Getting up on the right side of the bed sets a positive tone for the rest of the day. Here is what eight wellness professionals had to say about starting the day in a happier frame of mind. >The night before your next busy day, do what you can to make the following morning go effortlessly. Lay out your clothes, set up the coffee pot, make sure you know where your keys are so you’re not scrambling to find them. Simple actions such as these are within your control and can help your day get off to a calmer, less hectic start.
>The most important element in waking up happy is going to sleep happy! This can be accomplished by having a healthy, gratitude-filled bedtime routine. This type of routine might include saying a list of gratitude statements to yourself and your partner, refraining from listening to upsetting news stories at bedtime, keeping technology out of the bedroom, and/or playing gentle music. All of these techniques work well for promoting good sleep. And when sleep is peaceful, you naturally wake feeling refreshed and ready to embrace the day.
>Use an alarm clock rather than the alarm on your smartphone. When you wake up to your phone alarm and then follow the path of notifications, you subject yourself to the outside world’s many demands on your attention before your feet even hit the ground. Instead of letting e-mails, text messages, social media notifications, and news alerts rule your waking up moments, reclaim ownership of your attention with a screen-free morning routine. >Avoid using an alarm that jars you out of a deep sleep with a piercing noise. Instead, try a sunrise alarm clock. This type of alarm mimics the rise of the sun in your bedroom by gradually brightening a light, beginning roughly 30 minutes prior to when your alarm would go off. It’s a much less abrupt, more natural way to wake up.
>It’s easiest to practice gratitude first thing in the morning, before you even get out of bed. Just think of one thing that you are truly grateful for, and allow the feeling of gratitude to wash over your body. The trick is to totally immerse yourself in the feeling of gratitude for a couple of minutes. Close your eyes and be completely present in the experience. Even though this is a simple practice, it can have a significant effect on your mood for the rest of the day. >You woke up! Find or create your own variant of the prayer that speaks to you and try saying it in the morning.
>Instead of dreading your day or getting stuck in worrying about what could happen, imagine it going the way you want it to. Give yourself permission to add as much detail as possible and allow yourself to really notice how it feels to have the day that you want to have. >Engage in something you find pleasurable first thing in the morning. That may sound super-obvious, but it’s often overlooked. I’ll do anything for coffee in the morning, so I make sure it’s the first thing I do. Someone else might enjoy doing some gentle stretches, meditating, or listening to an inspirational podcast.
Give yourself a reason to look forward to starting your day. With the right approach, a happy morning doesn’t need to be an oxymoron.
Instead of letting e-mails, text messages, social media notifications, and news alerts rule your waking-up moments, reclaim ownership of your attention with a screen-free morning