Mornings can be pretty stressful when you’ve had a disturbed night’s sleep and have to get up and get everyone out the door on time for school or work.
And a stressful morning when you feel rushed, anxious, or frustrated doesn’t really set you up for a joyful day!
So here are 7 things you can do to get your day off to a happy start instead:
1. Be thankful
Before you get out of bed, think of 1-3 things you’re thankful for.
If you genuinely don’t have a chance to do this in peace before you get out of bed then do it as soon as you can afterwards, like when you’re in the bathroom or boiling the kettle for coffee.
It can be as simple as “I’m thankful for a warm bed to sleep in” or “I’m thankful there are teabags in the cupboard so I can go and make a cuppa”.
When you know you have to get up and deal with the morning rush and the school run chaos, taking a minute to remind yourself of the things you have to be thankful for can help put you in a happier frame of mind.
2. Leave your phone alone
Don’t check your emails or scroll through social media as soon as you wake up.
Ideally leave it 30 minutes before you pick up your phone, so your mind has a chance to wake up without being bombarded with information and potential stress.
This is definitely something I’m trying to work on myself. The urge to grab my phone and start scrolling first thing is so strong, but I definitely feel better if I resist!
3. Set yourself up for a good morning the night before
Mornings can be really stressful when you have to get the whole family up and breakfasted and dressed and out the door for school and/or work.
So doing what you can to get things organised the night before can really help make things easier and get your day off to a happy start.
You could:
- get packed lunches made and store them in the fridge
- put clothes out for everyone so there’s no frantic searching for cardigans or socks in the morning
- set reminders on your phone for anything important
- make sure any letters that need to go to school are signed and ready to go
4. Establish a simple morning routine
Another way to make mornings run that bit more smoothly and happily is to establish simple morning routines for you and your children.
When everyone knows what they need to do each morning and when it needs to be done by it can make life a lot easier.
5. Move your body and get some daylight
Depending on how old your children are and how much time you have in the morning you could:
- Do an online workout
- Spend a few minutes stretching
- Walk the children to school instead of driving
Even if you just have a few minutes to dance around the kitchen as you’re getting breakfast sorted, moving your body in some way will really help put in you a better mood.
The best thing you can do though is head outside as soon as you can for a walk, to get exercise and some exposure to natural daylight. This helps to reset your body clock so you can sleep better at night and feel even happier the next day.
6. Do something that makes you happy
Make a list of little things that make you smile and feel happy and make a point of including them in your morning routine.
It could be:
- Eating something you love for breakfast
- Drinking the good coffee from your
favourite mug - Playing upbeat, happy music
- Putting on your favourite perfume
7. Plan something that makes you happy for the evening
As well as getting your day off to a good start by doing something that makes you smile in the morning, plan to do something that makes you happy in the evening.
Having something good to look forward to can make a big difference to your mood.
So whether it’s getting into bed early with a new book, calling a good friend for a chat, going out for a drink, cooking something new for dinner, or relaxing with a few episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, make sure you have something planned for the evening that you’re looking forward to.
Still need a few more ideas? Read 8 things to do in the morning to set yourself up for a great day:
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