Try this in the morning, and I swear it will improve your mood
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Siiiigh … mornings. The only thing worse than early groggy mornings is the morning people who are chipper and cheerful without even having a sip of coffee. Totally kidding. Look — mornings aren’t that bad. They can actually be quite peaceful and relaxing if you know what you’re doing (I’m talking to you, “I have to set 10 alarms to wake up,” folks).
While I do love the feeling of sleeping in, studies show that setting your alarm even one hour earlier than normal could reduce your risk of depression by 23% — and each hour earlier that you wake up, the better the benefit. But even if you prefer not to wake up with the sun, there are things you can do in the morning (or afternoon. Seriously, I don’t blame you) to improve your mood and set your day up to be a good one.
🥱 As tempting as it is, don’t reach for your phone right away
A study by ICD Research found that 80% of smartphone users check their phones within 15 minutes of waking up. While it feels natural to lay in bed for a bit and check your e-mails and socials while you slowly wake up, it is linked to increased stress and anxiety. When the first thing you feel in the AM is the bombardment of new messages, things to do, and other stimuli, it’s no wonder you may start your day already feeling overwhelmed and flustered. Julie Morgenstern, author of the book “Never Check Email In The Morning,” writes that you’ll never recover after checking your phone first thing in the A.M. “ Those requests and those interruptions and those unexpected surprises and those reminders and problems are endless … there is very little that cannot wait a minimum of 59 minutes.” You may be reading this and going, “Ha, jokes on you, my phone is dry in the mornings.” Even then, mindlessly scrolling through social media hijacks your time and attention, clouding your energy.
🥱 Set a few minutes aside to tune into your breathing
Prioritize five minutes in the morning to take deep breaths, and your day will start off so peacefully. Jeffrey Brantley, MD, and Wendy Millstine provide this amazing breathing prompt in their book “Five Good minutes: 100 Morning Practices to Help You Stay Calm & Focused All Day Long.” Try it out:
Sitting or lying down, place your hand on your abdomen and inhale and exhale, deeply and slowly. Visualize a meadow with a small creek running through it. You are wading in a babbling brook, and you can hear the wind and the birds overhead. The current tugs gently at your ankles. Recognize the rhythm of your breathing. Imagine the warmth of the sun and water around your body. Allow yourself to reach a comfortable and soothing place from within.
The key to this one is to try not to fall back asleep. LOL.
🥱 Take a morning shower or bath
The evening shower-morning shower debate continues! I personally am a bedtime bather — there is no greater feeling than crawling into bed with clean, fresh skin. But studies show that a morning shower has incredible benefits, especially for those of us who have a hard time opening our eyes in the A.M. Dr. Janet K. Kennedy, a clinical psychologist and sleep expert in New York, says that morning showers can boost alertness. The running water also causes the blood to rush to your skin’s surface, improving your blood circulation, which plays an important role in our health.
🥱 Eat an energy-boosting, fulfilling breakfast (+get that caffeine in!)
“But I’m never hungry in the mornings!” you yell back at me. There are ways we can work through this together, don’t worry. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and not just for the sake of it. It’s called breakfast for a reason— break fast. Breaking your fast. Get it? According to Better Health, breakfast replenishes your supply of glucose to boost your energy levels and alertness while also providing other essential nutrients required for good health. “It improves your energy levels and ability to concentrate in the short term, and can help with better weight management, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in the long term.” For those of you who don’t enjoy breakfast, or are just never hungry for it, opt for a smoothie. Smoothies are great alternatives, and depending on what you put in them (chill with the chocolate syrup), they can give you that boost you need. Check out these 5 Super Healthy Morning Breakfast Smoothies for a Boost of Energy.
Even if you’re not a morning person, you can still find joy in the hours between 5 a.m. and noon. Try these tips, and let me know in the comments below if any work for you. Gooood morning, beautiful!
