I read a quote the other day which said, "How to be happy: Decide every morning that you are in a good mood". At first I thought, yes! What a great way to think about it. Then I realised... sometimes it's just not that easy.

You may have those days where you wake up and all of a sudden, all the stressful parts of the day ahead hit you like a tonne of bricks and the thought of facing the day is not fun. Alternatively, you may spot a text message or something on Social Media when checking your phone and it just sends your Mood in a downwards spiral straight away. Either way, waking up in a bad mood or ending up in a bad mood in the Morning happens to the best of us.

Sometimes a bad mood is unavoidable, however there are things you can do to at least try and change the way you feel in the morning.

Waking up in natural light is one of the best ways to get your day off to a good start. If you have all your curtains closed and the door shut so your room is dark, you're not going to feel like it's time to get up when morning hits. Natural light beaming through the window is great, as it gradually brightens and wakes you up in the most calming, natural way. You'll be unlikely to oversleep and therefore you won't feel groggy for the next few hours. You also won't be rushing to get your day started.

I only started doing this a few days ago, but it has made such a big difference. I was annoyed at the negative mood I woke up in every single day so I thought I'd try playing some music as soon as I woke up. I use the music app on my phone, put my favourite playlist on loudspeaker and honestly, it is the best mood booster I've tried. Start your music within minutes after opening your eyes, on a low level and as you get up and make the bed, play it a bit louder. You will find you're already feeling happier than usual.

The longer you lay around in bed, scrolling through social media, the worse you're going to feel. When I allow myself to do this, I really get caught up in it all and all of a sudden I've lost an hour of my day. It puts me in a negative, sluggish mood and I don't like it at all. Give yourself 5-10 minutes to check messages, Instagram or any other social media account, then make yourself get up. Even if you do feel like spending the morning in bed, at least get up, make your bed and sit on top of it so you feel like the day has begun.

One thing that gets me up in the morning is when Daniel brings me in a coffee before he runs off to work. It forces me to wake up as I don't want it to get cold before I get around to drinking it! It's actually turned into one of my favourite times of the day. Whether you like coffee, tea or water and lemon, have your go-to drink that you look forward to each morning (even better if you can get someone to make it for you!)

Planning out what you're going to wear the night before can make you feel so much more organised. It may feel like a chore when you don't feel like doing anything in the evening, but it really makes such a difference to your morning. Whether for work, uni or even a regular weekend, if you already have your clothes planned out and iron/steamed for the day, it's less hassle in the morning. I work from home, although I still make sure I get out of my PJs every day! I always tend to put activewear on, as it almost forces me to do some kind of exercise throughout the day if I'm already dressed for it.

Freshen up your face

I always feel better once my face is fresh and clean in the morning. I love to give my skin a deep cleanse with a product tailored to how my skin is feeling each day. If it's feeling oily and congested, I'll use a gel cleanser. If I wake up and my skin feels more on the dry side, I'll use my favourite cream cleanser. I'll then use a spray toner to cool and refresh my face, followed by a few drops of rosehip oil and a light moisturiser. Your skincare routine is an integral part of the day and can really become a soothing, refreshing part of your morning.

Sit and breathe

Spend a minute in the morning, sitting on your bed, by a window or outside. Just breathe in your surroundings. Remind yourself that you have an entire day ahead of you, where you may have things you're required to do and places you have to be, but ultimately, the day is yours. It's up to you what you make of it, how you react to certain people and situations. You're never given more than you can handle. You have the power within to fill your day with good vibes.

Do you have any morning rituals?

 

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