Try these good morning mood boosters and overall good-vibe producers to get moving in the a.m. They’ll put a spring in your step and a smile on your face, so you’ll be ready to face the day with a good morning mood.
Mornings. Mornings are…hard. Mornings at my house are typically crazed, full of running, sloppy breakfast-preparation, hat- and mitten-tossing, and occasional barked orders. Cold mornings are even harder, warming up the car and frantically searching for all those tossed lost mittens. I fully believe that everyone is prone to a little season-based mood weakening, soooo let’s talk about how to feel happy, poppy, friendly, and beautiful in the morning when you’re in a hurry AND while the weather outside is frightful. You can feel good, you can get to work fresh-faced, and you can do it all with some mindful thoughts and actions toward your loved ones. I promise.
Good Morning Mood Boosters!
1) Sleep! It’s tried, true, and the best way to wake up feeling like a million bucks. It is THE good morning mood booster. Get eight solid hours to show the world your best self come morning. The best way to get that good sleep is to give yourself a little time about one half-hour prior to bedtime to unwind and to let go of any anxiety-related hangers-on. Try some calming meditation to put yourself in the right state of mind. Drink some chamomile, and leave the day’s stresses behind you. Make sure to turn off the television and lights when you get into bed. They will prevent you from dozing off and the unnatural light will put your circadian rhythms in a state of disarray as nerves in your eyes are directly connected to hormone-release in your brain. Make sure to eat some of these sleep-inducing foods too!
2) Perk up your senses: I looooove to start my day with Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap in peppermint. It’s a wonderful, natural castile soap (I use it by itself to wash body and hair, but you can absolutely use it as the base for your DIY shampoo) and the peppermint-y scent and tingle really perk me up and get me in the right frame of mind. Dr. Bronner’s and a little Bruce Springsteen on the iPad are my favorite good morning mood boosters.
3) Everything in moderation: Don’t deny yourself a nice cup of coffee or some delicious green tea. If they’re helpful for you and put a smile on your face, enjoy! Don’t drink too much of either as it’s best to keep caffeine in check (lessened caffeine-consumption will help you take care of step #1), but do allow yourself a little something special. A little treat is the easiest and simplest good morning mood booster.
4) Try to plan ahead, but try to stay calm if the best-laid plans go bust. Every night I lay out my kid’s clothes, my clothes, pack my gym clothes, and pack my lunch. And by “every night,” I mean “every third night.” And by “clothes,” I mean “a shirt that looks clean.” You get what I mean. It’s a good idea to think ahead and to give yourself a leg-up in the morning, but if you’re too tired to go through all the proper steps at night OR you find unexplained schmutz on the your collar in the morning, just take a deep breath. Remember that you’re human, that your kids are human, that your partner is human, and that you can all just be human together. Be mindful in the moment and don’t beat yourself up. It’s always easier said than done, but it’s a good start. I do find that if I have a really important morning meeting, taking the above extra steps the night before is a big help and stress-reliever.
5) Juice! If you’d prefer to avoid caffeine, fresh-squeeze some juice or a cute little juice shot. The natural sugar in a fresh glass of juice will get you through just about anything. It’s delicious and crazy-healthy. If you don’t own a juicer, do some good research before purchasing. Or pick up a hand juicer to get a feel for what a glass of fresh-squeezed OJ can do for you.
Image credit: Waking woman, shampooing woman, and young family images via Shutterstock.