Start the Morning Right: 10 Mood Boosters – Part One

“Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment.” – Thích Nhất Hạnh

Each morning offers the opportunity to start the day with an attitude of hopefulness, gratitude, and mindfulness. The way that you choose to greet the morning and move through your routine can set the tone for the rest of the day. When you effortlessly glide through your morning routine in a manner that is calm, alert, and positive, the day is likely to start off on the right foot. A mindful attitude infused with a dose of realistic optimism about the new day that lies ahead means you’re prepared for whatever life throws your way. Even though your thoughts and behaviors are within your control, we all know that life can throw unexpected curve balls. The trick is to be prepared without living in a chronic state of anxiety or fear.

Not all mornings go smoothly… this is to be expected in life. If you find yourself flooded with anxiety-provoking thoughts the moment the alarm clock goes off, cursing over spilled coffee on your fresh shirt, or grumbling as you fumble around for your keys… pause. Simply observing that your mood and behaviors are causing you unnecessary stress is the first step in the right direction. Congratulate yourself for pausing to notice if you’re feeling grumpy, rushed, or frazzled in the morning. This is being mindful.

You may be wondering how simply noticing that you’re having a bad morning or starting off the day in a foul mood will do much good. Well, if all you do is notice that you’re in a bad mood and then continue to go about your day without doing anything differently, your bad mood may persist. If you find yourself excessively focusing on anxiety-provoking thoughts, catastrophizing, or ruminating, this is a red flag to slow down and assess how your thoughts and actions are impacting your mood. Even if you’re habituated to waking up to worrisome thoughts or a pessimistic attitude, you can make positive changes.

Simple Ways to Boost Your Morning Mood

If you believe you could benefit from starting the morning off with a more positive outlook, take a few minutes to read through these 5 simple mood boosters. (Five more strategies for boosting your morning mood will be coming in my next post!) Even if you have developed a morning routine that works for you like a well-oiled machine, consider how slight adjustments to your ways of thinking and behaving could make the rest of your day even better.

(1) Choose One Nice Thing to Do for Yourself

Think of one small act of kindness or compassion that you can do for yourself each morning. Consider a brief activity that you can integrate into your regular morning routine that will perk up your mood and start your day off on the right foot. This might be something as simple as spending a few extra minutes reading your favorite section of the newspaper, making yourself a special breakfast treat, or laying out some comfortable slippers or a robe for the end of the day. The idea is to direct the same kindness, love, and compassion toward yourself that you would give to a loved one. You deserve it too.

(2) Eat a Well-Balanced & Nutritious Breakfast

How important do you think it is to eat breakfast every day? Do your behaviors align with the value you place on having breakfast? According to a 2009 Food and Health Survey, 93% of Americans believe it’s important to each breakfast each day, although only 44% actually do it. This discrepancy can result in a unpleasant state of psychological tension called cognitive dissonance. The Mayo Clinic reports that adults who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to eat more vitamins and minerals, control their weight, have better concentration and productivity levels, have lower cholesterol, and eat less fat and cholesterol than adults who don’t regularly eat a healthy breakfast. The Mayo Clinic describes the four core groups of a healthy breakfast as low-fat protein, fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, and whole grains. Does your typical breakfast meet your nutritional needs and boost your mood in the morning?

(3) Get a Bit of Fresh Air

Make the decision to get outside for some sunlight or a burst of fresh air in the morning, even if it’s only for a few minutes. WebMD reports that various researchers have found that as little as five minutes of “green exercise” (talking a walk/run, gardening, etc.) can significantly boost overall mood and self-esteem. Research indicated that these effects were even stronger when the exercise took place nearby a source of water. How willing are you to carve out five minutes during the morning to step outside and reap the benefits of outdoor exercise/movement?

(4) Listen to the Sounds of the Outdoors

Even if you’re unable to get outside to engage in exercise as part of your morning routine, there are benefits associated with simply listening to the sounds of nature. For instance, a recent study found that participants recovered more quickly from a stressful situation when they listened to an audio recording of bird sounds and running water. If you happen to live someplace where soothing or enjoyable sounds are just outside your window, consider opening that window and listening while you go about your regular morning routine. Another easy alternative is to invest in a sound soother device.

(5) Actively Focus on Feeling Good

Dr. Robyn McKay, psychologist, encourages taking five deep breaths in the morning and consciously making the decision to feel good throughout the day. Consider the meaning of “good” in your life and how it fits into your personal value system. Perhaps feeling good means focusing on positive encounters with other people, choosing healthy lifestyle behaviors over unhealthy ones, or giving a bit of extra time, energy, or love to people in your life. See what difference it makes throughout your day when you start the morning off with a deliberate choice to engage in positive thoughts and behaviors.

Which one of these five morning mood boosters are you willing to integrate into your typical morning routine? If you want to begin the process of starting your morning with a more positive attitude, make the commitment to do things differently. You can always start small and focus on doing just one small thing differently. When you begin to form a new habit and make healthy lifestyle changes, practice is key. The more consistent you are in performing the new behavior, the easier it will become. Before you know it, you won’t have to “remember” to open up the window, get your body moving outdoors, or focus your attention on feeling good in the morning… it will just come naturally. See how your mornings begin to feel different and how adjusting your attitude and behaviors in small ways sets the tone for a more positive day.

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In my next post, “Start the Morning Right: 10 Mood Boosters – Part Two,” we’ll explore five more strategies for improving your morning mood.

Rodriguez, T. (2013). “10 Morning Mood Boosters.” Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/morning-mood-boosters

Featured image: Its gonna be a beautiful day.. by ‘Ajnagraphy’ / CC BY-ND 2.0

About Laura K. Schenck, Ph.D., LPC

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. Some of my academic interests include: Dialectical Behavior Therapy, mindfulness, stress reduction, work/life balance, mood disorders, identity development, supervision & training, and self-care.

5 Comments

  1. Michelle Dobbins on February 18, 2013 at 11:28 am

    This is a great list. I always do my mediation and set my intentions for the day. I don’t always get outside, only when the weather’s nice. I could probably improve the quality of my breakfast, too. 🙂

  2. Meag-gan on February 18, 2013 at 1:07 pm

    Thanks for this Laura. I think I will use my balcony more. Even though it is cold out, I could benefit from some fresh air. My mornings are lacking on that.

  3. James on February 19, 2013 at 9:56 am

    This post was exactly what I needed to be reading this morning! Thank you. It was not a smooth morning for me… Just taking a moment to pause, as you suggest, made all the difference!

  4. Wendy Love on February 21, 2013 at 3:20 am

    This was a great article. So simple and yet so important. I do pretty well all of it which is why I can say it is a great article, because these things really do work!
    “Simply observing that your mood and behaviors are causing you unnecessary stress is the first step in the right direction” is such a good point, it can make all the difference. There is no hope for improving our state of mind unless we can observe our state of mind.
    Thanks so much.

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