7 Tips for a Happier Morning

Our mornings help us set the tone for the rest of the day. Since we can control our mornings, we can control the tone for the rest of the day! With a fresh start each morning, we can better prioritize our time and increase our productivity.

Here are a few tips that you can incorporate into your morning routine to start your day with purpose.

1. Prepare the night before

Mornings can be hectic, but we can save ourselves from stress by planning the night before. This may include preparing breakfast and lunch ahead of time, laying out an outfit, and making sure your laptop is charged for the morning. You can also spend 5 minutes prioritizing what needs to get done in the morning. You'll spend less time trying to figure out what to do and more time being productive!

2. Wake up early

Early risers can go through their mornings without feeling rushed. If you don't already, you should wake up a little earlier to give yourself some quiet time or even do a quick workout.

3. Smile as soon as you wake up!

Smiling first thing in the morning releases neurotransmitters that promote a better mood such as dopamine and serotonin.

Even if it's a little difficult for you to smile in the morning, force yourself: even a forced smile has benefits!

4. Spend time with yourself

Reflect on your mood, how you want to feel by the end of the day, and things you can do to help you feel that way. You can spend at least minutes journaling, meditating, or speaking affirmations. All are great methods that will get your day to a good start.

5. Make your bed

When you make your bed, you've already completed one task! It is easy, doable, and incites you to complete more tasks throughout the day.

6. Eat a balanced breakfast

I know that it may seem like there's not enough time in the morning to eat breakfast or that you may not feel hungry in the mornings. Nonetheless, eating breakfast is healthy for you. You'll curb snacking, have better focus, and feel more energized.

Remember that your body has been fasting during the hours you were asleep. A small snack in the morning such as fruit, almonds, or Greek yogurt is an option for non-breakfast people.

7. Resist the urge to check your phone

Starting the day staring at your phone screen could make you unhappy. "When we wake up in the morning and turn our phone over to see a list of notifications, it frames the experience of 'waking up in the morning' around a menu of 'all the things I've missed since yesterday," says Tristan Harris. Harris has spent three years studying how technology utilizes our minds' vulnerabilities to keep us signing back onto it. Looking at your phone can trigger stress by making you think of all of the things to do that day. 

Wait until you're out of bed and more awake to check your phone. Use the first moments of your morning to practice gratitude and smile instead!