What gets you up in the morning?

Do you often roll out of bed with a sense of resignation, resentment and reluctance? There's a better way to start your day and it all comes down to choice.

#wakeupwell #whatgetsyouup #positivity #seizetheday #howtostartyourday #carpediem

We all have a psychological default at the start of each day; an attitude and a set of expectations for the day ahead. What varies between individuals is whether their mindset tends to be positive or negative, pessimistic or optimistic, closed or open.

It’s easy to fall into a habit of seeing each day as more of the same; same job, same responsibilities, same people, same obligations, same routines, same problems to deal with.

The good news is that it’s near impossible for one day to exactly replicate another. There is always some aspect or experience, no matter how small, that occurs during each day that sets it apart from the previous day and from the next. Yet, we will fail to see it if we choose to focus only on aspects that seem drearily similar. And the word “choose” is the key here.

If we choose to begin our day with negative thoughts, then we are setting the tone of our day and we are going to have to work twice as hard to have a good day from that point on. It could even be suggested that we are sabotaging our day if we choose to begin it with a defeated, pessimistic or resentful mindset. #selfsabotage #negativethoughts

“The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day”

– Henry Ward Beecher

First, we must choose to be mindful instead of habitual; that is, to occasionally “step back” from ourselves and ask ourselves some important questions like:

"What is the sense of being alive and wishing the days away?"

"Am I stuck with feeling this way or can I actually change something?"

"Is there something positive I can create today?"

"What do I want my day to look like?"

"What impact does my negativity have on the kind of day I often experience, on the people around me, on my own happiness and well-being?"

Take a look at the following suggestions and you might be able to flip the odds of having a good day in your favour.

Simple strategies that can help to start your day positively

1. On waking, try to remember any pleasant dreams you may have had. Also check your first thoughts and try to steer yourself toward a positive outlook for your day. This can involve thinking of a colleague with whom you get along well, or a pleasurable aspect of your day, no matter how small. You may even remind yourself of a something you've planned to do later that you are looking forward to.

2. Choose an alarm tone that is calm or uplifting. Being jolted awake by loud buzzing or intense music is not the best way to greet the morning.

3. Think of 3 things you are grateful for in your life. This exercise shifts your mindset to a softer and more optimistic perspective.

4. Take a second to have a good stretch and enjoy the feeling. For that moment take yourself out of your head and into the sensation of the stretch. Really feel it. Accompany it with a deep in-breath and a long exhale.

5. If you habitually check your social media in the morning and find that it sometimes affects your mood negatively, then stop doing it as part of your waking routine.

6. Smile to yourself. The act of smiling has been shown to change brain chemistry and encourage positive affect. Smiling at yourself in the mirror is even more powerful. It may even help to recall something funny from the past.

7. Practice self-care. Have a personal ritual that starts your day. It may be a soothing cup of tea or a great coffee. Make yourself a breakfast that you enjoy and focus on the eating of it. It can be simple and quick but also satisfying.

8. Look at something beautiful. It might be a travel photo on your wall, a new flower in the garden, the trees in your street or simply the vastness of the sky.

9. Try to have last night's dishes washed the night before. Entering a kitchen/living area first thing in the morning that is chaotic affects your mental state. Orderliness can symbolise a fresh start every morning.

10. Interact with your pet rather than leaving the house without seeing them. Research has shown that interacting with a pet can lower stress, blood pressure and heart rate, and give a natural dose of the feel-good chemical oxytocin.

11. Have a favourite quote or two where you will see them each morning – in the kitchen, on the bathroom mirror or in your car.

12. If possible, do not check your work phone until you are officially at work. If you run your own business, have a boundary around the start of your day. Know that attending to phone texts and calls before this time is still work and can interfere with your morning ritual.

13. If you can, fit in a walk or run before you start your working day, or ride to work. The endorphins garnered from physical activity can really kick-start and maintain a positive vibe.

14. Whether you drive to work, take public transport, walk or ride to work, take this opportunity to watch your thoughts. Be vigilant for negative thoughts creeping into your mind, particularly negative self-talk that becomes circular. Use distraction to break the cycle by looking outward, noticing what is around you, hearing external sounds like birds or other people talking. Try listening to music or an uplifting podcast.

15. Think about how you can make this day a good day. It's not just what happens to you that dictates your day; it's also what we make of it.