We all have heavy mornings. You wake up from the screaming alarm clock, and you are angry that you can not stay in bed longer. You boil more and more as you get ready to leave. You get tangled up in your laces, you come back for your wallet, and every nuisance threatens to turn your whole day into a disaster.
Even early risers struggle to stay positive in the morning. A University of Warwick study found that happy people are more productive. And we also know from experience that life becomes easier when we feel good. Before you head out the door, try these seven tactics for raising your morning mood.
Exercise
Exercise makes you feel more alert by releasing endorphins, chemicals in the brain associated with improving mood. Think you don’t have time for this? You don’t need to race yourself for an hour. A small set of exercises for 15 minutes – for example, a light jog or a few asanas – will help generate a lot of endorphins for a good mood.
Take a moment to meditate
Meditation works to relieve stress. Pause to meditate as you get ready. The University of California has found that the mindfulness that occurs during meditation helps reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol.
You can pray, recite a mantra or voice your desires to the noosphere, and if you do not believe in higher powers, sit silently. Such pauses should be made when you hurry to calm down and look at the new day with a smile.
Paint a picture of a smile
A picture of a smile that will help you wake up in a good mood smiling, even a strained one, has a positive effect on our emotions and reduces the level of perceived stress. According to the face connection hypothesis, the brain interprets the flexion of the facial muscles required to smile as a positive expression of emotion.
The researchers found that the participants reported happy thoughts while actively smiling. So smile to break the morning melancholy.
Smell the vanilla
Several studies testing the effect of scent on emotional well-being have shown that vanilla is soothing and relaxing. Light a vanilla candle on your bedside table or purchase a vanilla shower gel.
Look at the pictures of loved ones
Research by the University of South Hampton has shown a link between nostalgia and positive emotions: memories of times when you felt love cause your brain to reproduce those emotions.
To remember happy times, create a separate gallery on your phone for archived photos, upload your baby photos or silly selfies with friends there.
Eat carbohydrates
Good carbs can help you wake up feeling good; eating good carbs increases serotonin levels, a mood transmitter. Eat foods high in tryptophan such as bananas, milk, yoghurt, wheat, eggs, turkey, and nuts. Great ingredients for a quality breakfast!
Sing a song
Now you have a scientific reason to sing in the shower. Research shows that singing increases antibodies to improve immunity. Can’t you sing? No problem. Whether you have experience or not, it has nothing to do with benefits and mood enhancements.
