Couples Counseling Worcester MA: Boost Your Morning Mood
Here’s to creating healthy habits to improve your morning mood at Couples Counseling Worcester MA
It’s not always easy to wake up in the morning. I don’t know about you, but I find myself excited and rearing to go on the weekends because I am excited about projects I want to do like planting my garden or seeing friends I haven’t seen in a while.
Having a morning routine that you feel good about can help improve your relationships.
If you're feeling less rushed and stressed, it can have a positive impact not just on you, but also on your partner and kids. I know that whatever mood I'm in can rub off on others, and vice versa. Starting the morning with positive interactions with yourself and your partner can create a positive ripple effect throughout the day.
But how do you create a morning routine that feels good on days when you’re not excited or you’re heading to work, just like any other day?
Here are some ideas to get you jump started in the morning.
Remember, you don’t have to do all of these at once. Try one that looks interesting that you want to experiment with and see what happens. Small changes create being impact!
1. Be realistic about how much time you actually need to get ready for the day: Make sure you’re giving yourself enough time in the morning to get everything done so you are not stressing out and running around like a crazy person.
2. Wake up at approximately the same time each morning: Try to establish a consistent wake-up time. This helps your body gets into a rhyme and feel more refreshed.
3. Make sure you have reliable alarm you know you will wake up to: Some people know that waking up to a beeping sound gets them in a grumpy mood. Have an alarm that plays music or get one of those new-fangled alarms that gently wakes you up naturally with increasing light.
4. If you have young children who wake up early: Think about if you are someone who needs quiet time in the morning. You may think about waking up 30 minutes prior to your children waking up so you can have a little bit of you time.
5. Limit the amount and type of technology you use: Think about what you want the first thing you want to see and do upon waking up. Work on not automatically reaching for your phone to read text message, scroll social media, or read the news. Instead, focus on you for a moment.
6. Practice gratitude: Think about what you are grateful for in your life. It can be little things, like being thankful for waking up, or having a bed to sleep in, or looking forward to that hot shower and cup of coffee you will be drinking soon.
7. Do some stretching: You can do some light stretching even in bed if you are not ready to get out of bed yet. Stretching is a nice way to wake up your body that has been laying down for hours.
8. Hydrate: Try drinking warm lemon water. This helps wake up your digestive system and helps give your body much needed water after a night’s sleep.
9. Do some light exercise: Get your body moving. It could be yoga, walking on the treadmill while watching t.v. or listening to your favorite podcast or music. Exercise increases endorphins (happy chemicals) that can help improve your mood throughout the day.
10. Eat a nutritious breakfast: Have breakfast items that are easy to prepare or are already prepared such as fruit, veggies, whole grains, eggs. This will help fuel your body and with choosing foods that are slow to digest like complex carbohydrates, you blood sugar won’t be going up and down all over the place, casing possible mood swings, cravings, and getting hungry early in the day.
11. Create an intention for the day: Think about what you want to be mindful of throughout the day. It can be something very small.
12. Listen to something that makes you feel good: Instead of leaning heavily into doom scrolling, or falling into the social media black whole, try intentionally listening to something that lifts you up. Listen to an inspiring podcast as you get ready for work, or a play list that makes you want to dance. During the dark cold winter, I sometimes like to put on bird sounds. It makes me feel connected to nature.
13. Create a consistent routine: Having a similar routine each morning helps you feel grounded and sets a positive tone for your day.
Remember, the little steps we take each day can make a postive difference.
Be gentle with yourself. It is okay if you aren’t consistent right away. Maybe the biggest thing you do is read this blog and are considering taking action, even if you aren’t ready to take action right away. Maybe you are ready to take action and implement one or two of these ideas. Every day is a new opportunity and a fresh start. Here’s to loving you and loving your life as it is right now!
Meghan C. Foucher, LICSW specializes in anxiety and Couples Counseling Worcester MA. Helping couples and individuals shift out of stress, anxiety, and conflict while improving communication and regaining connection.
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