The vast majority of us wake up in the morning with a clean slate. Sure, the stresses of the day before continue to weigh on us, and the to-do lists of the day ahead start running through our heads, but generally that moment when you first open your eyes in the morning is a fresh start. It is—literally—a “good morning.”
It’s what happens between that moment when we open our eyes to the bright day ahead and our first sip of coffee that changes the course of the entire day, leaving us stressed, grumpy and, well, unhappy—or, at the very least, less happy than we have the potential to be.
So, how do you ensure you wake up inspired, excited, and happy and stay that way throughout the day? Avoid these four habits many of us have that hamper our happiness before our morning cup of Joe.
Four Habits of Unhappy People and How to Change Them
1. You pop out of bed or, even worse, hit snooze and then rush out of bed.
Take your time when you rise. Stretch, feel your body, take three deep breaths, and start the day with intent. When you wake up, you have the power and privilege to set the course for your entire day. Just ten seconds will allow you to feel centered, balanced, clear, and happy for the day ahead.
2. You weigh yourself.
Listen up: there is no need to weigh yourself every day. (I would argue that there is no need to weigh yourself ever, but that’s fodder for a different post.) When you wake up and step on a scale, you give the scale the power to not only determine how you feel about your body, willpower, and beauty, but also you allow the scale to determine your mood and, even worse, your worth. Your weight is not your worth, beauty, attractiveness, or barometer by which to measure your happiness for the day. If you are going to weigh yourself, put a post-it that says “Weight ≠ Worth” on it, just to keep it in perspective.
3. You keep “skinny clothes” in your closet—and try them on.
If you wake up in the morning and try on clothes that don’t fit, it’s no wonder you’re bummed for the rest of the day. Starting your day feeling like you don’t fit in—literally—is never a good place to start. If there are clothes in your wardrobe that don’t fit—and haven’t fit in quite some time—donate them. Your clothes should reflect your style, not define your self-love.
4. You criticize your reflection.
Most of us take a first glance in the mirror and find something wrong: a pimple that popped up over night, dark under-eye circles, thighs that suddenly seem to be touching more than the day before. Before you find anything you wish were different, look in the mirror and give yourself a compliment. If you have trouble coming up with something each day, write down a few things you love about yourself and keep them on a note taped to your bathroom mirror for easy access.
Breaking these 4 common habits will take you from consistently waking up on the wrong side of the bed to being your happiest self. What are your bad habits and what right actions can you take to counter them?
Alexis Wolfer is the founder and editor-in-chief of TheBeautyBean.com, an online magazine that promotes Real Beauty, as well as a well-known beauty and lifestyle expert as seen on the Today Show, E! and more. She is also the creator of the international and viral Makeup Free Mondays movement. Follow Alexis on Twitter or find her on Facebook and on TheBeautyBean.com.
*Photo by tamaki.
