Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Get a good night's sleep
• Part 2 of 3: Wake up refreshed
• Part 3 of 3: Creating happiness
• Warnings

Life presents many challenges that complicate our path to happiness. Whether it's stress at work, problems at home, or illness, it can be difficult to stay positive and start each day with optimism and energy. Yet research shows time and again that the way you start a day has a significant impact on your productivity and success. Set yourself up for success by learning to start your day on the right note.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Get a good night's sleep

1. Go to bed at a reasonable time. The first step to wake up well in the morning is to go to bed on time the night before. Experts say adults should aim for six to eight hours of nighttime sleep, so organize your evening activities around getting a full night's sleep. In addition, experts recommend stopping the use of electronic equipment at least an hour before bed so that your brain has time to shut down and prepare for sleep.
2. Don't sleep with the lights on. In addition to making it more difficult to go to sleep, research indicates that when we sleep or dream with little to moderate lighting, we rest less and wake up less positively than usual. This includes sleeping in light generated by televisions, computers, night lights and street lights, all of which have been shown to have a negative effect on sleepers' mood.
   • Try a sleep mask or blackout curtains to block out the light while you sleep.
   • Exposure to light causes the body to produce melatonin, a hormone that helps control the sleep-wake rhythm. Dimming your lights while you prepare to go to sleep, as well as making the bedroom as dark as possible, can help keep your melatonin production up.
3. Clear your mind with relaxation techniques. Meditation, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation are ways to help calm any anxiety, tension, or bad thoughts that may be keeping you awake. Try incorporating one or more of these practices into your nighttime routine.
4. Sleep on your right side. Would you like to enjoy peaceful dreams and wake up in a good mood? Researchers have found that sleeping on your right side increases the likelihood of having positive dreams and also decreases the likelihood of mood dysfunction during the day. Problems maintaining this sleeping position? Then consider purchasing a body pillow. Placing it on your left will shape your sleeping position and prevent you from rolling onto your left side.
5. Decorate your room to promote sleep. Do you live near a busy intersection with a lot of noise? Is your bedroom window facing the sunrise or street lights? Purchasing blackout curtains or a white noise device are just some of the ways you can use to create an environment that promotes deep sleep.
   • Install a ceiling fan. These themselves make white noise and provide air circulation in a stuffy room.
   • Decorate your room with soothing colors. Paint the room if necessary.
   • Use mood lighting, as opposed to ceiling lighting, if possible. Lamps are a good option for this, but indirect lighting in a niche is also an option. Dimmers can also create the correct exposure level.
   • Choose the correct alarm clock. To wake up without a shock or a feeling of drowsiness, you can purchase an alarm clock that is specially designed to wake you up gradually.
   • Install an air purifier. For allergy sufferers, this is essential and will result in greatly improved sleep quality.
   • Consider a foam mattress. Especially when you sleep next to another person, memory foam mattresses are great for dampening movement so that the other person doesn't wake you up.
6. Remember that beds are for sleeping. Research has shown that using your bed for activities such as reading or watching movies can hinder sleep and create an association with activity rather than rest.
7. Let go of your worries. If you find yourself struggling to fall asleep due to worries about your day, keeping a journal is worth considering. During the day, ask yourself, "What keeps me up at night?" And write down the things that come to mind.
   • Keep a notepad next to your bed to write down any intrusive thoughts that keep you awake at night.
   • Track your performance. One way to be able to conclude something and gain reassurance is to write down what you did during the day.
   • Create a to-do list for the next day. Instead of lying awake trying to remember what needs to be done tomorrow, make a list before going to bed. This will help close the day and relieve the pressure of having to remember everything at the same time.
   • Try to prepare for the next day before going to bed. Get your clothes ready, pack a lunch, and get everything you need for work or school the next morning. This can help reduce morning stress, and you will feel better when you go to sleep knowing it's already been done.

Part 2 of 3: Wake up refreshed

1. Do not press the snooze button. When your body suddenly wakes up and goes back to sleep, only to wake up a few minutes later, this creates a kind of dissonance called "sleep inertia," which makes you feel lazy and dazed, and what to do? can persist for up to two hours after getting up.
   • Select an alarm tone that you are sure will wake you up less grumpy.
   • To make sure you aren't tempted to hang around for a few more minutes after the alarm goes off, place the alarm on a shelf or table across the room and away from your bed, yourself forcing you to get up so you can turn off the alarm.
2. Let the morning light pour in. Studies have shown that light releases melatonin into our brains between 6-10 a.m. and has the effect of an antidepressant, more so than later in the day or evening light. To make sure you get the daily dose of light, you can sit outside for half an hour in the morning.
3. Buy flowers. Not only are flowers beautiful to look at, but Harvard psychologist Nancy Etcoff has found that women who wake up to the sight of flowers report a significant improvement in their mood, are less anxious, and have more energy throughout the day. A bouquet of real or artificial flowers on the nightstand will brighten up your bedroom and, more importantly, serve as something positive and refreshing to wake up to.
4. Take a warm shower and top it off with a cooling rinse. The thermogenic hypothesis states that increasing body temperature relaxes muscles, decreasing tension and promoting well-being. Showering in warm water also improves blood circulation. Psychologists also argue that closing the shower with a five-minute rinse with cooler water mimics some of the positive stimulant effects of electroshock therapy, boosting brain function and triggering the release of serotonin.
5. Start with yoga or stretching. Adding a few poses to your morning routine can energize you and increase your ability to cope with stress for the rest of the day.
6. Do not hurry. While it may be tempting to get a few extra minutes of sleep, the fuss it takes to make up for lost time can add to your stress, lead to muscle tension, and make you more forgetful. All of these things negatively affect your mood and have a negative association with the morning activities. So get up early and start your morning in a good, thoughtful way.

Part 3 of 3: Creating happiness

1. Look for the positive. Everyone has a meaningful impact. What is yours?
   • Think deeply about your day - conversations with friends, favors you have given, actions you have taken. Think about the outcome of these actions. Did they have a positive effect? If not, how did that happen? Change your behavior as needed to confidently positively impact the lives of others.
2. Remind yourself of the areas of your life that you are most satisfied with. Are you good at a particular hobby or task? Do you have a good sense of humor and make other people laugh? Are you a great problem solver? Take the time to remind yourself of what you are good at and why it makes you a valuable person.
3. See your work as meaningful. Studies have shown that thinking about the "big picture" when it comes to your work and its meaning leads to more job satisfaction and more opportunities to enjoy it.
4. Find things to look forward to every day. It could be something as simple as a phone call with a loved one or having lunch with your colleagues. Finding daily satisfaction milestones is an important means of improving overall life satisfaction and putting less enjoyable tasks into perspective.
5. Embrace a PMA. PMA is the life coach acronym for "positive mental attitude" and an essential part of creating personal happiness. Having a PMA means being able to believe in the dawn of good times, despite challenges in the present. It also means that you remain convinced that you will overcome any problems that arise. Research has shown that this is not just a means of achieving good mental and emotional health, but that a PMA actually has a positive impact on physical health. Below are seven steps to develop your PMA:
   • Focus on the present. The past can remind us of moments of fear or regret.
   • Use positive language. Don't gossip or put other people down. Praise yourself and others as much as possible.
   • Don't expect perfection. When making that which is perfect the enemy of that which is good, we are never satisfied. Accept that things are not ideal and make them work.
   • Interact with positive people. Find friends who also want to be positive. Support each other.
   • Do good deeds whenever and wherever you can. Something as small as offering a stranger a cup of coffee can already have an effect.
   • Become an apprentice. Don't think you know everything. Always keep an open mind and welcome new experiences and ideas.
   • Be grateful. Take note of the things in your life that matter and bring you joy. Remind yourself of your happiness.
6. Work on a positive self-image. Understandably, it is difficult to face life's challenges when we feel unworthy and lack the ability to succeed. Therefore, the first step to happiness is learning to love yourself and be able to have a positive image of your unique qualities.
   • Stick to the "1: 1 ratio:" Self-criticism is an important part of self-improvement. That said, it is all too easy to break down your self-esteem if you are too fixated on the negative. To combat this tendency, for every negative thought you have about yourself, try to balance it with a positive comment.
   • Give yourself the opportunity to succeed. Everyone is looking for tasks that will confirm their self-worth, and it is important to create opportunities for regular success. For example, if you have a difficult week at work, find a hobby or project at home that will give you satisfaction by applying your knowledge and skills.

Warnings

• If you are unable to experience joy or positivity for an extended period of time, talk to a doctor or professional psychotherapist. You may be suffering from depression.