A trick that will get you moving on those rough mornings—minus the caffeine crash.
You know those mornings where getting out of bed seems to be a Herculean effort? The sweet lull of sleep pulling you back down into dreamland is hard to fight.
Here’s a little trick that helps me to get right up and face the day. It may seem (and feel) silly, but it works.
How-to:
When you wake up, sit up in bed and put your arms up in the air - almost hold them straight up (are you doing it now?). Then say, the louder the better, “Good morning! Good morning! Today is going to be a wonderful day, an amazing day!” Saying it while looking in the mirror? Even better. (Adding a few fist pumps never hurt anyone either.)
Ok, I know what you’re thinking. That a) this will make you look totally wacky and b) if there is someone lucky enough to be sharing a bed with you, they might find it a bit alarming. Your bedmate (even if it’s your cat) will likely bolt upright in terror when you start chanting at the top of your lungs. (More of a reason to do this… just to see the look on your significant other or cat’s face.) And c) you may also be a few rooms away from a family member/roommate. When they hear you talking loudly to yourself, they WILL worry.
In the end, all of that doesn’t matter so much - the point is putting you in a good mood, waking you up!
Here’s why it works:
1. You’re putting your hands up in the air, which actually makes you feel more powerful. It’s all about body language. Studies have shown that standing or sitting with your arms like that make you feel more confident. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy talks about it in her amazing TED talk. She suggests getting in that pose (with your arms up) before job interviews - people in a study were more likely to get the job when they had powerful body language. So get those arms up!
2. You’re thinking positively. We’ve all heard the merits of having a sunny outlook, glass half full, blah blah blah. But actually practicing it is hard. Life can be hard! Here is your chance to put it into action. Try saying this mantra a few days a week and see how it makes you feel. People who have a positive outlook simply deal with the ups and downs of life better.
3. You’re making this the first thing you do. We all blearily reach for our phone the moment we wake up - before we can even see or process anything properly, we’re checking emails and scrolling through Instagram. Ultimately, that’s not the way I want to wake up each day. It’s much better to take a moment and focus on yourself before delving into the online world. Doing something for YOU, before anything else, sets the right tone for the day ahead.
So just do it! Not necessarily every morning, but especially when you have a big day ahead or when you feel crummy. Force yourself to sit up or stand in front of a mirror, put those arms up and shout! If nothing else, you will laugh A LOT at how silly you look.
xoxo, H ♡
P.S. I got this idea from Shailene Woodley in Interview magazine, where Emma Stone interviewed her. Shailene discusses what her morning routine is. My mantra above is a variation on what Shailene says she does. She’s pretty cool and unique. If you haven’t read about some of her, er, rather alternative practices, I urge you to take a look!