How to Wake Up Happy

It is very important to wake up in a happy mood that will last all day and help you face the stressful world.

What you can do before you go to sleep:
1. Pretend you are in a "spa" for 30 minutes; take a hot bath with salts, put some lotion on your feet, hands, body, a mask on your face, even give yourself a massage (you can do your feet, your face); it will relax you and your skin will thank you as well;

2. Read a book that will transport you to a different world, and make you forget about your problems and stress;

3. Read blogs about personal development; there are a few good ones out there that are updated frequently, and will help you feel good about yourself, about life, will teach you how you can cope with stress and finally will give you a positive attitude;

4. Don't eat anything greasy or heavy on your stomach; the digestion will be difficult and you won't get a restful sleep; if you feel hungry, eat something light, like a soup, a salad, a sandwich; also try to avoid chocolate, anything with caffeine, or citrus fruits (will keep you up and you will have a hard time falling asleep);

5. Drink hot cocoa with milk, tea that's soothing and relaxing (Chamomile, Linden, Valerian, etc.), use honey instead of sugar;

6. Play with your pet a little bit; I have a cat and that's what I do; it helps you relax, feel like a kid again, and your friend will appreciate it too;

7. Try not to do anything stressful, like talking on the phone, working, watching the news, looking at your bills, or any activity that might worry you;

8. If you have a hobby like writing, drawing, painting, knitting, practice it for a few minutes, it will relax you and give you the satisfaction that you haven't neglected your favorite activity;

9. I like to make a list of the good things that happened during the day and what I accomplished; and also put down things that I could do the following day, like something that I always wanted to do and never did, or something fun that I will be part of tomorrow; this makes you feel happy and excited about the day ahead;

10. Make sure your bed is clean, warm, and smells nice; you could even put some aromatic oils by the bed, or lavender in your pillow; no distractions should be in the bedroom (work space, TV, computer); do everything you can to ensure the space used for resting is inviting and stimulating,sleep inducing; you will feel the difference in the morning;

What you can do when you wake up:
1. Right after you wake up you can open your window for some fresh air, and exercise a little; some sit-ups, abs, some stretching, 10 minutes is enough to invigorate your body and mind;

2. Take a short shower, not too hot, and end it with cold water to stimulate your body;

3. Eat a healthy breakfast, lots of fruits, fruit juices, vegetables, some eggs, not too much meat;

4. If you have plants around the house (or a garden), water them, touch them, smell them, the contact with nature will help you focus and give you energy; try to meditate a few minutes on how beautiful and precious life is, and try to visualize your day from a different perspective; just because sometimes we lose track of what's important and why we do things;

5. Maybe you always take care of everybody else in the morning (the spouse, the kids) but you forget about yourself; take 5 minutes to put on some perfume, lotion, gel in your hair, earrings, fake nails, whatever it takes to make you look and feel good;

6. Try something new this morning; a little change is good; for example, change the color of your tie/hat/nail polish/shirt: try a bold yellow, a chic fuchsia, a fresh green...it will make your day more interesting and make you feel good about yourself;

7. Many people think they need energy drinks/pills and lots of coffee to get them through the busy day; try to stay away from those (will make you jumpy and anxious, after the effect is gone you will feel worse than before); if you feel like you need some extra energy, drink natural fruit juices, a few cups of green tea (very healthy and a natural energizer), and take your vitamins (the B's help the body produce energy); if you had a good night's sleep and woke up happy, you are perfectly able to face the day;

8. Read some jokes in a magazine/online; that's what I do and there's nothing like waking up and having a few good laughs! Plus, you will have some funny jokes for your colleagues at work today;

9. Learn something new before you get out the door and start your day; it can either be a new word (in English or another language you might be studying),a historic fact that is celebrated today, or any piece of information that teaches you something new (like the articles on Associated Content); this will give you a sense of achievement, will be useful to you, and will only take a couple of minutes;

10. Now you are all dressed up and ready to get out into the world. Remember what your long term goals are, that you are a unique person, powerful, capable of doing the things you set your mind to, and no matter what happens around you today you will stay happy and focused.

Waking up happy is not easy, of course, but is a goal to pursue. All the little things described will not take long to accomplish, bad habits take longer. It's all about getting used to thinking positive every single day and not let other people's unhappiness get to you. Maybe your boss is not a very good, or happy person and takes it out on you today. Maybe even fires you. Always look at the big picture and think a temporary and minor setback is nothing for you, a strong, determined person. There are a lot of bad people out there, that make themselves and others miserable. If you woke up happy today I think you can make the world a better place.