6 Morning Habits Of Every Happy-Go-Lucky Mum
Waking up happy is the key to bubbling away with positivity for the rest of the day. You probably already knew this, though. Think about it for a second. When you wake up and roll out of the wrong side of bed, even the smallest things can put you in a mood so bad it may well end up in folklore. But wake up happy and nothing can burst your bubble and bring you down; you are an invincible smiling machine able to take up the world and the moon, lifting the spirits of all those you meet on your way. That’s what waking up happy does. It gives you the infection superpower to make everyone else happy. There is just one teeny-tiny little hurdle to spring over, and that is how. How do you wake up superhero happy?
Well, a lot of it comes down to having a morning routine that exudes happiness like there is no tomorrow. It is as simple as making a few tweaks here and there and tossing your bad habits into the bin, forever. After all, happiness is a state of mind. You just have to understand how to influence it so that your body becomes little more than a vessel for beautiful, bright sunshine.
And to help you with this, we have spoken to a few of the most happy-go-lucky mum’s you will ever meet and asked them about their favourite morning habits, and here is the best of the bunch.
Habit #1: Good Days Come From A Good Night’s Sleep
“It can be almost impossible to build something good when the foundations are bad.” That was how one of the mum’s put it, and she is absolutely right. You can’t hope to wake up feeling great after a terrible night’s sleep, or you can, but it will be so much harder. So make sure you know exactly how to get a comfortable night’s sleep. Upgrade your mattress to memory foam, which has been proven to be the most satisfying mattress money can buy. Sleep with a pillow in between your legs to keep your spine running straight. Throw your bedroom television out of the window and then sweep the parts into the bin in the morning and don’t let your mobile phone into your boudoir. These are all habits that happy mum’s use and they swear by them. Especially the phone thing.
Habit #2: A Phone Free Zone
This is an almost unanimous habit of happy people. They ban phones from the bedroom. They make it a no phone zone. Not only is it to help them get a better night’s sleep and avoid all that blue light and stimulation, it is so they don’t have that urge to start scrolling or swiping as soon as they wake up. Emails, social media notifications, the news, Pinterest ideas, Snapchat. Get rid of all that stuff from your wake up routine. We know you may have separation issues at first, but after a few days, you’ll feel happier than you ever did in the morning. So get yourself a nice new alarm clock like the good old days and leave your phone to charge in the kitchen. After all, we can resist everything but temptation, so maybe it’s time to get rid of that temptation for once and for all.
Habit #3: The Most Important Meal Of The Day
You are what you eat, and what you eat for breakfast is what keeps you running all day. Breakfast is what packs you full of nutrients, fibres, minerals and that all essential energy; energy you are going to be buzzing off from the a.m. to the p.m. So get stuck into some poached eggs, avocado and tomato on toast. Devour a pile of fruit on a stack of pancakes covered in syrup. Pour natural yoghurt all over your muesli and add a mix of bananas and apples and everything else that is known to give a lift. Nutritious and delicious, that’s the aim of the breakfast game. You want something to brighten up your day. And if you don’t think you have the time, well, try planning your breakfast the night before and take the pressure away from your now glorious morning routine.
Habit #4: Say Sayonara To Caffeine
Now we know this may seem like a cardinal sin to you because your coffee addiction is the only thing that makes your mornings bearable. But, it is actually having a pretty harmful effect on your happiness; something happy-go-lucky mums have realised and solved. You see, caffeine boosts your anxiety levels and starting the day anxious is not exactly the ideal way to be happy. Don’t worry, though, there are plenty of amazing alternatives to enjoy. Chai tea and rooibos both taste amazing, and both are packed with nutrients. So is a green smoothie, which you could make before bed and store in the fridge. Another alternative is water, albeit with a twist. Lemon and ice water, coconut water, water that has been infused with the ultimate in refreshment; cucumber.
Habit #5: Smell The Roses
Another thing that all happy mums seem to do is stop and smell the roses, whether metaphorically or literally. You have probably noticed, but life has become really noisy and busy and fast and there are so many distractions nowadays, so many distractions. That is why it is so important to stop and enjoy the little things at every chance you can (yeah, this is another little dig at the smartphone culture we live in). When you have your morning Rooibos, grab a kitchen chair and take yourself to the garden. Have your breakfast in the morning sun, with the whole family. Take a wander around your garden and smell the roses. Do ten minutes of yoga or Pilates out there. Play with your kids instead of scrolling through the personal Soap Opera that is Facebook. What we are trying to say is, live in the moment. It is so good for the soul, and you’ll feel like you have already achieved something with your day before it has even begun.
Habit #6: Choose To Be Happy
This may sound like a load of old hogwash (ooh, that’s a fun word we haven’t used in a forever) but the happy mum’s we spoke to had chosen to be happy. It was as if they have subscribed to it, or tattooed the immortal words of Agatha Christie on their frontal lobes, “happy people are failures because they are on such good terms with themselves and they don’t give a damn.” Happiness is a decision they make each and every morning. They choose to be the happiness that people find so infectious instead of waiting for that happiness to slip through the letterbox or climb through the window. And if you still don’t believe it is a choice, when you wake up tomorrow morning, smile. When you are making your breakfast, smile. When you leave the house and walk down the street, smile. You’ll see how a simple smile can be a catalyst for genuine happiness. That makes it a choice, so why not choose to be happy each morning.
You see, none of these habits is a drastic change. You don’t need to make your way to the base camp of Everest and climb some deadly mountain pass to find a secret monkhood that can teach you inner enlightenment. It is just a matter of a few small tweaks and changes. That’s how to wake up happy and stay happy right through the day. But if you are still hoping to get some wise words of enlightenment, just remember that your thoughts become words, your words become actions and your actions become habits. Wow.
