Waking up “Yes!”
Transforming Your Outlook with One Simple Tweak
Here is a simple adjustment you can make to your morning routine that can kickstart your day and get your mindset heading in the right direction in just 3 seconds per day or less.
Hearing that early morning alarm go off is just the worst. We all despise it, particularly after a night of getting not enough or mediocre sleep.
That was me and how I thought for years. Every morning, regardless of how well I had slept the night before I woke up tired, unmotivated and a bit cranky. “I’m just not a morning person”, I thought. My mood would gradually improve after slogging out of bed and preparing for the day, sometimes.
I noticed in those initial moments of the day, when waking up as the alarm sounded, the first thing I did was to let out an exhaustive sigh of disappointment or frustration often accompanied by some sort of an expletive. Not a good way to wake up. Not a good way to start the day. And regardless of whether the day ended up going well in the end, this is no way to begin it and it may have, in fact, been a detriment. Duh.
This is tainting the well before even having a sip to drink. So let’s change things to take our mood into our own hands and kick things off right.
Every morning, first thing when you wake up, open your eyes and say an enthusiastic “Yes!”
I’ve been trying this for the past few months and the effects have been amazing! I find I instantly have more energy, getting out of bed is easier and the morning in general goes much more smoothly. And more often than not, this positive energy carries on into the day.
For something so simple to have such a profound impact is remarkable, more so than I imagined. In considering this, there are 3 key reasons reasons why and how these benefits are happening.
Gratitude
Why “Yes”? To celebrate the fact that you woke up at all. There’s a chance, albeit small, that you might not have woken up at. But you did. You have another opportunity, another day to challenge, embrace and thrive in the world. Be grateful for that and express your gratitude.
Regularly practicing gratitude can help ease symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Expressions of gratitude can boost your general positivity, comfort, happiness and calm. So, why not get a jump start on it.
Circumvent the Negative
Negativity is a killer. A negative attitude can adversely affect your relationships, perception, effectiveness, intelligence and, of course, your ability to have a good time. Who wants all that?
If you are waking up with a positive “Yes!”, you are surplanting the alternative negativity that would be there instead. If you get full on broccoli, there’s no room for chocolate cake.
Actions Affect Mood
As cited in Amy Cuddy’s popular TED Talk on confidence building, physical actions can have a large, direct, physiological effect on the brain and therefore the way we think. She discusses how high power posing, standing like Superman or with our arms in the air like we won a race, for just a short time cause the brain to produce more testosterone and decrease the amount of the stress-inducing hormone cortisol.
Smiling or laughing, even when you are not happy, can cause your mood to elevate.
In the same way, verbalizing an enthusiastic “Yes!” can act as a sort of placebo on your brain to think “yes” and give you the nudge you need to positivity.
All in all it’s not all that much to do. You just wake up, look to the ceiling and say “Yes!”. You don’t need to shout it or scream it, just say quietly to yourself earnestly. Maybe throw in a slight smile if you want.
Why not try it out for a week? It’s super low risk and takes just a few seconds a day. It could set you up to having much better mornings and more positive days.