Do You Rise & Shine? Setting Your Morning Intention for a Brighter Day

This is one of my favorite positivity tips from my new book, Sharpen Your Positive Edge:  Shifting Your Thoughts for More Positivity & Success.  Now that school is out and mornings are less hectic, it’s a little easier for me to take a few extra minutes to savor the upcoming day and immerse myself in gratitude before getting out of bed.

When you first wake up in the morning, and you’re just remembering where you are and what day and time it is, what crosses your mind? Do you think about how tired you are or how you wish you could sleep more? Maybe your mind jumps to those things you’re not looking forward to in your day—that stressful meeting, the bad weather, the irritating co-worker . . . If you’re like most people, the strong negative bias of your brain can easily start you off with a less-than-positive outlook that sets the tone for your day. Thankfully, we have other options. 

Try a Morning Intention

Here are a few suggestions to try. Set your alarm to go off five minutes before you need to get up. Spend that time thinking about things you’re looking forward to or things you appreciate. 

If it’s hard to come up with ideas first thing in the morning, make a list the night before and put it next to your bed so you can read it when you wake up. If that doesn’t work, read over your list during breakfast or post a few notes on your bathroom mirror. The goal is to set a positive tone for our day with intention instead of letting our brains default to their usual negative focus. 

I love my sleep. It seems like I’m always feeling warm and comfortable when the alarm goes off. It can be so hard to get out of bed in the cold and dark. When I remind myself of something I want to get done, something I’m looking forward to, or some of the things I’m thankful for, I find it energizes me and gets me moving with an upbeat attitude. Give it a try and see if you notice a difference. 

Reflect on what you could think about before you get out of bed tomorrow morning. Keep the list by your bed and read it first thing when you wake up.