Morning ritual The 7 steps that will make you happy all day

Morning ritual The 7 steps that will make you happy all dayMorning ritual The 7 steps that will make you happy all dayWe read a lot about this or thatmorning ritual that will make you productive. But what about one that makes you happy?Research shows that being happy actually makes you mora productive. So lets kill two birds with one stone and focus on smiles.Whats the first step?Heres a little secret happy mornings dont start in the morning1) Have Something To Look Forward ToHappy mornings start the night before. Make sure before you go to bed you have something to look forward to tomorrow.Research shows anticipation is a powerful happiness booster. Its 2for the price of 1 You get the good thing and you get happy in anticipation of the good thing.Got bedrngnishing youre looking forward to? Schedule lunch with a friend or promise yourself youll do something you enjoy. Its one of the secrets of the happiest people in the world.ViaThe How of Happiness A New Approach to Getting the Life You WantPeople prone to joyful anticipation, skilled at obtaining pleasure from looking forward and imagining future happy events, are especially likely to be optimistic and to experience intense emotions.(To learn how to be happier and more successful, click zu siche.)Okay, youve got something youre anticipating planned for the next day. Nowwhat do you actually do first thing in the morning?2) Manage Your MoodResearch shows your mood in the morning affects your mood for the rest of the dayWe saw that employees could get into unterstellung negative spirals where they started the day in a bad mood and just got worse over the course of the day, said Steffanie Wilk, associate professor of management and human resources at Ohio State Universitys Fisher College of Business.What makes you happy early in the day? Do that.Are you often stressed in the morning? Then ask yourself, Whatgives meafeelingofcontrol?Anything that increases your perception of control over a situation - whether it actually increases your control or not - can substantially decrease your stress level.Via Your Brain at Work Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day LongOver and over, scientists see that the perception of control over a stressor alters the stressors impactAmy Arnsten studies the effects of limbic system arousal on prefrontal cortex functioning. She summarized the importance of a sense of control for the brain during an interview filmed at her lab at Yale. The loss of prefrontal function only occurs when we feel out of control. Its the prefrontal cortex itself that is determining if we are in control or not. Even if we have the illusion that we are in control, our cognitive functions are preserved. This perception of being in control is a major driver of behavior.And dont check email first thing. Studies show it stresses you outA new study released Thursday by the University of California, Irvine, which was co-written with United States A rmy researchers, found that people who do not look at email on a regular basis at work are less stressed and more productive.(For more on what the most productive people do every day, click here.)Youre anticipating something good and you feel in control. Cool. Whats next?Food.3) Eat BreakfastDo you skip breakfast? I recommend you skip skipping breakfast. Eat something. It puts you in a better mood and increases willpower.Kids who skip breakfast misbehave more than kids who eat their Wheaties. After a snack, all the children are little angels again.FromWillpower Rediscovering the Greatest Human StrengthAll the children in a class were told to skip breakfast one morning, and then, by random assignment, half of the children were given a good breakfast at school. The others got nothing. During the first part of the morning, the children who got breakfast learned more and misbehaved less (as judged by monitors who didnt know which children had eaten). Then, after all the students were gi ven a healthy snack in the middle of the morning, the differences disappeared as if by magic.Think its just kids? Wrong. elend eating breakfast can lead to murder. Literally.FromWillpower Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strengthjust by looking at the response to the glucose test, the researchers were able to predict with greater than 80 percent accuracy which convicts would go on to commit violent crimes.So eat something. (And dont kill anybody.) Going to just scarf something down quick? Bad idea.Savor your breakfast. Take some time to really enjoy it.Research shows savoring - appreciating the goodmoments - iswhat separates the happiest people from the average Joe.ViaHappiness Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological WealthThe key component to effective savoring is focused attention. By taking the time and spending the effort to appreciate the positive, people are able to experience more well-being.(For more on how to savor the good things in lifeand be happier, click here.)Feelin g good so far. Now its time to do something that doesnt feel so good4) Do SomethingYou DreadYeah, you heard me. This post is about how to feel happy all day. So ask yourself what that thing is that youre avoiding.Whats that thing youre going to feel guilty about not having done? Going to the gym? Doing that awful chore?I spoke to the leading expert on willpower, Roy Baumeister, and he said we have the most self-control in the morning. That makes it the best time to do that thing youre trying to dodge.From my interview with RoyThe longer people have been awake, the more self-control problems happen. Most things go bad in the evening. Diets are broken at the evening snack, not at breakfast or in the middle of the morning. Impulsive crimes are mostly committed after midnight.You have more willpower in the morning so push yourself to do that thing youll regret not having done. Afterwards, youll feel good about yourself. And the rest of the day will look comparatively easy.(Forthe schedu le very successful people follow every day, click here.)Alright, you completedsomething you didnt want to. Lets cheer you up and cheer someone else up5) Send A Thank YouEmailEvery morning send a friend, family member or co-worker an email to say thanks for something.Theres tons and tons and tons of research showing that over time, this alone one silly email a day can make you happier.Via Shawn AchorsThe Happiness AdvantageThis is why I often ask managers to write an email of praise or thanks to a friend, family member, or colleague each morning before they start their days work- not just because it contributes to their own happiness, but because it very literally cements a relationship.Or you can send a text. Thats fine too.(For the morning praxis experts recommend for peak productivity, click here.)But the day will have rough spots. Lets make sure they dont get in the way of your good mood6) Plan How Youll Deal With ChallengesAskyourself the question Whats the worst that could ha ppen today? Sound like a downer? This is how you keep the day happy. By being ready.The Stoic philosophers would imagine the worst before any major undertaking. Why? To prepare themselves.Ryan Holiday, author of the excellent bookThe Obstacle Is the Wayexplainswe look to envision what could go wrong, what will go wrong, in advance, before we start. Far too many ambitious undertakings fail for preventable reasons. Far too many people dont have a backup plan because they refuse to consider something might not go exactly as they wish.This technique not only helps CEOs close deals, it saves lives.Dan Coyle, the expert on expertise, says its an essential part of how US Special Forces preparethe morning before every dangerous missionthey spend the entire morning going over every possible mistake or disaster that could happen during the mission. Every possible screwup is mercilessly examined, and linked to an appropriate responseif the helicopter crash-lands, well do X. If we are dropped o ff at the wrong spot, well do Y. If we are outnumbered, well do Z.(To learn a Navy SEALs secrets to beingmore resilient, click here.)Youre feeling good and ready for anything. belastung secret to starting the day rightis quite wonderful and quite easy7) KissSomebody You LoveSmooches are good science.Men who kiss their wives before work live 5 years longer, make 20-30% more money and are far less likely to get in a car accident.ViaThe Science of Kissing What Our Lips Are Telling UsA ten-year psychology study undertaken in Germany during the 1980s found thatmen who kissed their wives before leaving for work lived, on average, five years longer, earning 20 to 30 percent more than peers who left without a peck good-bye. The researchers also reported that not kissing ones wife before leaving in the morning increased the possibility of a car accident by 50 percent.Psychologists do not believe its the kiss itself that accounts for the difference but rather that kissers were likely to begin the day with a positive attitude, leading to a healthier lifestyle.(This study was only done on men but any women who want to repeat the experiment are welcome to contact me directly.)No romance in your life right now? Sorry to hear that. But theres a substitute give 5 hugs today.People assigned to give or receive hugs 5 times a day ended up happier.From The How of HappinessThe hugging group (which partook in an average of forty-nine hugs over the course of the study) became much happier. Not surprisingly, the students who merely recorded their reading activity (which averaged a not-too-shabby 1.6 hours per day) showed no changes.(To learn the science of how to be an expert kisser, click here.)Weve learned a lot. Lets round it up and get startedSum UpHeres the morning ritual that will make you happy all dayHave something to look forward to Plans with a friend are always good.Manage your mood Dont check email. Do what gives you a feeling of control.Eat breakfast If you eat nothing a nd end up killing someone, well I hope its not me.Do something you dread Youve got the willpower. And youll feel so much better afterwards.Send a thank you emailYes, its that simple.Really.Plan how youll deal with challenges Think about the worst that could happen and it probably wont.Kiss somebody you loveIf this makes you late for work, feel free to blame me.Dont wait. Youll forget. Right now, plan something fun tomorrow.Or send a thank you email.Or just give that special someone a big kiss.Who says being happy has to be hard?Join over 285,000 readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.Related postsHow To Get People To Like You 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior ExpertNew Neuroscience Reveals 4 Rituals That Will Make You HappyNew Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More SuccessfulThis article originally appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.Morning ritual The 7 steps that will make you happy all dayWe read a lot about this or thatmorning ritual that will make you productive. But what about one that makes you happy?Research shows that being happy actually makes you more productive. So lets kill two birds with one stone and focus on smiles.FollowLadders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard coveringHappiness,Productivity,Job Satisfaction,Neuroscience, andmoreWhats the first step?Heres a little secret happy mornings dont start in the morning1) Have Something To Look Forward ToHappy mornings start the night before. Make sure before you go to bed you have something to look forward to tomorrow.Research shows anticipation is a powerful happiness booster. Its 2for the price of 1 You get the good thing and you get happy in anticipation of the good thing.Got nothing youre looking forward to? Schedule lunch with a friend or promise yourself youll do something you enjoy. Its one of the secrets of the happiest people in the world.ViaThe How of Happiness A New Approach to Getting the Life You WantPeople prone to joyful anticipation, skilled at obtaining plea sure from looking forward and imagining future happy events, are especially likely to be optimistic and to experience intense emotions.(To learn how to be happier and more successful, click here.)Okay, youve got something youre anticipating planned for the next day. Nowwhat do you actually do first thing in the morning?2) Manage Your MoodResearch shows your mood in the morning affects your mood for the rest of the dayWe saw that employees could get into these negative spirals where they started the day in a bad mood and just got worse over the course of the day, said Steffanie Wilk, associate professor of management and human resources at Ohio State Universitys Fisher College of Business.What makes you happy early in the day? Do that.Are you often stressed in the morning? Then ask yourself, Whatgives meafeelingofcontrol?Anything that increases your perception of control over a situation - whether it actually increases your control or not - can substantially decrease your stress le vel.Via Your Brain at Work Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day LongOver and over, scientists see that the perception of control over a stressor alters the stressors impactAmy Arnsten studies the effects of limbic system arousal on prefrontal cortex functioning. She summarized the importance of a sense of control for the brain during an interview filmed at her lab at Yale. The loss of prefrontal function only occurs when we feel out of control. Its the prefrontal cortex itself that is determining if we are in control or not. Even if we have the illusion that we are in control, our cognitive functions are preserved. This perception of being in control is a major driver of behavior.And dont check email first thing. Studies show it stresses you outA new study released Thursday by the University of California, Irvine, which was co-written with United States Army researchers, found that people who do not look at email on a regular basis at w ork are less stressed and more productive.(For more on what the most productive people do every day, click here.)Youre anticipating something good and you feel in control. Cool. Whats next?Food.3) Eat BreakfastDo you skip breakfast? I recommend you skip skipping breakfast. Eat something. It puts you in a better mood and increases willpower.Kids who skip breakfast misbehave more than kids who eat their Wheaties. After a snack, all the children are little angels again.FromWillpower Rediscovering the Greatest Human StrengthAll the children in a class were told to skip breakfast one morning, and then, by random assignment, half of the children were given a good breakfast at school. The others got nothing. During the first part of the morning, the children who got breakfast learned more and misbehaved less (as judged by monitors who didnt know which children had eaten). Then, after all the students were given a healthy snack in the middle of the morning, the differences disappeared as if by magic.Think its just kids? Wrong. Not eating breakfast can lead to murder. Literally.FromWillpower Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strengthjust by looking at the response to the glucose test, the researchers were able to predict with greater than 80 percent accuracy which convicts would go on to commit violent crimes.So eat something. (And dont kill anybody.) Going to just scarf something down quick? Bad idea.Savor your breakfast. Take some time to really enjoy it.Research shows savoring - appreciating the goodmoments - iswhat separates the happiest people from the average Joe.ViaHappiness Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological WealthThe key component to effective savoring is focused attention. By taking the time and spending the effort to appreciate the positive, people are able to experience more well-being.(For more on how to savor the good things in lifeand be happier, click here.)Feeling good so far. Now its time to do something that doesnt feel so good4) Do SomethingYo u DreadYeah, you heard me. This post is about how to feel happy all day. So ask yourself what that thing is that youre avoiding.Whats that thing youre going to feel guilty about not having done? Going to the gym? Doing that awful chore?I spoke to the leading expert on willpower, Roy Baumeister, and he said we have the most self-control in the morning. That makes it the best time to do that thing youre trying to dodge.From my interview with RoyThe longer people have been awake, the more self-control problems happen. Most things go bad in the evening. Diets are broken at the evening snack, not at breakfast or in the middle of the morning. Impulsive crimes are mostly committed after midnight.You have more willpower in the morning so push yourself to do that thing youll regret not having done. Afterwards, youll feel good about yourself. And the rest of the day will look comparatively easy.(Forthe schedule very successful people follow every day, click here.)Alright, you completedsomethi ng you didnt want to. Lets cheer you up and cheer someone else up5) Send A Thank YouEmailEvery morning send a friend, family member or co-worker an email to say thanks for something.Theres tons and tons and tons of research showing that over time, this alone one silly email a day can make you happier.Via Shawn AchorsThe Happiness AdvantageThis is why I often ask managers to write an email of praise or thanks to a friend, family member, or colleague each morning before they start their days work- not just because it contributes to their own happiness, but because it very literally cements a relationship.Or you can send a text. Thats fine too.(For the morning routine experts recommend for peak productivity, click here.)But the day will have rough spots. Lets make sure they dont get in the way of your good mood6) Plan How Youll Deal With ChallengesAskyourself the question Whats the worst that could happen today? Sound like a downer? This is how you keep the day happy. By being ready. The Stoic philosophers would imagine the worst before any major undertaking. Why? To prepare themselves.Ryan Holiday, author of the excellent bookThe Obstacle Is the Wayexplainswe look to envision what could go wrong, what will go wrong, in advance, before we start. Far too many ambitious undertakings fail for preventable reasons. Far too many people dont have a backup plan because they refuse to consider something might not go exactly as they wish.This technique not only helps CEOs close deals, it saves lives.Dan Coyle, the expert on expertise, says its an essential part of how US Special Forces preparethe morning before every dangerous missionthey spend the entire morning going over every possible mistake or disaster that could happen during the mission. Every possible screwup is mercilessly examined, and linked to an appropriate responseif the helicopter crash-lands, well do X. If we are dropped off at the wrong spot, well do Y. If we are outnumbered, well do Z.(To learn a Navy S EALs secrets to beingmore resilient, click here.)Youre feeling good and ready for anything. Last secret to starting the day rightis quite wonderful and quite easy7) KissSomebody You LoveSmooches are good science.Men who kiss their wives before work live 5 years longer, make 20-30% more money and are far less likely to get in a car accident.ViaThe Science of Kissing What Our Lips Are Telling UsA ten-year psychology study undertaken in Germany during the 1980s found thatmen who kissed their wives before leaving for work lived, on average, five years longer, earning 20 to 30 percent more than peers who left without a peck good-bye. The researchers also reported that not kissing ones wife before leaving in the morning increased the possibility of a car accident by 50 percent.Psychologists do not believe its the kiss itself that accounts for the difference but rather that kissers were likely to begin the day with a positive attitude, leading to a healthier lifestyle.(This study was only done on men but any women who want to repeat the experiment are welcome to contact me directly.)No romance in your life right now? Sorry to hear that. But theres a substitute give 5 hugs today.People assigned to give or receive hugs 5 times a day ended up happier.From The How of HappinessThe hugging group (which partook in an average of forty-nine hugs over the course of the study) became much happier. Not surprisingly, the students who merely recorded their reading activity (which averaged a not-too-shabby 1.6 hours per day) showed no changes.(To learn the science of how to be an expert kisser, click here.)Weve learned a lot. Lets round it up and get startedSum UpHeres the morning ritual that will make you happy all dayHave something to look forward to Plans with a friend are always good.Manage your mood Dont check email. Do what gives you a feeling of control.Eat breakfast If you eat nothing and end up killing someone, well I hope its not me.Do something you dread Youve got the wi llpower. And youll feel so much better afterwards.Send a thank you emailYes, its that simple.Really.Plan how youll deal with challenges Think about the worst that could happen and it probably wont.Kiss somebody you loveIf this makes you late for work, feel free to blame me.Dont wait. Youll forget. Right now, plan something fun tomorrow.Or send a thank you email.Or just give that special someone a big kiss.Who says being happy has to be hard?Join over 285,000 readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.Related postsHow To Get People To Like You 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior ExpertNew Neuroscience Reveals 4 Rituals That Will Make You HappyNew Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More SuccessfulThis article originally appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.