How to Wake Up in a Good Mood

If you put your mind to it, you can wake up in a better mood. In fact, your waking moments are extremely important, since they usually significantly condition the rest of your day.

Reviewed and approved by the psychologist Sergio De Dios González.

Written by Edith Sánchez

Last update: 23 October, 2022

Waking up in a good mood is the best starting point for a pleasant day. In fact, that first moment of the morning makes its mark on the attitude you adopt in the following hours. Therefore, a positive attitude will mean you have a clearer mind, make better decisions, and everything will just flow.

However, when we refer to getting up in a good mood, we don’t mean you have to sing and dance as soon as you open your eyes in the morning. It’s more about starting the day in a well-balanced frame of mind. Even if you’re going through a difficult time, if you work on your attitude, things will improve.

What we propose here is a series of basic actions so you can wake up in a good mood. Regardless of how difficult your day may be, if you start it by balancing and concentrating your vital energy, you’ll have more tools to cope with it.

How to wake up in a good mood

You can start preparing to wake up in a good mood tomorrow today. More specifically, about three to four hours before going to bed. That’s the ideal time to perform certain actions that’ll make your waking up easier. It’s all about taking care of yourself.

First, you should make or review a basic plan of activities for tomorrow. Having a mental plan of what you’re going to do reduces stress. Also, the fact that you’ve made certain decisions already will make your morning easier. Consequently, your neurons can wake up gradually.

If you have some complex or worrying activities to do tomorrow, try to break them down into smaller actions. This is a way of charting a simple and viable course. In addition, you can also take advantage of small intermediate reinforcers. Once you have your plan in place, the next thing is to prepare what you need. For example, the clothing you want to wear.

You can also turn your anticipation exercise into a routine. It doesn’t need to be particularly long. In fact, if it exceeds 20 minutes it’s probably because you’re not only preparing, but also doing something that you could leave until tomorrow. Choose what you like best: a walk, some gym, dancing, or any activity that requires physical effort.

Sleeping well

To ensure you sleep well, you need to start preparing about three to four hours before bed. Not only does it help you mentally prepare for tomorrow, but it also clears your path of obstacles so you can rest well. In fact, getting adequate sleep is key to waking up in a good mood.

Make sure your dinner is light and that you lower the rhythm of your activity until bedtime. Also, make sure your bedroom is suitable for rest. There should be little light, little noise, and no electrical appliances around. This is essential if you want to sleep well.

Try and envisage an image of something or someone that inspires and calms you. It’s really positive to sleep with that relaxing image next to you and to see it when you wake up. Remember that your bed is for sleeping. Don’t eat, read, or look at your cell phone when you’re there. Also, try to wake up at the same time, no matter how long you’ve slept for.

Starting a new day

If you’ve managed to sleep well, you’re already 80 percent of the way there to waking up happy. You know you’ve had enough rest if you don’t feel too tired on waking. This moment of awakening is the most suitable to carry out a small ritual. So say thank you, for your life, for another day, and for all the good things in your existence.

Doing some basic stretches before jumping in the shower will improve your mood. While you’re doing this, mentally review your plans for the day ahead. Also, have a leisurely breakfast.

Ideally, you should set aside enough time in the morning so you don’t have to start rushing. If possible, take a short walk before work or wherever you need to go. Moving activates you. Remember that, throughout the day, you may face certain difficulties. If you do, just breathe for a minute before acting. If you managed to wake up in a good mood, things will seem that much easier.