3 Simple Morning Habits That Actually Make Me Happier Everyday
No, this isn’t a morning routine. It’s easier and more simple than that.
Written by author, transformational teacher, and The Way We Grow creator, Gillian Shields
*Be informed, stay growth-centered: This content is not professional therapy or counselling. It is for awareness, education, insight, and growth-forward options. No article can cover every nuance of every situation, and not every article will be personally relevant to everyone. To get the most out of this content, approach it with curiosity and a growth-oriented intention. Consider how it could be helpful to your situation and how you might apply it—similarly or differently—in a way that supports your own healing and growth.*
The morning has always been a vulnerable, sensitive, and powerful time of day for me.
I say this because the first few things I do after waking has a big impact on how I feel and what I do that day. This is true for many of us.
As a person who takes time to fully wake up, the morning can mean feeling a bit disconnected from myself and life. To some, this might feel good, but to me, it can mean heavier emotions.
I need a morning that includes just being in ways that feel good with minimal or zero effort.
Over the years, I’ve observed how my mood has been, and how my days have gone, based on how my morning went. And there are three simple choices that consistently make my day happier, no matter what unfolds.
I don’t call these 3 choices a “morning routine” because that can feel very task-y, which defeats the purpose. And what I do isn’t task-y at all. Instead, I call it my “core morning habits”— a few simple, low effort choices that bring me a slice of what I seek in all my days: peace and joy.
Here they are:
No. 1: Place my awareness on the comfort of my bed as soon as I open my eyes from sleep.
I love my bed. It’s comfy. It’s cozy. It feels nice against my skin. I also love laying down. Taking a few conscious moments to really appreciate my bed and its comfort, and taking a few good breathes, puts an instant smile on my face. It floods gratitude to my mind before I even realize that I am being grateful.
No. 2: Make my coffee.
I know it can seem cliché when people say they love their morning coffee, but I actually love my morning coffee. For me, it’s like keeping the cozy party going once I get out of bed. It feels like home.
No. 3: Enjoy my coffee in a space I love, doing something enjoyable.
I sit with my coffee in my favorite chair (or sometimes back in bed) and do something enjoyable. When I say “do something enjoyable”, I truly mean that. For me, doing something enjoyable can mean reading a book or going online to read or browse on a topic that makes me happy like travel or interior design. Sometimes it’s writing in my gratitude journal or reading a meditation from that journal.
That’s pretty much it! Those are my three core habits. Simple. Easy.
Some mornings I do this for only 15 or 20 minutes. Other mornings for longer, depending on my schedule. But I do do it.
Some days I include exercise and movement in my morning, but I don’t consider it a core morning habit. It can come after my 3 core habits. Although exercise is a foundational part of my life, it can feel like work or a task. Morning choices that make me happier aren’t ones that feel like work or a task. If I don’t do my 3 core habits, there is a noticeable difference in how I relate to my day. I don’t feel like I’ve really taken care of my mind and soul. My daily happiness is most impacted by choices that feel calm and for enjoyment.
Let this be the permission you’ve been seeking to start your day off easier, more simple, and without any “work” or “tasks”.
How might you feel happier if after you opened your eyes from sleep, you made a few choices that were just about calmness and enjoyment for your mind and soul?
I can already feel the exhale.
Get Gillian’s Gratitude Journal
