There is a belief in certain communities that we die each night while we sleep and are reborn each morning. I like to look at life that way. It changes my outlook towards life.

The Attitude of Gratitude

Each morning is a new life. Another opportunity to start over. And I am grateful for that. I thank God for having another day to live. We typically have a hundred things to be frustrated about each day, but we rarely count our blessings. Once I got into the habit of counting them, I realized the blessings more than balance the grievances. Reminding myself this every morning starts my day on a positive note.

The Positivity Journal

Many people maintain a journal chronicling their day. Mine is a little different. The entries only mention the good things about that day. A good meal. A patient who recovered. A walk by the river. Watching the sunset with my family. It is these moments of joy that make life worth living. And it is a shame not to celebrate them. Each morning as I go through the journal entries, I relive those moments.

Exercise

I insist that my patients get daily physical exercise. It is crucial for maintain good mental and physical health. When we work out, our brain releases lots of happy chemicals. You could call them natural antidepressants. Nothing like getting a morning boost of happiness! However, most people I know complain that they do not have enough motivation to keep going after a few days. I have a trick for that! I simply keep my exercise regime varied and interesting. It is actually something I find myself looking forward to daily.

Breakfast

I make it a point not to skip the most important meal of the day. Many patients tell me they simply do not have enough time in the morning to sit down for breakfast. This is not done. The body has been fasting overnight and it needs the morning dose of glucose to function properly. If it is denied that, symptoms like fatigue, irritability, inattention manifest themselves. No amount of tea or coffee can help with that. It is therefore better to wake up ten minutes early than skip the morning meal. Saves one a lot of trouble in the long run.

Work

I usually find it best to work on my pending projects first thing in the morning. You know, the ones that I have been procrastinating with for a while. As the day wears off, I usually have plenty of preoccupations to postpone these for yet another day. Better to finish them off when the energy and motivation is still high. And this achievement is duly noted in the positivity journal!

That more or less rounds off my mornings. Not that I do not have cheat days! But as I have learnt over the years, a little discipline and organization reaps huge benefits. And mornings are the best time to invest in one’s health and happiness. Afterall, I am determined to make it a very good morning, every day of my life!

DrDebasmitaPsychiatrist