9 Things Miserable People Do Almost Every Morning That Make Them Unhappy All Day
MAYA LAB | Shutterstock Most people skip a morning routine in favor of the snooze button or an early start to work.
However, what they're missing out on is the key to a happy life. The morning routine they choose seriously sets the tone for their entire day, and when they're consistently skipping it, it also sets the tone for their entire life. The things miserable people do almost every morning that make them unhappy all day may seem like they're saving time, but they're actually self-sabotaging.
Here are 9 things miserable people do almost every morning that make them unhappy all day
1. They scroll on their phone from bed
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Slow mornings are important because they give the brain a chance to wake up naturally, instead of being forced awake by an obnoxious alarm or the glaring blue light of a phone screen. While some people consider scrolling a relaxing way of starting their day, the truth is that they're putting their nervous system on edge and heightening anxiety, sabotaging their mood instantly.
Miserable people are unhappy because they're starting their day with news stories and comparisons that turn them into their worst selves. Even if it's just five minutes of peace before going to social media, it can make all the difference in their well-being throughout the day.
2. They skip breakfast
While it might seem harmless, a study from Frontiers in Psychiatry found that skipping breakfast every day seriously heightens someone's risk for developing depression. No matter how cliché it sounds, there's a reason why breakfast is coined the most important meal of the day, because it really is.
What someone eats, or doesn't eat, for breakfast plays a role in their mood and energy throughout the entire day. So, when they're skipping it in favor of work or extra time, they're actually sabotaging their entire day. They're instantly more unhappy within the hour than they'd be if they grabbed a piece of toast or ate just a section of a granola bar.
3. They start work right away
Without any kind of morning routine or personal time to set the tone for the day, miserable people sabotage their stress levels and mental health by jumping right into work. If they're not responding to emails and scrolling right from bed on their phones, they're getting into a commute after a rushed getting-ready routine.
They don't set the tone for the day or find peace in the quietness of the morning, but instead take on all kinds of stress and worry before their brains have a chance to wake up. Of course they're going to feel chronically unrested and unhappy.
4. They drink coffee before water
There are all kinds of physical reasons why drinking water first thing in the morning is essential for your health, according to a Nutrients study. However, it's also incredibly influential on your mental health and mood. When you're dehydrated, you're instantly more irritable and drained.
So, while most people might believe that getting straight to caffeine and coffee is their only means of surviving the morning, the truth is that skipping water often sabotages their focus and energy. On top of that, they're miserable, especially in the early afternoon when their caffeine rush is replaced by glaring symptoms of dehydration.
5. They skip intentional movement
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Even if it's the last thing you want to do in the morning, working out, or at least getting in a little bit of gentle movement like a walk outside, can seriously boost your well-being. From reducing stress to boosting energy levels, protecting a stable, happy mood, and supporting healthy weight loss, morning movement may be the best way to set the tone for your day.
Unfortunately, most miserable people are consistently skipping it. They miss out on natural light, and because their stress levels are out of control, they end up feeling unfocused and drained by the afternoon.
6. They hit the snooze button multiple times
Even though it feels like we're getting in more necessary rest by snoozing our alarms in the morning, experts believe that we're actually disrupting the deep sleep we need to feel rested. If you need more sleep, they suggest setting your alarm for the latest you can wake up and refusing to click snooze. Then, you're actually using that time for deep sleep, rather than waking and going into a light sleep that's not doing you any favors.
Especially when miserable people snooze multiple times, they're forcing themselves into abrupt awakenings over and over again. They're sabotaging the mood for their day because they're less rested, but somehow also more rushed and behind.
7. They avoid natural light
Experts from UCLA Health suggest that being in natural light, especially first thing in the morning, instantly boosts our mood and makes us feel happier. So, if someone is sleeping in with blackout curtains and then going straight to work behind a computer screen, that could be just one reason why they're always so miserable.
Of course, most people don't have time to lounge in the sunlight before work or take a long stroll to soak it all up, but there's really no excuse for not taking 30 seconds or even one minute to enjoy it. Especially if it's going to boost their well-being and mental health without much effort, setting their alarm for a few minutes earlier can seriously change the course of their day.
8. They skip making their bed
Most miserable people skip making their bed, usually in favor of rushing around for work or protecting their time to snooze before waking up. Even if it seems like such a mundane, harmless task to skip, the truth is that, for miserable people, it's more than essential.
Especially if they have the worst day on earth, coming home to a made bed can be a constant that they always look forward to. Even if everything goes wrong, they can expect one thing to go right.
Of course, as experts from the National Sleep Foundation suggest, making your bed can promote better sleep quality and duration throughout the night. As we know, sleep is one of the most important factors in our mood and emotional well-being throughout the day, so even small changes like this can make a huge difference.
9. They focus on what they're worried about
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The most miserable people start their day worrying about obligations and to-dos. Instead of leading with gratitude or appreciation, they consider the worst-case scenarios and everything they "have" to do or worry about.
That's why experts from the University of Cambridge argue that sometimes suppressing negative thoughts and worries is actually good for mental health. Especially right at the beginning of the day, when worrying about things doesn't help us cope or prepare, but throws off the tone of our day, it's not worth entertaining them.
Even if all they can muster up is a smile in the mirror, their minds look to their bodies to figure out how to feel. If we have to fake happiness for a few minutes to trick our brains into feeling it, so be it. However, the most miserable people prefer to keep themselves stuck in a cycle of wallowing in self-pity and misery to protect the narrative they've found security within.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
