I’m a happiness expert and these 3 morning habits will bring you brighter days

Happiness is not something that you just wake up feeling. Joy and positivity is a learned practice and no one knows more about how to hack it than Arthur C. Brooks.

In fact, Arthur’s expertise at banking joy is so renowned that his happiness course at Harvard University , is the most oversubscribed class at the world renowned business school. “I have about 180 students, with over 400 students on the waiting list,” he tells HELLO! “There’s even a secret Zoom link for it that the students think I don't know about.”

Understanding how to cultivate a more purposeful, joyful, and contented life has never been more important, and Arthur believes that we have social media to thank for that. “But I'm not going to suggest to my students to get rid of social media, because I’m also never going to do that, but I do tell them they must try to limit their screen time, don’t look at their phone first thing, and make sure they only follow accounts that make them happy.”

“This study by LG Electronics found that half of social media feeds have more negative content than positive which is why our anxiety and unhappiness levels are creeping up,” he explains. Arthur believes this alone is another reason why a disciplined morning routine is so important right now. “It gets you off your phone and sets your day right.”

ALSO READ: How moonbreathing will help you wake up happy

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3…

“To get happier, you need to do 3 things and they do not involve downloading an app or taking a pill.” Arthur’s 3 steps involve learning about the science of happiness, improving your habits, and making commitments to making changes in the way you live because a lot of the science is very surprising. “And then most importantly, sharing the ideas with other people so that you're committed to and can remember the things yourself,” Arthur explains.

“My daily routines are all about keeping proper happiness hygiene and it's not about having the most special thing or getting the perfect hammock or self care or any of that nonsense,” Arthur explains. “It's about making sure that you have protocols in place as they are based on the science that I know gives me and you the foundation on which we continue to grow in my own happiness.”

© Julia Pavaliuk

Wake up when it’s still dark

“Discipline is everything. It’s not about the traditional self care which usually means take it easy by having a bath or lighting a candle…No. Self care is not taking it easy. Self care is is is is being disciplined about the things that really work and things that really matter, and that starts first thing in the morning.” Arthur explains. “No matter what time zone I'm in, I get up before dawn. I work out. I go to mass. I always start the day in the same way.”

“An Ancient Vedic science that is supported by modern neuroscience called Brahma Muhurta, says that if you get up before dawn, you're going to have better mental acuity, creativity and focus for the rest of the day,” Arthur explains.  “Yes! This means that you should get up when it's still dark. And I know, people are like, but I'm at night person, and I say, no. You're not. No. You're a morning person. You're just undisciplined.”

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Walk and move your body

“The single best way for you to manage your moods, which tends to be highest when you wake up in the morning as your stress hormones are peaking, is vigorous exercise. So get up before dawn and beat it up,” Arthur advises.

“For you it might be walking, but for me I have to really get uncomfortable to put myself in my happy place. So I get up at 4:30am, and at 4:45 until 5:45am, I exercise very heavy,” Arthur explains. “So a lot of resistance and a lot of high intensity exercise really helps me to manage my stress hormones and my anxiety responses over the course of the day.”

Meditate and work on your soul

“After exercising, I'm working on my soul. Personally, I'm traditionally religious so I go to mass every morning from 6:30am to 7am which helps me start the day calm and focused.” For somebody else, Arthur explains that working on your soul might mean meditation, journaling, or even listening to music or daydreaming on social media. “But make sure you’re scrolling on happy accounts. Look out for happy playlists like this one on Tik Tok to bring optimism to your feed."

Finally, remember it’s ok to sometimes wake up unhappy

“Happiness and unhappiness are not opposites,” Arthur explains. “But you have to manage them separately. You want to raise your happiness, and you want to manage your unhappiness. You don't want to eradicate your unhappiness - that's a big mistake because there's nothing wrong with you for feeling unhappy, it’s natural, you just need to manage it by getting your routine right. That's the bottom line."