How to Wake Up Happy In 6 Simple Steps
BIC® Soleil® celebrates all who make their own sun by living life on the bright side!
I'm being completely honest when I say that I tend to wake up in a good mood. It's not that things don't happen in my life that try to rob me of my joy, but I've made a conscious decision over the last year to not allow the trials and tribulations of life to interrupt my good vibes. I'm a firm believer that happiness is a choice, and having control over your thoughts can make all the difference in how you go about your day, and can turn any negative into a positive.
But I must admit that it took time for me to get to this place, and I had to learn what to add and subtract in my life to equal a positive state of mind. While I could keep all of these juicy tips on how I wake up with a smile to myself, I'd much rather share them with you. After all, giving is part of the foundation of my happiness, and it brings me joy to see others filled with light, love and purpose.
Happiness is something that you can experience every day, too! I've teamed up with BIC®Soleil Shine® to show how you can Make Your Own Sun®. Here are a few things that I do to get my mind right so that I can wake up happy each and every day and live life on the bright side.
Wake Up to Positive Words
I recently moved into a new place and decided that this time I wanted to do a little DIY and paint my wall in chalkboard paint so that I can write phrases that are both positive and motivating on my wall. It's a great creative outlet, and the power of subliminal messaging is real. Besides, who wouldn't want to wake up to the words “queen," “fearless" and “winner" first thing in the morning? Maybe painting walls isn't your thing (or your landlord's preference). No worries, you can get chalkboard paper or even poster boards and write whatever words make you smile. I'd also advise that you hang them right in front of your bed so that you literally see them as soon as your eyes open.
Add to A Blessings Jar
Two years ago I discovered the greatness of a blessings jar. It's a simple way to never forget to count your wins, and great to revisit on those days when everyone seems to be throwing shade over your sunshine. I found a cute yellow jar (Yellow. Sunshine. See what I did there?) and whenever something good happened, like a co-worker buying me lunch or winning a writing contest, I would write it down on a slip of paper along with the date and toss it into the jar. I, personally, like waiting until the end of the year to empty out the jar and reflect over all of the things that made me happy throughout the year; however, it's also great to reach into every day or whenever you need a pick me up to remind you that life isn't as bad as social media will try to make it out to be.
Clean Up Your Social Media
Speaking of social media, I'm all about clearing out the bad and making room for the good. I've heard some people say that they choose not to get on social media before going to bed or when they wake up so that they stay in positive spirits, and I'm all for that, too! But I have a habit of naturally reaching for my phone when the alarm goes off and scrolling through my social media timeline just so I can wipe the sleep out of my eyes and avoid hitting the snooze button. So instead of completely saying no to social media, I choose to be more mindful of whom I follow. Some of my favorite accounts are ones with uplifting quotes, healthy food pages with bright and beautiful pictures, and travel brands that motivate me to continue working hard so that I can cross that trip to Thailand off of my bucket list. I'm quick to unfollow anyone who's constantly posting gossip or negative images because I truly believe you reap what you sow, and if you're ingesting negativity at 8 a.m., then it's no surprise when come 5 p.m. you're regurgitating hostility towards your boss
Turn On Some Good Tunes
As much as I love to turn up, I prefer to start my day with songs that make me feel good and remind me to be thankful. I'll turn on my “Good Vibes" playlist, which features everything from gospel music to uplifting R&B tunes, and it puts me in such a good place that I feel like I can go out and conquer the day. When you take in good sounds and positive words, you're bound to approach your day a little differently than someone who starts their day off with a “he broke my heart" playlist. Don't know what songs to listen to? Music streaming services have great playlists to choose from that fit every mood. Let others do the work for you so that you can focus your energy on how you're going to be a badass and get your “I'm every woman" on as you conquer the world.
Don't Go To Bed In A Bad Mood
I'm not married yet, but I've heard some partners attest to deciding not to go to bed without clearing the air as a key to a long-lasting relationship. It's something that I think translates into all forms of relationships, including family, friendships, business relationships, and of course, your love life. That argument that may have put you in a foul mood doesn't have to keep you there. Talking things out and coming to a mutual understanding with people (or at least agreeing to disagree) can take a load of stress off of your plate and allows you to hit the sheets with a clear conscience. I find that when something is bothering me and I go to bed without resolution, I toss and turn all night and have trouble getting some shut eye, and nobody wakes up in a good mood when they've lost out on a good night's sleep.
Clear the air. Make sure that you're not harboring any ill feelings towards your friend, sister, cousin, boyfriend, or your boss because at the end of the day, they're not the ones who are going to wake up swinging at the air!
Prepare for the Day that You Want
Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. If you want to wake up feeling like, “I've got this," then you need to get to work the night before mapping out your day so that you can limit as many distractions as possible. That can be everything from planning out your work day and what you want to get done to laying out your outfit so that you're not rushing out the door the next morning thanks to those 30 minutes you spent sifting through your closet. Eliminating stress is key to keeping a smile on your face, and allows you to focus your thoughts on keeping calm and staying positive.
[Tweet "Keep a smile on your face and your thoughts on keeping calm and positive."]
Waking up every day and finding the bright side is something that took time for me to learn but it has been a vital part of my happiness, and it's why BIC® Soleil® is encouraging you to Make Your Own Sun.
What are some things that you do to wake up every day happy? Share them below!
Learn more about BIC®Soleil® Shine at feelthesoleil.com and @bicsoleil.
Kiah McBride writes technical content by day and uses storytelling to pen real and raw personal development pieces on her blog Write On Kiah. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @writeonkiah.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Between the rise of the creator economy and the gig economy, the window of opportunity to leverage your creativity for long-term gain has never been more potent.
For the last four years, I’ve worked as a full-time freelance writer and content creator. A year into this journey, I knew that if I wanted to create a sense of structure around my life outside of a traditional 9-5, I would have to create it.
To my surprise, that came in the form of social media.
Now, you might be wondering how someone might be able to juggle their work in a creatively-dominant career like writing while still having the mental capacity to produce ideas for their own personal brand, and well, that answer didn’t come easily.
In 2021, I hit a wall with writing and content creation.
With the stress and uncertainty that came as a result of the pandemic, to being burned out from having to live off my creativity, I reached a breaking point. For me, writing was always a space to explore my thoughts, process heavy topics, and express concepts that only words could bring reason to. However, when I didn’t have the brainpower to write or create content, I knew it was time to set parameters around my hobby of content creation and my passion for storytelling.
In this case, the biggest challenge was finding the balance between the two by releasing the guilt and shame of taking a break from both in order to reconnect with them.
Through years of trial and error, the fog finally cleared, and I was able to hit my stride in 2023. From garnering over 10K followers on TikTok, building an Instagram community around lifestyle and creative encouragement, along with my wellness collective, Black Girl Playground, and writing for xoNecole as a lifestyle contributor, the creative juices have been flowing steadily.
And it all happened by creating a strategy that allowed space for planning, resting, and creating. Today, I’ll be sharing my top tips to help you find your balance between your side hustle and passions.
On staying inspired and motivated when working on various content creation and freelancing projects:
Early this year, I came to the bright conclusion that I needed to shorten the gap between ideation and execution — and it completely changed how I create.
Oftentimes, when we have an idea come to us, we let it sit for too long, and then before we know it, we’ve either lost the enthusiasm to put it into action, or someone else grabs it. If you want to stay in a flow of creativity, whether side projects or full-time work, it’s important to not get slowed down by self-doubt, procrastination, or perfectionism.
Give yourself permission to act on your ideas as they come to you. Even if they’re a little muddy or not “perfect,” you can always fine-tune them later.
@yagirlaley shrinking the gap between [ideation] + [execution] 🧠💡#fyp #creativeadvice
On the importance of choosing a niche:
If there’s one thing that has helped me balance my work as a writer and content creator, it’s putting each in its own niche (or category). By definition, a niche is a specialized segment of the market or a specific area of expertise.
When you are creating in the same niche that you’re also making a living in, that’s an easy way to get your wires crossed. And at times, this could lead to feeling as if you don’t have any ideas for yourself because you’ve given them to the other area you're juggling.
When balancing two, you want to have enough fresh ideas to give to your personal projects and your full-time work to avoid any overlap. This ensures that your personal creative vision isn’t compromised when working on client projects while still having some for yourself.
On the strategies that have helped to maintain a consistent workflow in both areas:
I can’t stress enough how important it is to create a workflow and structure for yourself as a freelancer — this applies to those with a 9-5 in the day and a 5-9 at night, too.
As someone who admittedly has ADHD tendencies, object permanence can sometimes create a block in time and project management. That’s why I encourage creatives and professionals to create systems that allow you to see the work that’s ahead of you.
Personally, I can’t live without having multiple calendars going at once. My Google calendar keeps track of interviews for articles and events, while my physical calendar helps me keep track of important dates. I also work out of an Excel sheet where I can log in ongoing stories and track their status from drafting to submission. I’ve also heard great things about the Notion app for planning and tracking.
When it comes to creating content, spending time doing bulk content days has been an asset to my creative workflow. When I complete the videos, I save them to my drafts and upload them as needed.
Credit: Amberita
Courtesy of the writer
On the best advice for someone who is considering pursuing both content creation and freelancing simultaneously:
Don’t be ashamed of taking a break and resting — because both are essential to the life of a creative. Last month, I returned to Instagram after taking 6 months off from posting. During that time, I worked on growing my TikTok page, using the platform to practice vulnerability and allowing myself to put the fun back into creating content. Without the time, I can’t say I’d be able to approach Instagram with the same ease and playfulness; but thanks to that time away, it was possible.
Resting, letting our minds wander, or simply doing nothing are all just as productive as creating. No one can produce at all times, we have to allow ourselves the space for new concepts and ideas to flow to us. In addition to that, when we take breaks from social media, it allows us to stop the wheel of comparison and consume more than we create. So if you feel like you’re in a creative rut with all you want to balance, it may be time to take a step back, unapologetically.
Your creativity will thank you for it.
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Featured image by Sir Taylor