bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Anthea Rowan

Are you a morning person? Are you happiest and functioning at your best early in the day?
Many of us might be, more than we think. A study published last month by University College London suggests that people generally wake up feeling in the best frame of mind, and that their mood is at its worst around midnight.
Michael Beckham, a clinical counsellor at Central Minds HK, says that treating anxiety has given him the opportunity to explore in detail people’s mood upon waking and variations in their energy.
Not everyone is in a positive mood upon waking, he says, but many factors can affect that. One in particular, he says, is their level of cortisol, the so-called stress hormone.

It fluctuates throughout the day, he says, “peaking in the early morning to help us wake up and feel alert”.
Its level can be affected by several factors: “sleep quality, lifestyle choices, negative thoughts, fear, anxiety and even environmental influences”, Beckham says.
“Inadequate sleep or poor sleeping habits can lead to elevated cortisol levels, which may cause feelings of anxiety or irritability upon waking, setting a negative tone for the day.”
Beckham says nutrition, exercise and light exposure also affect morning mood. A balanced breakfast rich in nutrients can enhance energy levels and improve cognitive function, whereas skipping it may result in fatigue and mood swings.
Exercise, especially if undertaken earlier in the day, can trigger the release of endorphins, hormones that relieve pain and give a feeling of well-being.
The mental state we cultivate before bedtime also plays a crucial role in how we feel in the morning, Beckham says.
“Stressful activities or negative thoughts before bed can carry over into the next day, leading to a pessimistic outlook.”
Having a habit of mindfulness, perhaps through meditation or journaling, are effective ways to get into a more positive mindset. Routines can also be helpful.

Understanding the connection between cortisol levels and morning mood, says Beckham, “opens up avenues for improving the way we start our days”.
Research shows a poor mood can negatively affect relationships at home and in the office.
Nancy Rothbard, a professor of management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States, discovered how your morning mood affects your whole work day in an often quoted 2011 study.
“Waking Up On The Right Or Wrong Side Of The Bed: Start-Of-Workday Mood, Work Events, Employee Affect, And Performance,” published in the Academy of Management Journal, studied customer service representatives in an insurance company over several weeks and found that those who started out happy or calm usually stayed that way through the day. Dealing with customers tended to enhance their mood.
Imagine getting up, taking a shower, getting dressed, all the while being grounded and calm – there’s nothing bad happening.
Michael Beckham, Central Minds HK
Most people who started the day in a bad mood, though, did not really shake it, and felt even worse by day’s end, Rothbart found.
To get off to a positive start and maintain a good mood during the day, Beckham advises focusing on what is within your control.
This will not only affect personal well-being, but can also enhance your productivity and interactions.
Beckham teaches his clients “pre-sleep” and “upon wake” techniques to help them shift focus to the here and now and stop fretting about what is outside their control – a big cause of stress and anxiety for many.
One method is “Walking Through The Day”; this can be done as you prepare to sleep or as you awaken.

“We just imagine ourselves in each aspect of our day, broken down into time frames, moving through the day, and playing everything out in a calm, productive way,” he says.
“Imagine getting up, taking a shower, getting dressed, all the while being grounded and calm – there’s nothing bad happening.”
Walking through these stages in our imagination can help us to feel in control of our thoughts, he says, and doing that makes us feel better, so our day goes better.
This can be a powerful way to keep the positive morning momentum going, he says, because we have already persuaded ourselves that everything is going to go well rather than imagining all the things that are going to go wrong – which almost never occur.
Beckham’s tips for becoming and staying positive

Invest in and set an alarm clock, rather than relying on your phone. There will be no risk of oversleeping and feeling rushed – a sure way to lose that morning glow in an instant. You will not be as tempted to start doom scrolling the moment you wake up. A sunrise-simulating alarm clock that uses light in place of sound is kinder than the shrill scream of a conventional one, and you will awaken more gently and naturally.


Drink a big glass of water slowly soon after you wake up to redress the mild dehydration that has set in overnight. Research shows this improves mental performance.


Open the windows to allow the fresh air to energise you, even on a cold day.


Organise yourself the night before – know what you are going to wear, for example – so you feel less harried when you get out of bed.



Stretch and breathe deeply on waking. This will boost your circulation and release any tension.


Take a cool – cold if you can bear it – power shower to pummel your senses awake.


Eat breakfast with your coffee or tea so it won’t irritate an empty stomach and affect your sensitive cortisol levels.


Get outside as early as you can – walk a bit of the way to work or have a short walk before work if you work from home. It will help get your heart pumping, and getting natural light early helps ensure better sleep at night. “Exposure to natural light in the morning helps regulate the body’s internal clock, potentially improving mood and boosting alertness through mechanisms linked to serotonin production,” Beckham says, serotonin being the feel-good hormone.

Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.


EU proposes ‘wine package’ as Trump threatens 200% tariffs

Dementia linked to diabetes, herpes as research looks beyond brain proteins to find cause

How losing 36kg helped transform a Hong Kong teacher into a distance runner

Animal-assisted therapy comes from alpacas for nursing home residents in Ireland

Wellness

How to wake up happy and stay that way? Exercise, the right breakfast, prep for the day

Your mood upon waking can determine how you feel the whole day, research shows. A Hong Kong-based counsellor offers his tips for getting out of the right side of the bed. Photo: Shutterstock

A sunrise-simulating alarm clock that uses light in place of sound is kinder than the shrill scream of a conventional one, and you will awaken more gently and naturally. Photo: Shutterstock

Nutrition, exercise and light exposure affect morning mood, as does bad sleep, says Michael Beckham, a clinical counsellor at Central Minds HK. Photo: Michael Beckham

Practising mindfulness and getting exposure to early morning sunlight are two ways to help nurture a positive mood in the morning that lasts throughout the day. Photo: Shutterstock

Stretch and breathe deeply on waking to boost your circulation and release tension accumulated while you slept. Photo: Shutterstock

Dealing with insomnia? Common-sense tips to help you fall asleep and get enough rest

Sleep restriction requires going to bed late, or later than usual, and getting up early. You might begin with just five-and-a-half-hours in bed and work up to six until you’ve found the optimum sleep amount for you. 
Photo: Shutterstock

The cover of Van de Laar’s book. Photo: Amazon

Hong Kong-based infant and adult sleep coach Gemma Fisk says that the US-based National Sleep Foundation recommends adults aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Photo: Ayelen Alcover Photography & Film

A Hadzabe man rests in a cave during hot midday hours. The Hadzabe tribe in northern Tanzania are, on average, awake for a couple of hours during the night, and don’t report a sleeping problem. Photo: Shutterstock 

If you find yourself awake in bed, give yourself time to drop back off. If you still can’t sleep, get up and do something relaxing: watch a favourite series or read a book. Photo: Shutterstock

Dutch sleep therapist Dr Merijn van de Laar offers understanding and advice to help people sleep better. Photo: gutkind-verlag.de

Don’t sleep enough? Your risks of ill-health and early death are higher

Working so late that you sleep too little is bad for your health and could shorten your life, studies show. Photo: Shutterstock

Sleep deprivation, if it persists for years, makes immune system weakness and early death more likely, research shows. Photo: Shutterstock

Do you sleep well? Are you insomniac? Do you take naps? The benefits of ‘good’ sleep, and how to get it

A new study describes four types of sleeper. A Macau-based sleep expert describes how to become a  “good” sleeper and the benefits that brings. Photo: Shutterstock

Good quality sleep can enhance the body’s absorption of nutrients and support memory and learning, among many other benefits. Photo: Shutterstock 

In modern society, sleep time is often sacrificed for other commitments and engagements. To become a “good” sleeper requires a lifestyle overhaul. Photo: Shutterstock

During sleep, the brain has the opportunity to clear out “waste”, improving its functionality. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Jacky Ho is a specialist in sleep science at the University of Saint Joseph in Macau. Photo: Dr Jacky Ho

There is evidence suggesting that good quality sleep can help the body absorb nutrients better and can support memory and learning. Photo: Shutterstock

Bruce Springsteen, 75, follows the Omad diet, but could you live on one meal a day?

Bruce Springsteen, 75, at an October 2024 rally for Democratic Party presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the US state of Georgia. Springsteen credits his fitness to following the Omad (one meal a day) diet. Photo: Reuters

Bruce Springsteen onstage in Las Vegas, looking very healthy at 75 years old. Photo: Getty Images

Eating “one meal a day is not a good idea”, says Brigham and Women’s Hospital obesity specialist Dr Caroline Apovian. Photo: Boston University

The Omad diet may not be suitable for some people, in which case the Mediterranean diet could be a better option. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Lists

Do you wake up on the right or wrong side of the bed? A Hong Kong-based counsellor explains how diet, exercise and visualising your day help


Do you wake up on the right or wrong side of the bed? A Hong Kong-based counsellor explains how diet, exercise and visualising your day help.


How to age well

Mental health