Sometimes, especially in the winter or when I’m sick (check, check), it’s easy to feel pretty grouchy. These are some things I’ve incorporated into my daily routine that have really changed my general mood most days, including winter sick days:

Each night…
1. Tell myself to have sweet dreams and that the next day will be a good day.

2. Tidy up for 10-15 minutes before bed. It feels much better to wake up to dishes done, the table cleared, and lunches packed. It also feels good to go to bed knowing these things have been done.

3. Keep a gratitude journal. In January, Chad gave me a really nice diary with a block of space for each day. I split each page in two: on one side I write down my To Do’s (breaking a giant list into everyday, doable tasks has also been a huge stress-reliever that’s made me more productive), and on the other side I write down at least three things I am grateful for or that made me happy that day. Sometimes it’s even just that I got to wear some cute earrings because it was the weekend (I can’t wear them at work), or that the weather was nice that day. At first I felt like I was really reaching to get three things on my list each day, but once I got myself into the habit, it became hard to stop at three most days! Now, throughout the entire day I find myself seeking out things that make me feel good that I can write down later, instead of focusing on the negative things that happen. And, after nearly two months of keeping it faithfully, I had this extremely joyful moment flipping through the journal and thinking, “Wow, I am so lucky I have so much to be thankful for!” I was actually overwhelmed by the abundance of thankful, happy things that had happened each day.

Every morning…
4. When I wake up, I never leave the room without kissing my husband if I’m up first. The same goes before bed–he always gets a goodnight kiss. I think even the littlest moments count, and I feel so loved and loving because of things like that. I don’t even remember when we started giving good morning/night kisses (maybe we always have?), but now I can’t imagine not doing it!

5. Take time for breakfast, coffee and a shower, even on weekdays. You might say, “Well, of course!” to all of that–especially the shower!–but I mean that I try my best to ensure I have a proper amount of time in the morning to have a shower, and then coffee and breakfast with Chad, talking with him and occasionally listening to the news, before racing out the door to see how much I can get done for the day. Believe me, it’s not always easy. I hate the mornings, but that slow, easy-going wake-up time with my husband makes a huge impact on the rest of my day.

I’m still not feeling better today, but I can say that the 5 things listed above helped my day nevertheless.

Here are some things I’m grateful for today:

• I could watch girly movies to distract myself from being sick (Blue Valentine and Pitch Perfect).

Ryan didn’t play the nicest character in Blue Valentine, but somehow I got over it.

• I made cornbread successfully for the first time! And it looked like the result was smiling at me.

• It’s the weekend! And I get to spend (most of) it with my best friend.

Here he is in Thailand, being all cool and handsome, as usual.

So, what kind of things do you do to improve your mood each day?