This is a story from
Jacquelyn Smith.
I am not a morning person.
I realize that’s a pretty cliche statement — but ask my parents, my sister, or my fiance, and they’ll all tell you how moody and miserable I can be when I first wake up. I usually snap out of it before I get to work, but it’s still not a pleasant way to start the day.
For years I’ve been trying to combat my morning moodiness, so when my boss challenged our team to choose a morning hack to try out for a week, I thought carefully about what I wanted to do. I considered everything I enjoy doing and asked myself, “What could really elevate my morning mood?” I ultimately landed on reading.
Like most people, my attitude is often affected by the tone of whatever I’m reading. So I knew in order for this exercise to work — for it to actually help me start my day on a happier note — I’d have to choose a funny book. I picked “
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)”, the hilarious 242-page memoir by actress and comedian
Mindy Kaling. I downloaded the eBook on a Sunday night in mid-March, and began the experiment Monday morning.
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| Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling |
Here’s how the week went:
Monday
I decided I didn’t necessarily want to wake up earlier to do this exercise (that would make me dread it, not enjoy it) so I figured I’d read for about 10 minutes while eating breakfast and another 20 minutes on the subway. (I usually exercise in the morning, but don't like reading at the gym — it's really hard to read while bouncing up and down on the treadmill or elliptical). I stuck to the plan on Day 1. I got through about 15% of the book — it’s a quick and easy read — and had a few good laughs. Coming up the subway stairs at 23rd Street I caught myself smiling, thinking about two funny lines from the introduction.
One was: “You should know I disagree with a lot of traditional advice,” Kaling writes. “For instance, they say the best revenge is living well. I say it’s acid in the face — who will love them now?”The other line was one I could relate to: “There is no sunrise so beautiful that it is worth waking me up to see it.”
I love my job, but when it’s time to get back to the grind Monday morning, I typically feel less than thrilled walking through the front door of my office building. But this Monday morning was different.
I arrived feeling cheerful. My attitude was more positive than usual, and I'm almost certain it helped me be a better writer and editor that day.
Tuesday
Day 2 wasn’t much different. I read for the full 30 minutes while I ate breakfast and during my commute — but I witnessed a pretty nasty verbal dispute between two passengers as I was getting off the subway, which put a slight damper on my morning mood. To get back on track, I finished the chapter I was reading while waiting for the elevator in my office lobby. This instantly shifted my mood back.
I noticed I was more productive Tuesday morning than most mornings. I came in, edited two stories in my queue, and read most emails in my inbox — all within the first 45 minutes.
Wednesday
Day 3 didn’t go as well.
I spent my entire commute reading emails and responding to text messages. I didn't even open my Kindle app that morning. It wasn't that I forgot about reading — I was just distracted.
And I paid for it.
I noticed I wasn’t as upbeat as I had been the previous two days, and I’m fairly convinced failing to read on Wednesday took a toll on my productivity.
Thursday
I got back on track Thursday. Just about halfway through the book, I laughed at least a dozen times (sometimes out loud, sometimes in my head) reading about Kaling’s entrance into the world of Hollywood. This put me in a really good mood. I emailed a friend as soon as I got to work, telling her she had to read “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns),” ASAP. I think I was also friendlier to my colleagues in the office kitchen this morning (I'm not usually unfriendly — I just tend to be quiet and keep to myself in the early hours), and that made for a more pleasant start to the workday.
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| Just read something that is funny and interesting |
Friday
I was out of the office Friday, but continued the exercise. I woke up, ate breakfast, and read for about 55 minutes, until I finished the book. It’s hard to stay how it affected my mood on Friday, since I was in sunny Miami and had little to worry about. But I’m fairly certain it didn’t hurt.
Reading a funny book for 30 minutes every morning did exactly what I hoped it would. Of course the good mood it put me in didn’t always last. In fact, some mornings my attitude turned sour by 10, thanks to a rude email or dull interview. But this morning hack is one I will continue to use because it seems to be the only thing that can make me smile at 8 a.m. on a workday. And, as dramatic as it may sound, starting the day off in a great mood seems to be changing all aspects of my life for the better.
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