START the day with a smile, you’ve heard that before. It sets the mood for your day. How about going to bed with a smile? It’s comforting to drift off to sleep in calm, happy mood. It’d make getting up with a smile easier too.

How does one go to bed smiling? That will depend on what activities happen right before your bedtime. It’ll differ from person to person, but here’s what I’ve learned so far:

Don’t watch the news before bedtime. Keeping updated on current events is good, but I’ve found that all the bad news I watch keep me up late at night. I end up talking about what I watch, share my worries and think about the awful realities lurking in the city. Not all news are bad, but when the bedroom light is turned off, my imagination works overtime. And so I avoid watching the news and…

Avoid watching movies or reading books that are too heavy or too scary. The degree of a movie’s heaviness or scariness varies from person to person. The thing is they can keep the wheels in your head turning and turning… again, your imagination works overtime. That’s what happens to me anyway. Or maybe I’m just a scaredy cat.

Resolve fights. Don’t go to bed angry with anyone, even yourself. Perhaps you can make up before the day ends. If it seems impossible, park your emotions for tomorrow and recharge for the night. Who knows, the night may cool your heads and tomorrow will be a better time to patch things up. Go to bed knowing everything will work out tomorrow.

Say a prayer of thanksgiving. Make a mental list of the good things that happened to you today. Say “thank you” for each one of them. Remembering the day’s happy times will definitely put you in a happier, calmer mood.

Do some light exercise. Do some light stretches and lunges before going to bed. Rotate those shoulders, move your head from side to side, take deep breaths. Release your body of the day’s tensions, and you’ll feel much lighter and happier as you climb into bed.

When you go to bed with a smile, the day seems so much better than it is too. You’d realize the day wasn’t so bad at all. Be thankful for that. Then look forward to the morning, when you’d wake up with a good sleep and a good smile.

“Life is 10% the situation and 90% how you react to it.”
- Author unknown

When I stumbled upon this quote in a magazine, my mind never let go of it. It resonated with me so well. It is the truth after all.

You can choose to be happy, you can choose to be sad. You can choose to be angry, you can choose to be calm. Emotions push us to act on something. It’s up to us which emotions we want to move forward with.

Water is accidentally spilled on your shirt by the waiter. Do you angrily lash out at him, calling him names and reporting it to his manager? Do you take deep breaths and try to keep your calm, understanding that accidents happen? Whichever one you choose does create a chain of events. How you react is all in your hands.

It’s all a matter of perspective. Let’s take life for what it is. It is indeed a series of situations and a series of our own and other’s reactions. So the next time a situation comes our way, perhaps remembering this quote might help. Maybe our emotions ride so strongly we neglect to see how easily the situation could’ve been solved, and perhaps the situation isn’t as daunting after all.

I AM _______. Simple and to the point, this fill-in-the-blank exercise helps me focus on what I need to be or do, what I have to be or do. It’s an exercise of affirmation, one that encourages me to push myself more and be happy with myself.

How does this go? Fill the blank with a positive trait or characteristic you want to possess. For example, when in a situation that requires you to relax (think panic moments before an exam), try saying the line “I am calm” over and over in your head. The more you say it, the calmer you will be. It’s all about claiming the feeling and owning it.

The “I am ___” line also works when you need to finish a task. Try it when you’re feeling lazy to clean your home. Repeat “I am decluttering the living room” in your head or out loud, and this can help bring you to action.

The “I am ___” lines I use most often are “I am calm” and “I am focused.” The first line helps me a lot before a presentation, a time when the butterflies in my stomach are flying wildly around. The second line helps me when I’m getting overwhelmed with work.

Try the exercise for yourself. I hope it helps you get centered and accomplish what you’re set out to do.

COME in, come in, and make yourself at home. We have some happy thoughts to share with you!

Happy Nest is about positivity and the good things that can make our every day better.

My name is Toni. I chose to write about happy thoughts on Happy Nest because I am passionate about positivity. I am an optimist. I believe that happy thoughts can go a long way, and that even the smallest good thing can make a whole day a lot better, a lot happier.

So come join me as we build for ourselves a little home for positivity — a little happy nest!