4 Let the sun shine in
“Brightening your bedroom when you wake up helps you feel happier all day,” says Michael Terman, PhD, the director of the Center for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms at Columbia University Medical Center. Leave curtains and blinds open, and/or put lamps on a timer to switch on 15 minutes before your alarm sounds to get a “dawn simulation” effect. Just being outdoors can boost your mood as well, Terman explains. Morning sunlight is most beneficial, so take a pre-work walk.
