Smile. Get out of Bed. And Say Good Morning.

Easier said than done, right? Especially these days, when new COVID variants run rampant in the developed and developing world (despite the massive vaccination effort) decimating the futures of so many young people and small business owners? And what right do I have to encourage this behavior when I’ve been self-quarantined for the last 4 months on a beautiful subtropical island where the sun shines most of the time, the temperature never drops below 60, and everyone actually does smile and say good morning?

Once upon a time I would have agreed with you. More precisely 5 years ago. You see in 2015, I discovered what SAD really meant. I had already survived one form of “terminal cancer” in my brain, was experiencing “ghost” — meaning PTSD — symptoms, that sent me repeatedly into MRI machines, had lost the person I thought was the love of my life, had been prescribed Klonopin for severe anxiety and depressive swings and was probably on the verge of alcoholism to numb myself to all the pain. Add to that the fact that the days were getting shorter, and the weather was getting colder. And I was headed towards the holidays with a family I couldn’t be honest with on any level. I was SAD.

So, what changed my perspective? 8 very special friends, an incredible therapist, training for the NYC marathon, and deciding my mornings needed a twist.

PTSD is tricky. In my case I think my trauma history and triggers actually began building up in early childhood, meaning round 3 or 4. But really didn’t manifest until the brain tumor appeared 30+ years later. As one of my closest friends and advisors (let’s call him V) pointed out The Body Keeps the Score.

V also stepped in to warn me about the risks of Klonopin( VERY ADDICTIVE) and offered to help me find a therapist to hold space for me as I worked through these newly identified challenges. I say “Hold Space” because that’s actually what the therapist (Let’s call her Dr. J) ultimately did for me. I didn’t understand that therapists don’t advise you” or “re-assure you”, etc. like friends do. They create a space for you to voice and work through your own perspective on your life and its challenges and habits. IT’S HARD, PAINFUL WORK. Especially if you’re digging into a lifetime of sweeping things under the carpet to avoid unpleasantness in order to “keep the family intact”.

And early on in our relationship, I realized I HATED seeing her in the morning… I’d avoid it. Just like I did my pre-dawn training runs for the marathon, walking my dog in the morning, and even getting out of bed before the sun was fully up. For those unaware, that’s actually called diurnal depression, specific to the morning. And it’s really common. A lot of us suffer from it especially in the fall and winter months (SAD — Seasonal Affective Disorder). But it was the realization of these avoidance habits that actually helped break the mold.

So, what did I do to change this? I voiced it (felt more like I “admitted it”) in my next early morning session, embarrassedly laughed about it a bit and owned that I needed to take charge of my mornings.

And that’s exactly what I did. I made my mornings a beautiful ritualized 6am routine, no matter the season. The moment my alarm goes off I Smile. Get out of bed. And say good morning ( to my dog, and constant companion even pre-pandemic, Pippa. And my day only gets better from there.

So this Spring, as the days get longer and a new administration fights for the survival of us all, I’d encourage you to test out the 7 Benefits of Smiling and Laughing that You Didn’t Know about.

How will you make sure to smile and say good morning today?