Dr. Daniel Amen, a certified psychiatrist and brain imaging researcher in California, shares on his TikTok account the positive morning declaration he promises can defeat the negative thinking that attacks all of us – some more, some less.
Amen, whose clientele includes Bella Hadid, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and others, says you need to say the mantra out loud to get the full effect.
Dr. Amen shared that negative people have lower activity in the prefrontal cortex. Amen recommends that everyone start the day by saying aloud, “Today is going to be a great day.” He claims that these magic words are effective whether you are speaking to yourself or to someone else.
When you do this, he said, your subconscious begins to look for activities and moments you are excited to experience as the day progresses.
“This is very important. For negative people with lower activity, especially in the prefrontal cortex. That’s why I recommend starting each day with ‘Today is going to be a great day,’” he said. “I want you to say it out loud, say it to someone, so that the message sinks in.”
Previous studies show that 85% of Americans make a conscious effort to think positively each morning. For half of the respondents, a morning cup of coffee and morning exercise were necessary to start the day on a positive note. In addition to coffee and exercise, the study found that smiling and positive thinking (48%), waking up early (48%), and meditation (43%) were key to starting the morning off right.
As mentioned, there are quite a few habits that can help increase happiness in the morning, but researchers tend to return again and again to one element that helps many: Gratitude.
In research experiments, people who wrote about things they were grateful for during the week achieved significantly higher happiness scores compared to people who instead listed things that annoyed them. In addition, daily gratitude practice may even contribute to improved physical health – which in turn contributes to overall feelings of happiness. You don't have to pray or meditate, you can simply find a way to express some kind of gratitude in the morning, because it can help put you in a better and more positive mindset throughout the day.