Professor reveals 3 things happy people do at the start of every day

A strong morning routine sets the tone for everything that follows that day. Experts say that the way you start your day can shape your mindset, dictate your energy levels and even how well you handle stress. When you bring a little bit of structure and some intention to those early hours, you give yourself a head start on happiness. Simple habits practiced in the morning can lift your mood, sharpen your focus and make the rest of the day feel more balanced and positive. That's according to one happiness guru, anyway... (Picture: Getty Images)

Meet the expert

He says happiness isn’t something that just happens - it’s something you construct yourself. Arthur C. Brooks, Harvard Business School professor and bestselling author, has spent years studying how this happens. His books include the likes of Build the Life You Want (co-authored with Oprah Winfrey) and From Strength to Strength. ‘To get happier, you need to do three things and they don't involve downloading an app or taking a pill,’ Brooks told Hello! Here are those three things... (Picture: Getty Images)

1. Wake up when it’s still dark outside

'Discipline is everything,' Arthur says. 'It’s not about the traditional self care which usually means take it easy by having a bath or lighting a candle… No. Self care is not taking it easy. Self care is being disciplined about the things that really work and things that really matter, and that starts first thing in the morning.' The professor says he always gets up before dawn and always starts his day in the same way with exercise and religion, claiming it improves mental acuity, creativity and focus. He adds: 'Yes! This means that you should get up when it's still dark. And I know, people are like, "But I'm at night person", and I say, no. You're not. No. You're a morning person. You're just undisciplined' (Picture: Getty Images)

Arthur says 'vigorous' exercise is the best way to manage your mood and your stress hormones often peak when you first wake up — meaning early morning workouts are the answer. He says: 'For you it might be walking, but for me I have to really get uncomfortable to put myself in my happy place. So I get up at 4:30am, and at 4:45 until 5:45am, I exercise very heavy. So a lot of resistance and a lot of high intensity exercise really helps me to manage my stress hormones and my anxiety responses over the course of the day' (Picture: Getty Images)

2. Embrace meditation

Brooks says that nurturing the soul is just as vital as caring for the body. For him, faith and religion provides that grounding. ‘After exercising, I'm working on my soul,' he says. 'Personally, I'm traditionally religious so I go to mass every morning from 6:30am to 7am which helps me start the day calm and focused.’ This spiritual anchor sets the tone for the rest of his day, giving him clarity and peace before tackling work (Picture: Getty Images)

But Brooks emphasises that soul work doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. ‘For somebody else,’ Arthur explains, ‘working on your soul might mean meditation, journaling, or even listening to music or daydreaming on social media. But make sure you’re scrolling on happy accounts only. Look out for happy playlists on TikTok to bring optimism to your feed’ (Picture: Getty Images)

3. Accept that sometimes you'll wake up unhappy

The professor believes that happiness isn’t about avoiding negative feelings but learning how to work with them. He stresses that the pursuit of joy doesn’t mean silencing sadness or stress, but rather finding ways to keep them in balance. ‘Happiness and unhappiness are not opposites,’ Arthur explains. ‘But you have to manage them separately. You want to raise your happiness, and you want to manage your unhappiness’ (Picture: Getty Images)

For Brooks, the key is routine - simple, science-backed practices that help you stay grounded and resilient. He warns that trying to erase unhappiness altogether only leads to frustration. ‘You don't want to eradicate your unhappiness — that's a big mistake because there's nothing wrong with you for feeling unhappy, it’s natural, you just need to manage it by getting your routine right. That's the bottom line’ (Picture: Getty Images)