Go to bed with a smile.

By Toni Platon-Tiu

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.