Morning Anxiety: Tips for Overcoming

How we wake up is essential to how the rest of the day will pan out. This is why a lot of people work hard to start and maintain good morning habits. This is sometimes used to guard against morning anxiety.

Morning anxiety is not medically diagnosed but can be severe enough that it disrupts a person’s normal functioning. Morning anxiety is a situation where just after waking up one experiences feelings of dread, stress, worry, anxiety, and uneasiness.

Morning anxiety is different from the normal feelings of unease that people experience momentarily due to certain circumstances. No two people experience the same symptoms due to many factors, but it is important to be on the lookout for the following symptoms and signs if you suspect you have morning anxiety:

• Inability to calm down due to faster heart rate, rapid breathing, and feeling on edge.
• Debilitating fatigue.
• Irritability and foul mood.
• Fear of some impending doom, real or imagined.
• Inability to focus or concentrate, almost going blank.
• Intrusive thoughts.
• Feeling like you are about to have a panic attack ( tight chest, muscle tension, light-headedness, nausea and sweating).
• Trembling.

Tips for managing morning anxiety.

Sleep Hygiene – Having good sleep habits can reduce levels of anxiety in the morning. Good sleep hygiene consists of having a consistent bedtime, making your room and bed comfortable enough, and turning off devices to ensure quality undisturbed sleep.

Have a morning routine.

This is especially important for seasons when one is experiencing high levels of anxiety. This can mean scheduling certain activities and pre-planning for the morning on the night before. The body and mind feel calmer when there is a sense of control and routine.

Physical activity.

Starting the day with physical activity can be a remedy for morning anxiety. Being active through exercises, a brisk walk, or a run helps the body wake up and also produces the feel-good hormones that can boost a person’s mood for the day. Physical activity also aids in good quality sleep later at night.

Practice self-compassion and gratitude.

Developing the habit of positive self-talk will bring about the ability to be compassionate toward oneself and focus on the things one is grateful for. Through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, those who struggle with morning anxiety get tools to challenge the negative and scary thinking that causes the anxiety in the first place.

Avoid or reduce stimulants.

The symptoms of morning anxiety can be caused or exacerbated by stimulants like caffeine and nicotine as they sometimes affect sleeping habits and also contribute to increased levels of anxiety.

Healthy eating habits.

Eating well and healthily is essential for a functioning body, mind, and soul. Eating healthy, especially for breakfast, gives a person a fighting chance against anxiety as healthy food provides essential fuel that helps in balancing blood sugar which is responsible for mood and anxiety.

Go off-grid.

At night, know when to switch off devices and when to stop browsing through social media. For some, it could be essential to go dark for a while to manage their anxiety, especially when you realize these to be a trigger.

Reach out for help.

If you suspect that you might be struggling with morning anxiety, reach out to our office for help. At Culver City Christian Counseling in California, we have trained counselors and therapists who will gladly assist in assessing your situation and if need be start you on a personalized treatment program.