Rough Morning!?
If you or someone you know struggles with morning anxiety,
then you NEED to watch this video!
I'm sharing 5 ways to control anxiety attacks in the morning here:
If you’ve watched my anxiety attacks vs. panic attacks video, you already know that anxiety is mainly driven by a hormone called Cortisol. Cortisol helps us wake up, pay attention and stay alert.
Our bodies also produce Cortisol in the morning when it’s time to wake up from your brainy beauty sleep, which is why you might notice that you feel more anxious in the mornings.
Here are 5 ways you can control anxiety attacks in the mornings.
Create a morning routine, and stick to it.
When we first wake up, we need time to get oriented to the day. An ideal morning routine should include eating breakfast, getting ready for the day, and some sort of self-care or mindfulness ritual. Don’t try to jam-pack your routine with all the things- and don’t be afraid to mix it up from time to time. For example, one of my favorite self-care or mindfulness rituals includes visualizing one dream from my Dream Jar. But some days, I’ll repeat positive affirmations to myself as I blow-dry my hair or get ready for the day.
Make sure you are giving yourself enough time.
Do you ever feel rushed in the mornings? You might not be allowing yourself enough time to do your morning routines. Write out your morning routine and make a note of how long it takes you to complete each task.
My ideal morning routine is 2 hours long!
Now I don’t always have that much time in the mornings, especially if I have an early meeting at a client’s school. By waking up even 15 minutes earlier, you could be creating space for a more relaxed morning. Plus, building in some buffer time allows you to recoup from a stressful morning more easily, than if you rush into your first class.
Drink a glass of water.
If you’ve been watching, you all know how I feel about the superpowers of staying hydrated. It’s one of my favorite coping skills! Most people don’t drink enough water, which leaves them feeling cranky and more vulnerable to emotional responses. Did you know that you don’t actually reap the benefits of your hydration until the next day? So if you didn’t drink enough water yesterday, you’re going to have a tough time trying to catch up today. So get an early start by drinking a full glass of water in the morning before you leave the house.
Start the day before.
While we’re at it, is there anything you’re doing in the morning that can be moved to your afternoon or nighttime routine? Now of course we can’t go back in time and start yesterday over to get ahead today. But we CAN make some small changes today to make tomorrow’s morning even better.
One thing you can do is to set out your outfit the day before. If you’re like me, it’s tough to decide what to wear because the weather in Connecticut can be so wonky. So I usually set out 2-3 outfit choices I can choose from in the morning.
Getting your bag set up, and your lunch packed are other things you can do the day before to make sure you’re in control of your anxiety in the morning. Having a clear spot where you place your phone, bag, and keys (if you drive) helps, too.
Be kind to yourself.
If you have an anxiety attack in the morning, that’s totally OK. We ALL have rough mornings that don’t go our way. You just went through an awful experience if you suffered an anxiety attack, or even a panic attack, so there’s no sense in beating yourself up even more. You can learn from what went well, and what didn’t, and make adjustments accordingly. Take a breath and say to yourself: “I am doing the best I can and I am learning from this experience.”
What is one way you manage morning anxiety? Let me know in the comments below.
If you are concerned that you, or someone you know, may be considering killing themselves, please connect them with help.
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