Reduce Morning Anxiety With These 5 Useful Tips
When I feel guilty, scared, upset, or embarrassed about my morning anxiety, and when I give into the fear thinking that its too much to bear, my anxiety gets even worse and I am usually really sick all day long. Here are five useful tips to knock morning anxiety out of your morning routine.
Tips to Move Past Morning Anxiety
- Create an Attitude Adjustment
- Post Positive Affirmations
- Eat Something Soon After Waking
- Use Distractions
- Set Yourself Up for Success
1. Create an Attitude Adjustment Instead of Worrying About Morning Anxiety
When I accept that my body is doing its thing and that the uncomfortable feelings will eventually pass, the fear loses its power over me. When we give into fear, the more horrific it becomes. So if we dwell on anxiety and how upsetting it is, we make it into this really big deal which than in reality becomes a really big deal.
To fix the situation I know I have to change my attitude. The night before I'll tell myself I don't need to get upset if I wake up with anxiety. In fact, I tell myself I should expect it to be there and stop worrying about whether it will come. I say, when I wake up and the anxiety hits I am going to tell myself that it's okay that I feel this way, it's not a big deal, and I can handle it. I CAN handle it! I can do whatever I need to throughout the day with the anxiety.
2. Post Positive Affirmations to Reprogram Your Mind
This is so important I can't stress it enough. It may sound silly but it seriously works! We have a lot of negative thoughts that swirl around so fast we may not even notice them. We have to reprogram our minds to think positively. To do this, I post positive affirmations all over the place! I post the one I mentioned above on my light on my nightstand so I see it as soon as I wake up.
POSITIVE AFFIRMATION ALERT:
This may be hard today, but I can handle it. I CAN handle it!
I read this to myself a few times taking in some deep breaths.
Insider Tip: If you really don't believe in the affirmation but want to, put the phrase "I am learning" in it. So it would say "This may be hard today, but I am learning that I can handle it...".
I'll post other affirmations on my bathroom mirror, in my closet, etc. and I make a point of reading each one a few times. They all say something to help me feel better about the situation.
3. Eat Something Soon After Waking to Reduce Morning Anxiety Enhanced by Low Blood Sugar
To help with low blood sugar, I like to eat very soon after waking up (Manage Morning Anxiety: 4 Yummy Healthy Breakfast Ideas). I have heard suggestions of leaving snacks on your nightstand to eat before getting out of bed. Eating soon after waking is not only good for your mental health, but it also gets your metabolism going which will help you lose weight.
4. Use Distractions to Reduce Morning Anxiety
I have a game on my phone that I use to help distract my thoughts. If you focus on the anxiety, it will magnify it. If you focus on something else, you will forget about it more easily. Try listening to your favorite music or paying attention to your children instead. Or try the tips in this post if you can't distract yourself: You Want Me To Focus on Anxiety? Seriously?
5. Set Yourself Up for Success
Finally, small changes such as a relaxing alarm clock, slippers and a robe to dress into after waking up, dimmer switches on your lights, etc. will not alone eliminate anxiety but can help minimize it.
I have found if I follow these tips I can usually eliminate anxiety from my mornings within a few days to a week. I would love to hear of any other suggestions you have found that helps you with your morning anxiety.
This is part 2 in a 2 post series. You may be interested in reading part 1, Morning Anxiety 101: Symptoms and Causes.
APA Reference
White, A.
(2010, January 28). Reduce Morning Anxiety With These 5 Useful Tips, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, December 22 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/anxiety-panic/2010/01/morning-anxiety-101-5-useful-tips
Author: Aimee White
Thank you SO much for these suggestions, Aimee! I will definitely try them and would love to hear other suggestions from other people.
IF I FEEL ANXIETY IN THE MORNING AND HAVE A LOT TO DO THAT DAY, I SAY A PRAYER, EAT AND THEN START ON MY CHORES AND BEFORE YOU KNOW THEY ARE DONE. SO I DIDN'T NEED TO WORRY AT ALL.
Good post, and it really offered a slightly different slant on things that I did not know about. I work on positive affirmations and accepting that my body and mind are anxious. However, the point about eating soon after waking and the other little things about setting myself up for success, I wasn't really aware of. I'll give them a try and see what happens.
Thanks Judy, Beverly, and Dan for your comments. Beverly, I am exactly the same way. After the "scary" situation is over I realize there was no need to worry. I also agree with saying prayers. I firmly believe God won't give us adversities that we cannot overcome.
I have been receiving medicationa nd therapy for years for anxiety and panic. I try the breathing exercises and the positive affirmations but they don't help. Even when I face my fears over and over they don't go away. For instance, I have intense fear of taking a shower and yet when I take it nothing bad happens and that doesn't stop the dread and the fear for the next time. Any thoughts on what might hwlp?
Hi Debbie,
All I can think of is that there are some negative thoughts that maybe aren't getting addressed and are holding you back. I would write down all of your fears associated with taking a shower. No matter how silly they may sound, write them all down. Then find an affirmation or just the opposite of the fear and replace it.
Before taking a shower repeat the affirmations for several minutes.
If that doesn't help than let me know.
Best of luck!
I’ve been visiting your blog for a while now and I always find a gem in your new posts. Thanks for sharing.
I find myself coming to your blog more and more often to the point where my visits are almost daily now!
I just sent this post to a bunch of my friends as I agree with most of what you’re saying here and the way you’ve presented it is awesome.
I was having really bad anxiety about a week ago, so I did a writing exercise, and it really helped. I thought of a phrase such as, "yes your feeling anxiety but it will pass" and other positive affirmations and just continued writing them down and by the end of the day my anxiety decreased. I still had the fear when I woke up the next morning but it wasn't as bad, but I wrote again and my anxiety decreased a little more. I just continued doing that until it was completely gone. The positive phrases, and writing down your thoughts in a journal ( i keep an anxiety journal) really helps!
You certainly have some agreeable opinions and views. Your blog provides a fresh look at the subject.
Hi,
I never felt anxiety until now. A week ago, I went out with my husband and had vodka with redbull. I felt really, really sick the next day. I had nausea, vomit, diarrhea and general discomfort. The next few days I felt so sick I didn't even leave the house.
I went to the E.R. and they told me I had gastritis but now my symptoms are different. I wake up really early no matter how late I go to bed, I wake up feeling really cold and I can't stop shaking. I feel butterflies or just like this tingly sensation all over. I can't make myself go back to sleep, so I get up and I feel very nauseous. I don't want to eat anything and I don't want to take meds that affect me more. I don't know what to do. I feel tired all the time and I fear going to bed at night to wake up like this.
Angelica, How are you doing these days? You posted in 2010. Have you found relief? or do you still suffer? It is very sad to read how upset you were and I hope you are doing better now. Would love to hear how things went for you. I am dealing with my own anxiety. And starting to work with myself to alleviate my symptoms and hope to heal it. Just wondering if you found anything that worked for you. Your situation seems a bit different than my own as it seems that yours began after a 'night out'. I am a holistic healing arts practitioner who is now a client making my way through. It is difficult to apply things to self without the support of someone like me in my life. Hope that makes sense. I know what works. Its just difficult getting myself there alone. I hope you are well. xo
Hi E
Hi E I am suffering with dreadful morning anxiety once again. I am on meds which obviously are not helping my situation any advice would be greatly appreciated
How long have you been on medication? Contact me via facebook and I will try to help you out X Nara B-Eva (I have pink hair on my profile pic will be easy to find)
Nice try but this article adds to the stigma that if I just change my attitude my mental illness will go away. Missed a mark here for me.
Seriously? It doesn't say generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder. It also doesn't claim to cure these things, only to help.
Hi deborah,, i feel the same way too.. can u give me yout facebook name so we could chat or talk to each other about our expiriences..
Feeling the same way :( would like to connect with others on here.
Hay every one am new here I suffer panic disorder too I am having a ruff time every day I feel like am dying any one please let we talk
I have awakened for years being fearful that my husband will pass as he's battled cancers. I'm constantly afraid of finances and being alone since I've had other losses and I can't support my overhead. The anxiety is overwhelming at times but really bad in the morning. It's terrible. I take a low dose of clonopon and have for years but the more years that pass and the more I see him aging, the more fearful I become and I awaken each day with this. It's horrible.
Im am so glad i found this site knowing im not alone with my morning anxiety. Some of the comments helpful. I DONT EVEN GO ON HOLIDAY BECAUSE OF THE WAY I FEEL IN THE MORNING. TERRIBLE.
Lets make a whatsapp group to support n chat each other. without any fear
Pls help i feel awful in the mornings
I cant continue like this i suffer from chronic pain and nearly died in 2008 now i am disabled and suffer a lot with food malabsorption
hi, it seems your situation is serious about the chronic pain. and honestly i dont know what we can do. if you will feel better, you can reply here , maybe some doctors can see. but morning anxiety is a thing that many people suffers, me as well. i lost father and all mornings i feel the same awfull feeling. but you should take more tablets to handle the situation immediately.
Thank you
I have anxious moments in the morning...sometimes the fear becomes so intense, I forget I know how to break the link to the thoughts,
I believe in mind-body connectin....I have had a terrible bout with Acid indigestion. Gas terrible pain an vomiting...I now take one pill which has relieved the pain.....
Glad I found your column on my iPad....do you have a column I can get on my iPad?
Thank you
Rev.Dr. "Sam" Satkin
revsammi&aol.com
I get anxiety attacks in the morning - I am 65 years - do not want to get up but I face this fear and make my self move - pray that God will intercede for me with prayers - I was told doing mediation and breaking helps a lot
please this is janell i live at jewell in topeka ks i do sometime pray for poeple that needs do you need it let me knoe.