Do you wake up with a racing mind and a big knot in your stomach? You’re not alone. Morning anxiety is a common problem that can leave you feeling overwhelmed and fearful of the day ahead. But there are ways to reduce morning anxiety and start your day feeling calm and collected. This article will show you a variety of strategies that will help you conquer morning anxiety and greet your day with a sense of peace and confidence.
Ways to reduce morning anxiety
- Wake up 15 minutes earlier than you historically have gotten up.
When you wake up earlier than you absolutely have to, you can have some extra time to get ready and get where you need to go. Instead of rushing, you can have a calmer morning.
Plus, when you wake up early you have more time to focus on important things like self-care or reading that you would often skip if you were rushing out the door every single morning.
- Do one simple task.
Make your bed. Cook a healthy breakfast. The reason accomplishing one simple task first is so powerful is that it allows you to have an easy success first thing in the morning, which then builds momentum to continue doing more for the rest of the day.
- Meditate / Pray
Take 20-30 minutes to calm your mind and get prepared for the day. It’s mostly about taking a few minutes to remind yourself that the world is not going to end if you don’t finish your endless To Do list. Take a deep breath. Everything is going to be ok.
According to the Harvard Medical School, “Mindfulness meditation can help ease psychological stresses like anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.”
- Take a shower in lukewarm water
Cold shower therapy is an ancient Ayurvedic remedy that has numerous health benefits such as treating anxiety and depression, improving circulation, and tightening skin.
The use of coldness as a ‘good stressor’ on the body can help trigger several helpful responses within the human body:
- Improves mood
- Reduces muscle soreness
- Increase energy and mental alertness
- Improve immune system
- Jumpstart your metabolism
- Take a Walk
Most people jump up and immediately drink coffee, which can add to the morning anxiety from the caffeine.
An early morning walk can wake you up just as much, and you may find it to be an amazing way to start your day!
Not only does a morning walk get you out of the house to enjoy nature, it also helps increase blood flow and mood.
If you want to give it a try, be sure to leave your phone at home. Just embrace your surroundings, listen to the birds and the breeze, and be grateful that you have this morning.
- Do a brain dump
“Could bitching and moaning on paper for 5 minutes each day change your life? As crazy as it may seem, I believe the answer is yes.”
-Tim Ferriss
Journaling is an amazing way to trap your thoughts on paper and give you a heightened view of your internal dialogue.
Giving yourself a reality check can have many benefits:
- Reduce daily anxiety and overwhelm
- Figure out the main triggers for anxious thoughts
- Work through major decisions
- Uncover trends in thinking
- Inspires creativity and growth
- Point out negative thinking habits
- Practice gratitude
After your Worry Journal, you should also take a few minutes to write what you are most grateful for today.
Gratitude is a very powerful practice that has been utilized by the Stoics, billionaires, and monks alike to help them appreciate life and reduce anxiety. Research confirms that practicing gratitude daily can reduce depression and anxiety.
- “Big rocks” first
A common business coaching drill is to have a jar into which you have to fit a pile of golf-ball-sized rocks, pebbles, and sand.
In order to get everything in, you have to put in the biggest rocks first. Then the smaller things, and finally the sand.
If you do things in the wrong order, it will never fit in the jar.
By having a basic structure that shows you what you are going to do next, you will be able to take control of your day more easily, and calm your restless mind.
Every morning, pick the one thing that will move the needle the most for you. (Often, this is a task that has been put off for days on end.)
After your Big Rock is in, you can add the day’s pebbles and sand.
- 90 minutes of focused work
The first three hours of your day are your most precious for maximized productivity. Typically, we have a window of about three hours where we can stay focused. Plan on using just half that for your morning’s Big Task.
Take 90 minutes (or less) to focus on nothing but your Big Rock. Do not check email. Do not look at the news. Put your phone on do not disturb. Ninety minutes, or until rock is done.
“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”
– Mark Twain
About the author:
Dan DeFigio
is a well-known emotional eating expert who specializes in helping people overcome impulsive eating and reactive stress behavior.