Why is My Anxiety Worse in the Morning?​

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with anxiety before you even get out of bed? Well, you're not alone, as many people experience their anxiety most intensely in the morning. This can make getting up even more complicated than usual. Even simple tasks like making coffee or checking your phone can seem like a major obstacle. You may be so tired in the morning that starting the day becomes nearly impossible.

For many, morning anxiety is a real struggle. If you don't understand how to deal with it, it can impact your entire day. First, understanding the causes behind it can help you improve. Additionally, learn how to manage the anxiety that greets you as soon as you wake up..

What Causes Morning Anxiety?

Some factors that contribute to increased anxiety in the morning include:

• Increased Cortisol: Your body releases more cortisol, a stress hormone, even when you're not fully awake. This can increase anxiety in some people upon waking.

• Anticipatory anxiety: Another common morning stress is anxious thoughts related to future or unresolved events. You may lie in bed wondering what the day will be like, what problems you need to solve, or even the problems you faced yesterday that you haven't yet resolved.

• Sleep problems: Lack of sleep or insomnia can be physically and emotionally draining, making it even more difficult to deal with anxiety.

• Low blood sugar: Depriving yourself of food for a few hours can cause low blood sugar, another cause of anxiety and irritability.

• Dehydration: According to the research, even mild dehydration upon waking can affect our mood and exacerbate morning anxiety symptoms.

How to Deal with Anxiety in the Morning?

Take a few simple steps and you'll wake up without the jolt of morning anxiety!

• Light activities: Don't stay in bed because you don't feel well. Get up and do some light stretching or yoga, even when you don't feel like it. Not getting up causes tension in the cervical muscles and affects your mood. So, if you can't feel better physically, at least relax your muscles.

• Progressive muscle relaxation: Starting from your toes and then working your way up to your head, relax each muscle group in turn. This can be beneficial for both your physical and mental health.

• Journaling: Keep a diary and write down all your anxious, morning stress thoughts as soon as you wake up. This can help you release your anxieties and reduce internal conflicts.

• Positive self-talk: Write down or keep in mind some words that could bring you peace, or say them to yourself right after you wake up. For example, "I can solve any problem I face today." This will give you a morning boost to start a good day ahead and help you with dealing with morning stress in a positive way.

• Aromatherapy: Use calming scents like lavender or chamomile in a diffuser or as essential oils. These can greatly calm your nervous system and may help give your morning stress day a break.

• Reduce screen time at night: The blue light emitted from devices disrupts sleep rhythm, resulting in increased morning stress symptoms. To improve your sleep quality, turn off screens at least an hour before bed.

Some tips for long-term solutions to reduce morning anxiety are as follows:

Of course, these quick solutions are useful for relieving anxiety, but the key is to understand the true cause of your anxiety and how to deal with it long-term. To do this, follow the steps below:

• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule: Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Make this a routine to regulate your internal body clock and give a permanent break to your disruptive morning stress.

• Regular exercise: Engaging in physical activity is a great way to reduce overall anxiety levels and promote quality sleep.

• Hydrate and nourish: Start your day with a balanced breakfast and drink a glass of water to help regulate your blood sugar and hydration levels.

• Balanced diet: Avoid heavy meals before bed and consider limiting caffeine and alcohol consumption, especially at night.

• Limit stimulant intake: Make a point of avoiding sugar and caffeine as much as possible in the morning. Eliminating these can also reduce your anxiety and help you control your reactions to situations.

• Stress management techniques: Find and practice techniques that help you reduce stress, such as meditation, yoga, or regular deep breathing exercises.

• Treating the root cause: Consult a psychiatrist to identify and address the root causes of stress in your daily life, such as past traumatic events or current life stressors.

Seeking Professional Help

If your morning anxiety persists or severely impacts your life even after trying some or all of the above measures, you may need professional help. Here are some indicative signs:

• Anxiety that interferes with your normal daily life, professional/academic, and relationships.
• You're having panic attacks.
• Avoiding places or situations because of your anxiety.
• You feel like your anxiety doesn't allow you to control your life.
• Engaging in bad habits, such as substance abuse.

Remember, seeking mental health help isn't a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of strength. Just as feeling sad or missing people are universal human experiences, so is help. A medical professional can provide you with advice, including therapy sessions and medication, if needed.

Wake up with joy in your heart!

Transforming the (almost) anxious morning you experience upon waking into a calm and patient one is a journey within yourself. Here are some steps you can take immediately:

• Pick a few suggestions from this article and implement them the next day.
• Start with a morning diary to monitor your anxiety levels and notice any patterns that emerge along the way.
• Reach out to someone you trust and share your experiences to get positive feedback.
• If needed, check out local mental health services or online therapy options to learn how to get lasting support.

Remember, there are others like you going through the same thing, and help is available. Approach your first thing in the morning with more grace and strength, and you'll have many more peaceful days. Your future will appreciate the work you do today.

Do you feel it's time to face your morning anxiety? Visit https://gabapsychiatrist.com/anxiety-treatment/ or call +1(833)312-4222