Do you wake up each morning with anxiety? In the early hours, does your mind race with stressful thoughts? If you have an anxiety disorder, you may find that mornings are the most difficult time of day for you. Here's how to minimize morning anxiety and have a better start to your day.
Note: This article is based on the assumption that you have talked with your doctors. Physical problems should be ruled out or treated. Anxiety disorders should be diagnosed and treated by a professional, whether it's with therapy, medication, or both. For help, see How to Talk to Your Doctors.
1. Practice Good Sleep Hygiene
How can you get enough sleep if morning anxiety is keeping you from sleeping? Good sleep hygiene is about taking care of yourself all the time and, of course, before bed time. Even if you have no problems getting to sleep, poor lifestyle habits may be causing you to wake up too early. For example, both caffeine and alcohol may cause you to wake up frequently during the night and/or wake up early.2. Consider Your Medications
Each of these should be discussed with your prescribing doctor; please do not make changes on your own.- Shorter-acting benzodiazepines, such as Xanax, may lose effectiveness during the night, leading to increased morning anxiety. You may want to ask your doctor how long the medication lasts and for any alternatives.
- Your treatment plan should include management of morning anxiety, and a medication adjustment could help with this problem.
- Some medications may cause insomnia and other sleep problems, such as vivid dreams. These sleep problems, in turn, may be leading to your morning anxiety.
3. Keep Healthy Food by Your Bed
For some, a drop in blood sugar caused by many hours of not eating may cause increased anxiety. Eat a high-protein snack before bed (such as peanut butter and crackers). Then keep snacks by your bed. If you wake up hungry in the middle of the night, eat a little. In the morning, eat a little bit before getting out of bed (make it something easy to digest, such as crackers). Experiment with what works for you, but avoid sugary snacks and chocolate. Protein and complex carbohydrates are best. Additionally, make an effort to reduce or, better yet, eliminate, caffeine in your diet.4. Keep a Comfort Kit by Your Bed
Just as you may want to take comforting items with you when you leave home, consider keeping a comfort kit right by your bed. Along with healthy snacks, keep items in your kit that you know will be of comfort if you wake up in the night or wake up early with anxiety: a teddy bear, a photo of a loved one, a favorite book of poems, etc. Also, create a comforting surrounding. Choose bed linens that make you smile and feel relaxed. Use a night light. Make sure you're not to hot or cold when you're sleeping. Think about anything that would make your bedroom comfortable, and try to make it so.5. Reduce Your Morning Stressors
If the alarm clock causes you to wake up with a pounding heart, consider other ways of waking up. Try a different kind of alarm clocks, such as one that wakes you gradually with gentle music. If you wake with a radio, choose the station carefully. Do you really want to hear the news first thing in the morning? (You may also want to avoid the newspaper, radio, and television at this time of day.) Also, don't start your day in a rush; get everything you'll need ready the night before. Leave enough time in the morning. You may feel more relaxed when you wake up, knowing you won't be rushed.6. Start Your Day With Relaxation
Make time in your morning for relaxation, breathing exercises, and/or meditation. Create a "safe place" in your home, perhaps right in your bedroom, where you know you may relax or meditate for 10 to 15 minutes. It just needs to be a small corner, where you might put a comfortable pillow for sitting and a few calming objects such as photos or candles. After you regularly use this spot for meditation or relaxation, you will associate the spot with a feeling of calm and safety.7. Start Your Day With Exercise
Aerobic exercise (walking, running, swimming, etc.) has been shown to help with mood, so that is reason enough alone to do it in the morning. You also may find that, after a while, the ritual of getting up to exercise will make you feel better. If you're concerned about causing panic with exercise, start with walking. You'll be able to take it easy for as long as you'd like. Increase your motivation to exercise by exercising with a friend. It will help you stick to it and you'll also find anxiety relief in knowing that you'll see a familiar face each morning.8. Talk to Someone in the Morning
It may be as easy as talking to your spouse or partner. If you don't have someone at home, consider enlisting a friend to chat over the phone for 5 minutes in the morning. This is not a time to vent about your anxiety or to have a therapy session. It's a time to touch base and feel less alone. Knowing that you'll hear that friendly voice in the morning may be enough to reduce your morning dread.9. Try Affirmations and/or Journaling
Affirmations and journaling are two cognitive exercises you may find helpful in the morning. Create affirmations by first writing down the anxious thoughts you typically have in the mornings. Then write down positive statements to counter those thoughts. Write 5 of your favorites on an index card to keep by your bed, and repeat each of them several times each morning. Another exercise is to keep a journal by your bed. In the morning, record every thought and worry. Then go on to write down solutions and positive statements about yourself. Over time, these rituals will counteract those anxious thoughts.10. Explore Your Daily Routine for Causes
Does the highway drive to work make you dread mornings? Consider ways to work on driving anxiety. Or if it's simply a stressful drive, maybe you need an alternate route. Do you hate your job? Consider ways to remedy the situation (changing what you hate or, more seriously, working on a job change). Are you rushed? Get up earlier or streamline your morning routine. Write out everything you think about when you wake up. Not every change suggested is easy. However, that morning dread just might be telling you that you need a change. Talk about it with your therapist.How Do You Manage Morning Anxiety?
What do you do about feelings of dread, anxiety and/or panic in the morning? Come join our discussion on this topic -- add your concerns and share your tips for managing this common problem.
