How To Create A Morning Routine That Reduces Anxiety And Stress

As someone who has struggled with anxiety since childhood, I find myself most anxious in the morning.When I open my eyes, all the worry and potential stress that awaits me fills my mind.The unease in my mind makes me want to stay in bed as long as possible so I don’t have to face the day ahead.

Of course, this avoidance only exacerbates my feelings.The way to alleviate those feelings is the opposite: waking up earlier so I have time to do my morning routine.These days, I’ll make an iced coffee, take the dog for a walk, follow a short workout video, write a to-do list for the day, and if time permits, meditate and journal.

Morning habits are very important and set the stage for the rest of our day.Worry-filled mornings often lead to anxious afternoons.

Instead, starting the morning with a purpose creates a sense of calm and confidence that makes the rest of the day seem more manageable.

So how can you develop a morning habit that calms your thoughts and stick to it?Here are some helpful tips from the experts.

How to start a good morning routine

Consider how much time you can actually set aside for yourself.

We all have a manageable period of time in the mornings.For some, that time may be an hour, while for others it may be as little as 20 minutes.

For example, if you have young children or a long commute to work, you may not have much time to work.So, figure out what works for you realistically.

Waking up early may make you less tired in the morning.That said, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice a full night’s rest in order to get up early.Remember, sleep plays a key role in your emotional regulation.

We often hear that people start things early in the morning.For some people, it’s energizing time, the best time to start doing things.But it can be harmful if you limit the amount of sleep you get, or if doing things this early in the day doesn’t work well.

Experiment to find out what ritual works best for you.

Finding out which morning habits can ease your anxiety may take a lot of trial and error.What works for your partner, friends, or random influencers you follow on Instagram may or may not work for you.

Think about your biggest stressors and the issues that trigger your anxiety, and then consider what really helps in those situations.Then check out these activities and experiment with them.There are many ways and means to exercise, plan, journal, listen and read, and some will feel right for you.

Make it easy and fun so you can stick with it.

You don’t have to come up with some complicated 20-step process to enjoy the benefits of a morning routine (but you can flex more muscle if you want to).

Morning habits are most effective when we love them, and they are easy to incorporate into our lives.They are not meant to revolutionize what we do, but to add small, positive changes that add up.

What are some ways to make mornings go smoother?Make some preparations the night before, such as getting your workout clothes ready, preparing breakfast ahead of time, or leaving your journal next to the coffee maker.

Leave something that triggers a memory, puts what you need within reach, and creates a space of possibility.

But realize that you can’t execute your routine perfectly every day – and that’s okay.

You may do well for a few weeks and then underperform for a few days.If you are mentally prepared to deal with these difficulties, you will be less likely to blame yourself when they occur.

It’s easy to judge and criticize yourself when things don’t go your way, or when you don’t want to get up right away in the morning to start a new life.Anticipate that there will be difficult moments and listen to your inner voice, which will give you kind words and encouragement along the way.

Give yourself some praise when you do follow your daily habits.

Some habits worth trying to adopt in the morning

We asked mental health experts to recommend some practices that can help relieve anxiety.Try some of them and check how you feel afterwards – but be aware that it may take a while to see results.Then you can decide if you want to add any of them to your morning routine.

1.Start your day with a glass of water.

Hydrate with a glass of water immediately after waking up before drinking tea or coffee.

It improves our cognitive function, gives us a clearer mind, can boost our mood and energy, promotes more balanced emotional regulation, and takes less than a minute!This is a great habit to incorporate into the next part of your routine, and you can even prepare water the night before.

2.Take a walk outdoors.

Walking outside is a calming, grounding way to start the day.

It’s also great that sunlight hits our eyes and stimulates serotonin production, which improves our moods.It also stimulates our senses; the wind blows in our faces, the sounds around us echo in our ears, and we smell the outside world.It allows us to focus our attention, easing our worries in the process.

3.Be grateful.

Take some time to reflect on all the good things in your life.You can make a list of things in your mind, share them with your partner or children, or write them down in a journal.

Start the day with a grateful heart before you even get out of bed!Start making a list of all the things that make you grateful.This can be done through prayer or simply by saying out loud how grateful you are for the universe or nature.

4.Try to avoid checking your cell phone as soon as you do something.

Those work emails, texts, Instagram notifications and news alerts can wait a little while.If you charge your phone next to your bed or use it as an alarm clock, you wake up looking at your phone.Without realizing it, you’re hooked and two minutes of browsing becomes 20 minutes.Try charging your phone on the other side of the room so it’s out of your reach.Or charge it outside the bedroom and use the alarm clock instead.

Some people browse social media or read news articles while lying in bed, and reading or seeing something negative or scary can trigger anxiety.

This doesn’t mean you have to stay away from your phone altogether, which isn’t realistic for most of us.But I definitely recommend that you give yourself some peace and quiet in the morning before you start your busy day.

5.Take a few deep breaths.

When you are anxious, you may notice that your breathing is fast and shallow instead of slow and deep.

It’s part of our body’s natural stress response, and it goes hand in hand with some of the other physical sensations that can occur when anxious, such as rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and an upset stomach.While we can’t control these physical sensations on our own, we can control our breathing, and we can use it to help move into a more relaxed state.

Those deep, nourishing inhalations and exhalations stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, creating a sense of calm.

First, try taking a few minutes each morning to sit or lie down in a comfortable manner, close your eyes, and take a few slow, controlled deep breaths.Try inhaling through your nose and then exhaling through your nose or mouth.As you inhale, visualize that you are inflating the balloon in your abdomen, not just inhaling through your chest.

6.Meditation.

There is no better way to calm the mind than meditation.Start small – two to three minutes – and then increase each week.

When your thoughts wander (which is inevitable), gently focus on your breath.

You can sit quietly and listen to relaxing music, do guided meditations through apps like Calm, Headspace or Insight Timer, or find one in YouTube.

You can also try repeating a mantra – “I’m safe, I’ll be fine”.Or do a body scan: start at the top of your head and focus on each part of your body, then slowly scan down to your toes to release any tension in that area.

7.Eat a nutritious breakfast.

Our moods are heavily influenced by what we eat and drink.

Choose a well-balanced breakfast that includes protein, healthy fats, fiber, and complex carbohydrates-such as a vegetable omelet with avocado toast or oatmeal with nut butter, berries, and chia seeds.Refined carbohydrates, such as donuts and sugary cereals, can cause blood sugar spikes and plummets.Causes difficulty with emotional regulation, which can make you feel anxious.(That said, if the occasional croissant or chocolate muffin brings some joy to your morning, that’s perfectly fine.After all, food is meant to be enjoyed.)

8.Read a few pages.

Instead of reading the news or scrolling through social media early in the morning, choose a book that inspires you and read it for a few minutes – even if it’s only five pages.

Find a book that really speaks to you and makes you feel good.

9.Move your body.

It can be yoga, walking, running, dancing, biking, strength training or even stretching.

When you work out in the morning, you may notice improved focus and energy throughout the day and better sleep at night, which can also help with anxiety!”In addition, working out in the morning can improve your mood by making you secrete endorphins at the start of the day, giving you a sense of accomplishment.

It’s worth noting that some people report that certain workouts, especially intense ones, actually exacerbate their anxiety rather than reduce it.So it’s important to be aware of that.

We react differently to movement. It’s a stressor.For some people, an overly intense workout can cause them to become fatigued and more prone to anxiety.

10.Do some visualization.

Visualization exercises can help you set the ideal tone for your day.If you’re feeling anxious and distracted, perhaps you’d rather feel calm, focused, and empowered.

For example, if I imagine a memory of hiking to the top of a mountain and looking down on it, I might notice the details of the incredible view, the sounds of nature around me, the feel of my muscles as I climbed up the steep terrain, the smell and temperature of the air, as well as the sense of accomplishment, pride, and unstoppability.Truly integrating each sensation into your memory helps your body to immerse itself in the experience and physically prepare itself for that particular state — in this case, being energized and ready to take on the day.

If you can’t recall a specific memory, then allow yourself to daydream and construct the desired experience in your imagination.

How to Stick to Your Morning Habits

You may think your biggest stumbling block is a lack of willpower or hitting the snooze button six times.But it usually comes down to a lack of clarity about your daily routine.

When you set clear and specific goals rather than vague aspirations, you’re more likely to stick to changing behaviors.

So instead of saying something general like, “I want to work out in the morning,” make your goal specific: “I’m going to take a virtual yoga class at 7:30 a.m. after tea.”

It is recommended that you get up at approximately the same time each day and make a list of specific activities that you want to incorporate into your daily life and in what order.It may be helpful to write them down.

When you do something over and over again in the same order, you eventually develop habits.When habits are formed, your emotions, motivation or willpower no longer depend solely on how you feel at the time.Habits are formed automatically and you don’t have to guess what to do next.