Aa
Morning anxiety
I seem to find that my anxiety s worse in the morning, thats when I can not get my mind to shut up. I get out of bed and try to get busy doing something but usually always end up in tears. Does anyone feel this way in the mornings and if you have found some way to help it can you please share with me what it is.
Feeling anxiety in the morning is very very common. Nursegirl is right that a therapist can be of great help. What can help alleviate anxiety in the morning that you can start now are a couple things. For myself, I find if I commit myself to a set sleep schedule and allow for a full nights rest it helps a lot. Also, be mindful of what you eat before you go to bed. Some foods and drinks can be stimulating such as chocolate or coffee and should be avoided before bed. Wake up if you can earlier than you need to to start the day and allow some time for yourself to have a cup of tea or something that is relaxing. I find by going to bed a little bit earlier and waking up earlier it allows me time have a cup of coffee and watch tv before I have to go out and start the day.
It's VERY common for people to experience a heightened level of anxiety at certain times of the day, versus other times. There can be some biological, physiological reasons for that, but most times it stems from a psychological cause.
The psychological aspect will keep a person "stuck" in that thought process. It persists as an issue because of basic conditioning. It usually starts off as a random experience, perhaps you had a very bad panic attack one morning...soon, you begin FEARING or dreading the morning time. That's called "fearing the fear". Before long, the "fear the fear" equates to basically a self fulfilled prophecy. The more you worry about that, the more likely it's going to become a reality. The best thing to do is to try to get yourself distracted as much as possible first thing in the morning (like Maddie explained). Get up, and get involved in your day. Keep your mind busy. Try not to over think it, or sit idle and think about your anxiety or how you're feeling.
Are you receiving any kind of treatment for your anxiety? If not, you need to. Therapy is a must. A therapist will help you change the way you think and react, which is paramount in anxiety management. A therapist will help you to send a different message to your brain, so instead of "mornings are bad, my anxiety is worse in the morning"....you would send your mind the message that "there is nothing in the morning that will make me more anxious, only MY thinking I will be more anxious". You will learn to dismiss the idea that mornings are "bad" times for your anxiety. The more you do that, the less anxious you will feel.
Just as if you would be fearing a PLACE, it's the same premise. Many people who have had a panic attack at a certain location (ie grocery store) will begin fearing that location. It can get to the point where having a repeat panic attack will almost be inevitable because the person basically conditions themselves to relate that location to severe anxiety. The same kind of thing happens with locations, times of day, events (like "I'm always anxious after I eat"), even people. If a person has a panic attack when in the company of a certain person, they will start conditioning themselves to believe that the two are related.
Hopefully that all made sense. I would encourage you to work on coping mechanisms, and work on dismissing the idea that mornings are a time when your anxiety will be worse. The longer you think that way, the more likely it will absolutely be true. I've been there, done that myself....at different times, mornings were the "worst" for me, at other times, it was the evenings.
Keep us updated on how you're doing, okay?
The psychological aspect will keep a person "stuck" in that thought process. It persists as an issue because of basic conditioning. It usually starts off as a random experience, perhaps you had a very bad panic attack one morning...soon, you begin FEARING or dreading the morning time. That's called "fearing the fear". Before long, the "fear the fear" equates to basically a self fulfilled prophecy. The more you worry about that, the more likely it's going to become a reality. The best thing to do is to try to get yourself distracted as much as possible first thing in the morning (like Maddie explained). Get up, and get involved in your day. Keep your mind busy. Try not to over think it, or sit idle and think about your anxiety or how you're feeling.
Are you receiving any kind of treatment for your anxiety? If not, you need to. Therapy is a must. A therapist will help you change the way you think and react, which is paramount in anxiety management. A therapist will help you to send a different message to your brain, so instead of "mornings are bad, my anxiety is worse in the morning"....you would send your mind the message that "there is nothing in the morning that will make me more anxious, only MY thinking I will be more anxious". You will learn to dismiss the idea that mornings are "bad" times for your anxiety. The more you do that, the less anxious you will feel.
Just as if you would be fearing a PLACE, it's the same premise. Many people who have had a panic attack at a certain location (ie grocery store) will begin fearing that location. It can get to the point where having a repeat panic attack will almost be inevitable because the person basically conditions themselves to relate that location to severe anxiety. The same kind of thing happens with locations, times of day, events (like "I'm always anxious after I eat"), even people. If a person has a panic attack when in the company of a certain person, they will start conditioning themselves to believe that the two are related.
Hopefully that all made sense. I would encourage you to work on coping mechanisms, and work on dismissing the idea that mornings are a time when your anxiety will be worse. The longer you think that way, the more likely it will absolutely be true. I've been there, done that myself....at different times, mornings were the "worst" for me, at other times, it was the evenings.
Keep us updated on how you're doing, okay?
This is very common. I am always worse in the morning, and have read here, that a lot of people feel the same. Sadly, no, I have not found any way to stop it entirely, but do my best to control it. I try and make my mind focus on things, and do things which make me less likely to get anxious. It may work for me, for instance I do a crossword puzzle for about an hour. I play a game on computer - anything to make my mind work at doing something.
Sorry I am not much help. Hopefully other people have found things that help them.
Sorry I am not much help. Hopefully other people have found things that help them.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?
