Do You Wake Up Anxious?

Do you wake up anxious? Stressed? Heart Racing?

Here is some information grounded in SCIENCE and a few ways to EASE your way back in to the day.

The science behind "morning anxiety."

“While anxiety can arise at any time of the day, it's not uncommon for it to start first thing in the morning, when our bodies tend to produce the most cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that helps keep our blood sugar, blood pressure, and inflammation in check. Cortisol levels will naturally ebb and flow throughout the day, reaching a peak about an hour after we wake up in the morning (to give us an energy boost to kick-start our day) and dipping to their lowest point right before bedtime (to help us prepare for sleep).

"We live in this culture where so many of us are in chronic fight-or-flight that in some cases a cortisol boost can make us feel uncomfortable," naturopathic doctor Erica Matluck, N.D., N.P., tells mbg. "We wake up and instead of feeling a nice, steady boost of energy, we feel like it's in excess." This can cause us to start the morning restless, unfocused, and just generally overwhelmed.

Chronic stress and anxiety can also send our cortisol levels out of whack and cause us to have too much or too little upon waking. In this way, stress and cortisol work in a vicious cycle: Stress can cause cortisol levels to rise, and high cortisol levels can exacerbate stress further.” EXCERPT from MBG

Here are THREE WAYS to EASE morning stress:

JOURNALING:

Yep. Taking pen to paper. Science suggests writing down all of the things that are bouncing around in our heads. The reason it works is that journaling clarifies what is stressing us. Once we have identified the stress, we can then work on a plan to resolve the issues and reduce stress.

INTENTIONAL BREATHING:

Breathing is a tool that you carry around with you, ALWAYS. And it is the quickest way to regulate your central nervous system when it become disregulated. The 4-7-8 method is one breathing exercise to settle and ease stress and anxiety. It might take you a few rounds to get the hang of it. Be kind, patient and compassionate as you practice it. Set the timer for one minute and inhale for 4, pause for 7 and slowly exhale for 8 (like you are blowing a gum bubble.) Repeat until the timer goes off. If you need another minute, take it.

COUNTING:

This is a counting meditation but many are afraid of the word meditation so let’s just go with counting. Set a timer for 90 seconds. Yep. 90 seconds. Find a comfortable way to sit and close your eyes (or not). For 90 seconds, you are going to count your cycles of breath. An inhale and exhale is ONE. If you get distracted and lose count, begin again at ONE. Continue this cycle until the timer goes off. If you want to practice for another 90 seconds, do it.

Remember, managing stress and anxiety is a practice and one size does not fit all. What works today may need an adjustment tomorrow. Sometimes these practices have to be done multiple times during the day. Be patient with yourself.
Be kind.
Be compassionate.

You are not weird or broken. We all experience stress and anxiety. Congratulations on being aware of yours and exploring solutions.