If you are anxious, most probably you wake up each morning feeling anxious.

Let’s try to understand what causes your morning anxiety. It’s not easy, I know but there are some helpful ways.

  1. Did you get a bad night’s sleep? A poor sleep is the result of thoughts and concerns that you had before going to bed. They keep you awake at night and cause a disturbed night. Does it sound familiar to you?

Try with the making space technique or same grounding techniques, like these ones:

  • Keep your eyes open, look around the room, notice your surroundings, notice all the details.
  • Listen to soothing music.
  • Put your feet firmly on the ground.
  • Focus on someone’s voice or a neutral conversation.

2. Did you get too much caffeine? Be aware that caffeine is not only in coffee. You may find it in diet coke, chocolate, ice cream, some herbal teas and some painkillers. A small amount of caffeine per day is healthy but not if you want to relax. Pay attention to what you drink or eat before going to sleep. I do not drink coffee after 3 p.m.

3. Are you worrying excessively? I have the tendency to do that, I also think about things happened in the past (therefore I cannot change) and start to worry about. Try to help yourself with these tips:

  • Are your worries rational?
  • Weigh up the pros and cons of your concerns.
  • Remember that most of your worries never come true.
  • Are you thinking in terms of the worst possible situations?
  • Are you thinking about anything you may have done wrongly to someone (but you don’t really know)?

Detach from your worries, visualise them in front of you, and look at them as if you were watching a film.

4. Set intentions for the day ahead. The morning is the best part of the day to create intentions. It helps you to sort thoughts out. Think about what you need to be done and when. Prioritise the tasks that are more important. By doing so, you can start working on your plan for the day. If you see that you have too much on your plate, it is time to sort it out. Write down all the things you need to be sorted. Start with the little things you know you will not have trouble with. Cross them off, by actually putting a cross on them. You will feel much better!

5. Start a journal. Writing down your worries and feelings is therapeutic. You can ask yourself questions like:

  • What issues am I experiencing now?
  • Is it anything related to my work/partner/…?
  • What cannot get out of my mind and comes back regularly?
  • What is making me happy in the present moment?

Do you think these tips are useful? Let me know!