Apr 29

Apr 29 Waking Up Anxious

Article, Depression and Anxiety, General Health, Mental Health, Resilience, Self-Care, Stress Management, Tips, Wellbeing, Exercise

Waking up on the ‘wrong side of the bed’ can happen to anyone at some point or another. You can take all the precautions – keeping your phone on silent, picking out your outfit for the next day, running through various mental health exercises or throwing on some ambient sounds to help you doze off peacefully – but sometimes they just around enough. For those days where you do wake up feeling anxious and unable to start your day how you’d like, try these simple tips to help you get back to being at ease:

Set some time for yourself – One of the biggest causes of stress in the mornings is that sense of feeling rushed. Rushed to finish your workout, getting ready on time or making it to your office or worksite in time for the start of the day. Instead, take some time in the morning when you wake up to do something for you. Whether it be reading up on the news of the day, making yourself a well-rounded and healthy breakfast or anything else that can help get you feel prepared for the day. If you want even more free time, try setting your alarm anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes earlier than normal and use that extra time to help get you ready for the day!
Avoid working until you’re at work – Now it may not always be as easy as this sounds, but simply avoiding using your phone in the morning to check up on or send emails can be a big help to reducing your anxiety in the mornings. Don’t worry about things from the previous day or stress about upcoming things at work as you will get to them when you get to the office. Instead, learn from the first tip about taking time for yourself and save the stressful, work-related things for working hours.
Move – Exercise of any kind is a fantastic way to wake you up, get you feeling energized and fight off that anxiety. It can be taking a fitness class, lifting weights, running or even simply taking a brisk walk around your neighborhood. Simply moving can activate those endorphins in your brain that act as your body’s natural ‘pain killers’ and can help you reduce your stress as well as help you get better sleep!