Mornings are essential to set the pace of the day. The way we wake up and approach those first hours usually determines the level of anxiety or calm with which we will face the rest of the day. You know why?
It is due to what is known as the “cortisol awakening response.” That is, the stress hormone, cortisol, can increase between 38 and 75%, compared to usual cortisol levels, reaching a maximum between 30 and 45 minutes after getting out of bed.
It is a completely natural response that provides us with the energy boost we need to wake up and face the demands that lie ahead of us throughout the day. The problem is that, if during that moment (which our body already perceives as stressful) we add more tension, we will be adding fuel to a fire that will later be difficult to put out, when setbacks, obligations and problems begin to arrive throughout the day.
The main causes of morning anxiety as soon as you wake up
1. Getting up at very different times each day
Not following a sleep routine with regular schedules will mean added stress for our body. If we go to bed and get up at approximately the same time every day, our body will adapt and regulate its circadian rhythm, allowing it to function more predictably.
On the other hand, if one day we get up at 7 in the morning, another at 10 and another at 9, the circadian rhythm will work in fits and starts, which will generate that feeling of fatigue and exhaustion that we feel even if we have slept for many hours.
In practice, the cortisol signal is not activated properly, so we wake up tired, which will make us perform worse throughout the day and increase anxiety due to not being able to handle everything or being unable to concentrate.
The solution? Follow a more regular sleep schedule.
2. Starting the day in a hurry
Hectic mornings are daily occurrences in many homes. With so much to do in such a short time, we feel like the minutes are slipping away. However, starting the day with agitation and haste is the worst thing we can do.
Running around the house, yelling at the kids to hurry up, or simply putting mental pressure on ourselves not to be late will make us start the day with morning anxiety that will possibly accompany us for the rest of the day.
The solution? First and foremost, create a relaxing and effective morning routine. Knowing in advance everything we have to do will save us “bandwidth” because we will not have to think about each task, but rather we will operate on autopilot. We may also need to get up a few minutes earlier to do everything we need to without running. That way we will avoid falling into a hectic spiral of chaos.
3. Checking messages or news
When we wake up, our brain is still not working at full capacity. Therefore, bombarding it with information is the worst thing we can do. Reading the news, checking social media or emails first thing in the morning will probably overwhelm us and obviously take time away from other, higher-priority tasks.
Furthermore, if the news we read causes morning anxiety (something quite common), we will feel even worse. And work emails that remind us of everything we have to do during the day will overwhelm us. A study carried out at Bose University of Science and Technology found that reading the news early in the morning exhausts us mentally, generates stress and can even predict the onset of mood disorders.
The solution? These psychologists affirm that “The morning is good to meditate, exercise and fill yourself with energy. If we read news of accidents, terrorist acts, rapes, conflicts and death in the mornings, in addition to affecting our well-being, we will spend the entire day feeling bad.” Therefore, delay the consumption of information until later in the day.
4. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach
Many people (me among them) cannot imagine their day without their morning cup of coffee. However, we must be aware of the negative effects of coffee on the brain, especially when we drink it in excess. Coffee is an stimulant, so it can cause jitters and exacerbate morning anxiety.
Additionally, it is important to know that our body absorbs caffeine much faster when we have nothing else in our stomach. This accelerated absorption can intensify its effects, making us feel much more anxious, nervous or irritable.
The solution? We don’t necessarily have to give up morning coffee, but we should make sure it is part of a complete breakfast. In this way we will not only slow down the absorption of caffeine and its effects, but we will also fill ourselves with energy to face the day. And, most importantly, we should enjoy that moment, turning it into a small oasis of peace to start the day on the right foot.
5. Starting the day with negative self-talk
Starting the day with negative inner dialogue will also contribute to feeling more anxious or stressed, so it is important that we pay attention to the things we say to ourselves during those first hours.
When you get out of bed or look in the mirror… what do you say to yourself? What kind of thoughts cross your mind? Starting off by telling yourself that it will be a bad day or that you won’t be able to handle everything will create completely unnecessary tension.
The solution? The answer is not to fall into toxic and naive optimism, but to rethink that pessimistic inner dialogue from a more neutral perspective. Instead of thinking that you will do poorly, think that you will try your best. Implementing small changes that generate joy in our morning routine will also help us chase away different types of negative thoughts and allow us to feel better during those important hours of the day.
References:
Dhiman, B. (2022) Reading Newspaper in Morning it’s bad for your Health: Critical Analysis. SSRN Electronic Journal; 364621568.
Hoyt, L. T. (2016) Positive upshots of cortisol in everyday life. Emotion; 16(4): 431–435.
Leave a Reply