How to Minimize Morning Anxiety

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsConsider Your Sleep HabitsExamine Morning StressorsDo Relaxation ExercisesThink PositivelyConsider Your Diet

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Consider Your Sleep Habits

Examine Morning Stressors

Do Relaxation Exercises

Think Positively

Consider Your Diet

Many people with ananxiety disorderwake up feeling so worried and full of dread that they just want to curl up under the covers and not face the day ahead. Even if you don’t have clinical anxiety, you may often find yourself waking up anxious. Try not to get discouraged, as there are a host of ways to minimize morning anxiety and wake up excited to start the new day.

Try the following strategies for reducing and coping with anxiety when you wake up and go about your morning:

Getting proper shuteye is extremely important for your mental and physical health. In fact, sleep problems like difficulties falling asleep and/or staying asleep are known to cause a variety of psychological and physical complaints. These includeheadaches, decreased energy, poor concentration, short-term memory problems, irritability, and anxiety.

Some healthy sleep habits to consider adopting include:

If you find you’re unable to sleep well despite practicing good sleep hygiene, talk with your healthcare provider.

There may be parts of yourmorning routinethat are anxiety-provoking, such as an alarm that jolts you awake and sends a rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins. If that’s the case, consider changing your alarm to one that wakes you with soothing music.

Starting your day relaxed and focused can provide a sense of emotional balance that carries you through your day.Some techniques to try include:

If you’ve been waking up with anxiety for some time, it’s possible that you have developed automatic negative thought patterns that can fuel your anxiety. This means that your mind awakens, and without any conscious effort on your part, worried thoughts take center stage, leading to more anxiety.

First, identify the thoughts that need changing, and then develop your own positive counter-statements. For example, let’s say you wake up and your first thoughts are, “I feel terrible. How am I going to drive to work today? I’ll never get through the day. What’s wrong with me?”

You can replace these negative thoughts with positive statements, such as: “Yes, I feel anxious this morning, but I have felt this way before and have been able to handle it. If I have trouble with anxiety during the day, I can userelaxation techniquesthat will calm me down. I’m in control. Anxiety is a normal human emotion, and it’s my cue to relax.”

It takes practice, but you can change these negative thought patterns and replace them with positive thoughts and behaviors.

If you find it useful to change your thought pattern, consider seeing a therapist trained in treating anxiety disorders with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of psychotherapy that focuses on making connections between thoughts, behavior, and feelings.If face-to-face therapy isn’t an option for you, there are online CBT programs where a therapist communicates with you through email or telephone.

Best Online Anxiety Support Groups of 2024

Research suggests a link between diet and anxiety. What you eat has the potential to either trigger or ease anxiety. Research published in 2016 revealed that people with mood disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, tend to have poor diets—that is, ones that are low in fruits, vegetables, and protein, and high in saturated fat and refined carbohydrates.

Try changing your diet to one that’s balanced in protein, omega-3 fats (found in fatty fish), and fruits and vegetables. Choosing low-glycemic index carbs at each meal will help avoid glucose spikes and dips that may contribute to symptoms of anxiety. While the science is still not robust on this theory, it certainly may be worth a try.

Lastly, when it comes to diet, don’t forget the role of caffeine, a common and well-known anxiety-producing culprit. Even if caffeine isn’t causing your morning anxiety, it’s a powerful stimulant that can fuel anxiety in a few people—so consider eliminating or at least cutting back on coffee and tea to see if your symptoms improve.

Press Play for Advice On Dealing With AnxietyThis episode ofThe Verywell Mind Podcastshares a strategy to help you cope with anxiety.

Press Play for Advice On Dealing With Anxiety

This episode ofThe Verywell Mind Podcastshares a strategy to help you cope with anxiety.

A Word From Verywell

If your morning anxiety affects your daily functioning or quality of life, be sure to see your primary care doctor or a mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. It’s best to not carry the burden of your worries on your own shoulders. Let someone who’s trained in treating anxiety disorders help you feel better and get well.

If you or a loved one are struggling with an anxiety disorder, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Pires GN, Bezerra AG, Tufik S, Andersen ML.Effects of acute sleep deprivation on state anxiety levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Sleep Med. 2016;24:109-118. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2016.07.019Aylett E, Small N, Bower P.Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice - a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18(1):559. Published 2018 Jul 16. doi:10.1186/s12913-018-3313-5Olthuis JV, Watt MC, Bailey K, Hayden JA, Stewart SH.Therapist-supported Internet cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;3:CD011565. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011565.pub2Aucoin M, Bhardwaj S.Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Hypoglycemia Symptoms Improved with Diet Modification.Case Rep Psychiatry. 2016;2016:7165425. doi:10.1155/2016/7165425Nehlig A.Effects of coffee/caffeine on brain health and disease: What should I tell my patients?Pract Neurol.2016;16(2):89-95. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2015-001162

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Pires GN, Bezerra AG, Tufik S, Andersen ML.Effects of acute sleep deprivation on state anxiety levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Sleep Med. 2016;24:109-118. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2016.07.019Aylett E, Small N, Bower P.Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice - a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18(1):559. Published 2018 Jul 16. doi:10.1186/s12913-018-3313-5Olthuis JV, Watt MC, Bailey K, Hayden JA, Stewart SH.Therapist-supported Internet cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;3:CD011565. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011565.pub2Aucoin M, Bhardwaj S.Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Hypoglycemia Symptoms Improved with Diet Modification.Case Rep Psychiatry. 2016;2016:7165425. doi:10.1155/2016/7165425Nehlig A.Effects of coffee/caffeine on brain health and disease: What should I tell my patients?Pract Neurol.2016;16(2):89-95. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2015-001162

Pires GN, Bezerra AG, Tufik S, Andersen ML.Effects of acute sleep deprivation on state anxiety levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Sleep Med. 2016;24:109-118. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2016.07.019Aylett E, Small N, Bower P.Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice - a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18(1):559. Published 2018 Jul 16. doi:10.1186/s12913-018-3313-5Olthuis JV, Watt MC, Bailey K, Hayden JA, Stewart SH.Therapist-supported Internet cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;3:CD011565. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011565.pub2Aucoin M, Bhardwaj S.Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Hypoglycemia Symptoms Improved with Diet Modification.Case Rep Psychiatry. 2016;2016:7165425. doi:10.1155/2016/7165425Nehlig A.Effects of coffee/caffeine on brain health and disease: What should I tell my patients?Pract Neurol.2016;16(2):89-95. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2015-001162

Aylett E, Small N, Bower P.Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice - a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18(1):559. Published 2018 Jul 16. doi:10.1186/s12913-018-3313-5

Olthuis JV, Watt MC, Bailey K, Hayden JA, Stewart SH.Therapist-supported Internet cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;3:CD011565. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011565.pub2

Aucoin M, Bhardwaj S.Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Hypoglycemia Symptoms Improved with Diet Modification.Case Rep Psychiatry. 2016;2016:7165425. doi:10.1155/2016/7165425

Nehlig A.Effects of coffee/caffeine on brain health and disease: What should I tell my patients?Pract Neurol.2016;16(2):89-95. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2015-001162

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