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An upcoming presentation or interview, an exam at school or an institute, a planning meeting or a long-planned conversation – it is not surprising that many of us experience anxiety attacks in the morning. There are a lot of reasons for them, but if this condition becomes a constant morning companion, it’s time to take action.
Many consider anxiety to be a predominantly nocturnal “guest”: it is associated with insomnia, with the replaying of the same annoying thoughts or unpleasant incidents from the past in the head. However, some of us not only fall asleep, but also wake up in this state. There are several reasons for this.
1. Cortisol surge
“When we wake up, our brain “boots” like a computer, and this is helped by the release of cortisol into the bloodstream,” explains Alex Dimitriou, a doctor who specializes in sleep disorders. “In itself, this is normal and natural, but for those who are currently experiencing stress or generally prone to anxiety, it is not easy.”
“The circadian rhythm system plays a huge role in causing anxiety or even the development of panic attacks,” the expert adds. – Some studies show that panic attacks in general happen to people more often in the morning than in the afternoon. Why it happens? If you don’t get enough sleep at night, it’s possible that your body stays in fight-or-flight mode and doesn’t rest properly.”
From this point of view, it is not useful to sleep off on weekends: the usual sleep and wakefulness routine gets lost, and the body reacts with an increased level of anxiety.
3. General mental state
Clinical psychologist Lyndon J. Aguiar believes that our mental state and especially mental disorders influence what time of day we are most anxious.
Patients with social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder are more likely to experience anxiety in the morning, those diagnosed with generalized anxiety or PTSD – in the evenings and at night, and people struggling with addiction – at the time of day when they most often showed addiction. behavior.
And, of course, anxiety is more likely to overtake us in the morning, if at night we have nightmares or just vivid, colorful and emotionally charged dreams, if we have symptoms of PTSD and increased stress levels, if we generally do not get enough sleep, badly and eat irregularly.
How to deal with morning anxiety?
Of course, ideally with such problems it is better to immediately go to a specialist. However, if for some reason this is not possible at the moment, it is worth:
1. Keep a diary of your conditions
“Note any difficulties, problems, social interactions during the day in it to see if some of them lead to the development of anxiety the next morning,” Aguiar advises. These records, by the way, will be very useful during the first visit to a psychologist.
2. Practice Diaphragm Breathing
Inhale for 4 counts, then hold your breath for 4 seconds, exhale slowly through your mouth for 6 seconds.
3. Find what calms you and make it your daily practice.
Yoga, meditation, muscle relaxation – all this helps to reduce stress levels, which means it should become a habit for you. And, of course, do not neglect physical activity, especially outdoors.
4. Stick to a daily routine
Mode helps us feel calm, so try to:
- Get up and go to bed at the same time.
- Putting your smartphone away half an hour before going to bed.
- Write down all negative thoughts in a diary, freeing your head from them.
- Meditate.
- Sleep under a heavy blanket.
In addition, we repeat, it will be useful to consult a psychotherapist, especially one practicing in the framework of a cognitive-behavioral approach. A specialist will help you learn to perceive habitual situations differently and react differently to stress, which will allow you, if not to say goodbye to anxiety completely, then at least reduce it to an acceptable level.