I have struggled with anxiety almost my entire life. Anxiety feels like you are drowning in a pool and no one can see that you can't swim. It takes a lot of work and self control every single day to overcome anxiety. The worst time of day for me and I think for a lot of other people is in the morning. Your mind races at night when you sleep and you wake up and feel as if a train has hit you. Here are some life hacks I use everyday to help with my anxiety.
1. Go to Sleep Early and Wake Up Early
I know this sounds kind of lame for most of you. But, if you are a sufferer of morning anxiety, making changes to the times you get to sleep and when you wake up will be beneficial to your body's mental state.
2. Sleep with the Fan On
According to https://www.sleepadvisor.org/sleeping-in-a-cold-room/ sleeping in a cold room is helpful in areas of mood enhancement, reducing stress, and even prevents insomnia. For anxiety suffers, we all know that staying asleep at night is a process and it is often impossible to stay asleep because your mind is racing all night. Making sure your room is cold can be beneficial in lessen your morning anxiety.
3. Avoid Using Your Phone an Hour Before You Sleep
As young adults we often are drawn to checking our phones constantly. Whether it be for a snap chat or a text. How ever, taking your eyes off your phone before you go to sleep is only going to make you feel better in the morning. Getting in the right mindset and straying away from stimulating behaviors before you sleep will help with the anxiety.
4. Yoga in the Morning
This is one that I do every single morning without fail. Doing yoga does not mean you need to attend a full blown hour class of hot yoga every morning. But, doing some small stretches when you first wake to make connections with your mind and body will give you a nice start to your morning. Thanking yourself for waking up to the day and giving yourself a little boost of motivation.
5. Upbeat Music in the Morning
It's all about your morning playlist! Now I know some people really enjoy their silence in the morning and that is okay! Personally the first thing I do in the morning is turn on my speaker and play some really good music. I will always lean more towards upbeat music because it gets me excited for the adventures of the day.
6. Have a Green Drink instead of Coffee
All my fellow coffee lovers will not like this one… I LOVE coffee, when I say I LOVE it I mean I would drink it as a replacement for water if I could. Coffee actually is not the best thing for you. Having a green drink with spinach, pineapples, and orange juice will give you a natural energy boost and also give you some good calories first thing in the morning.