Morning is a fresh start and can be one of the best times of the day. Still, we wonder why anxiety can be worse in the morning. This can have a lot to do with how we’ve slept, but we can’t change the night before. Anxiety can be caused by something we’re anticipating about the day. We can’t predict the future and creating imaginary scenarios is extremely anxiety-inducing. So it’s best to dive into the new day with as many healthy yoga therapy rituals as we can.
I’ve tried joining the 5 am Club many times. It definitely felt great after drinking hot tea, dancing, doing yoga, meditating, reading, and journaling all before the sun came up. I just wasn’t able to sustain it. I know by now that if I can’t do something consistently, it’s not going to help. If you love getting up early, I recommend setting up for the activities you want to do the night before. That way you can roll out of bed and start immediately.
MORNING RITUALS
Normally I wake up at least an hour before I need to leave in the morning and get small rituals in. They’ve become so much a part of my morning that I don’t have to think about them at all anymore.
When I find myself waking up either naturally or to an alarm, I check in with myself. I ask myself how I’m feeling and what’s on my mind. This sets the tone for a whole day of checking in and that’s very important to getting ahead of anxiety. I do at least one yoga pose in bed, which is usually a Morning Stretch or Reclined Bound Angle. Then I sit up in bed and grab my journal to write a short entry about my thoughts and feelings. Anxiety may seem worse in the morning. Writing is a nice way to get it out of your head. I check in with myself mentally as I’m getting ready, as if I’m writing a journal entry in my mind.
Have a chronological way of doing everything in the morning and keep the order mostly the same each day. Here are a few things I always do that I find give me a good, stable start to my day: make the bed, splash my face with cold water, spray my face with an essential oil face mist, take some cleansing breaths, talk to myself out loud a little, dab an essential oil on my neck and wrists on my way out. Citrus oils, especially orange oil, are my favorites. I also always eat something for breakfast to keep my blood sugar regulated for a calmer nervous system.
TALKING TO YOURSELF
Talking to myself helps me regulate. I don’t usually have full-on conversations, but I say something that tells me I’m going to be okay and I can handle what the day brings. Hearing your own voice speaking to yourself engages the senses in an interesting way. It helps you remember that you have an important relationship with yourself.
On my way to work, I focus on breathing as slowly as I can, in and out through my nose. Breathing is yoga.
Here’s a morning yoga class for those mornings when you do have time.