What is morning anxiety and how to deal with it better?

As a kid, you spent the entire night preparing for the exam the next day, only to wake up feeling nervous. You thought things would get better with time, but before your big morning presentation, you feel like the world will collapse, despite spending the night crunching facts and figures. 

If one consistently faces similar situations, chances are, you have morning anxiety. The term essentially refers to fear, heightened worry, or apprehensions experienced when one wakes up or during the early hours of the day. These are intense and persistent, and may interfere with the person’s ability to start or complete their daily tasks. 

We asked two therapists to help us understand this phenomenon and ways to deal with it. 

The difference between anxiety and morning anxiety

People feel anxious when they wake up because that's probably the last thought before they went to sleep or woke up to the thought about what’s going to happen as the day progresses. These stressors hit you when you wake up and make you anxious. It could be an ongoing trauma, grief, work pressure, or relationship problem—and it’s tough to not think about these things as they worry you. It’s not random, it never is. 

Add to that, there are external stressors in our life that might trigger morning anxiety. These could be people or situations. For instance, you’re in an unhappy marriage and have to see your spouse every morning or meet your boss who doesn’t appreciate you, etc.

The symptoms of morning anxiety include racing thoughts, rapid heartbeat, feeling tense and restless, irritable, sweaty, or nauseous. 

Identify the cause

While morning anxiety is not diagnosable, it can be the symptom of an underlying mental health issue. Finding its root cause thus becomes imperative. It’s important to identify the cause of the anxiety. For instance, if you are consistently not able to study or stick to a schedule, and it hampers your well-being, it is advisable to seek therapy and explore the reasons for it. Trying to deal with it all by themselves or 'toughening up' because they don't want to quit will only aggravate the situation. It’s a huge weight to hold on to as chances are, they will see things bigger than what they really are, thus making them more anxious. 

How to deal with it? 

Living with morning anxiety can be difficult, but with the right practices in place, one can cope with it in a better manner. Meditation and deep breathing are effective ways of calming anxious nerves. 

They could also practice mindfulness by focusing on the present and accepting the racing thoughts. In addition to this, having a simple routine will make one feel some sense of order and being in control. Sleeping on time or eating a good breakfast reduces anxiety and helps them calm down on a physiological level. They could also include exercise, yoga, meditation, or journaling. If the anxiety still persists and interferes with your everyday functioning, seek professional help. 

Manage and schedule your day in ways that you can find your peace and centre ypurself before getting to the hustle. Don’t read any negative news or indulge in doomscrolling in the morning. While simply ‘switching off’ your anxiety is easier said than done, going down this route allows you to acknowledge your worry and then move to the next step.

Inputs by Sherene Aftab, founder of Serene Hour Counselling & Career Advice Consultancy and Mehezabin Dordi, clinical psychologist, Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai