How and why a morning routine can help with your anxiety
I’m sure you’ve heard of morning routines by now. It seems to be all everyone wants to talk about these days. And each person has their own idea of what should go into your morning routine. Maybe some of these resonate with you, but maybe most just don't seem to make much sense, or don't seem worth it.
The truth is there’s a reason for all the hype around morning routines.
Having a morning routine is an incredibly powerful tool that helps you set the tone for your day because when you start the day on a high note you take that energy with you into the rest of your day.
Having a strong, positive morning routine helps you take control of your day instead of letting circumstances control you. Have you ever noticed that a good day always starts with a good morning, and a bad day always starts with a bad morning?
It also helps you get into the rhythm of the day, and act as a cue for your mind to start working and moving forward.
But did you know that having a morning routine can help you manage your anxiety too?
When you live with anxiety and morning depression, it's not uncommon to just want to stay in bed all day and just hide from the world. It feels safe, it feels secure, but this is no way to live your life.
You are throwing your life away by doing this. Not only do you miss out on all the great things the day has to bring but you allow yourself to stagnate as a person.
When you have a morning routine you empower yourself to break free from this mindset.
Your morning routine will help you get out of bed without even trying, and will help you start the day off on a productive note. You will even start looking forward to getting out of bed in the mornings.
It does this by giving you something new to focus on - something other than a nagging worry or depressive thoughts. And because your morning routine is made up of little tasks that, once completed, leave you feeling good about yourself, it helps you set a positive tone for the rest of the day.
How does it do this?
Well, a morning routine is not just about doing a bunch of random stuff or forcing yourself to get up on time, it's about rewarding yourself for achieving tiny goals that help you achieve your bigger goals in life.
How does this work?
Let’s say you set yourself the tasks of making your bed, eating a healthy breakfast, and reading a good book for 20 mins every morning. With each task you complete you feel that you have accomplished something. You feel proud of yourself for doing these little easy things and that sense of accomplishment is addictive, so you start looking for more tasks to give you that high.
Soon enough you will start looking forward to your morning routine for that little accomplishment high. That alone will help you get out of bed in the morning.
Couple that with tasks that help you plan a productive day and help you achieve your goals, and you’re well on your way to transforming your life entirely.
Having a positive morning routine with tasks that give you a sense of pride and accomplishment is the key to overcoming morning depression. You are giving your mind something positive and uplifting to focus on.
What makes a good and positive morning routine?
You can start by doing tasks that are super easy, but that you can be super proud of once they are done. Things like making the bed, or washing any leftover dishes work well because the final result is visible and makes a huge difference to the energy in your house, so you can be proud of what you’ve done. (The other positive of making the bed as soon as you wake up is that you eliminate the temptation to crawl right back into bed.)
What should you put into your morning routine?
The simple answer is the type of tasks with results that can be seen and appreciated. But you should also include tasks that will help you achieve your goals and help you move forward in life. So things like your exercise routine, or morning pages can go into your morning routine too.
Tips on setting your perfect morning routine:
1- pick things that make you happy and change your mood.
2 - pick easy tasks with a high reward. The easier the task the more likely you are to complete them.
3- consider your goals. Add tasks that help you achieve your goals too. This gives you a great sense of achievement once complete and sets an amazing tone for the rest of the day.
4 - start small. If you don't have a morning routine at all, then starting with a 10 point morning routine will be intimidating and you will probably just give up. So, instead, start small. Pick 3 things that you can easily do, but that gives you a sense of pride. Now, do these 3 things every day for a month till your mornings don't feel complete unless you’ve done them.
Once you’re comfortable with this morning routine you can add one or two more items. Make sure these are goal-oriented and will leave you feeling proud of yourself.
Now, each time you set a new goal, you can add a task to your morning routine to help you get there. If your goal is to lose weight, for example, having a healthy breakfast will be something easy that you can add to the routine, and feel proud of once you accomplish it.
Remember that your morning routine can be as long or short as you want. It’s totally up to you. The only important thing is that you feel good about yourself once you’ve completed it.
So, what does an ideal morning routine look like when you live with anxiety?
Get easy chores done:
If you are a solopreneur or freelancer that works from home then you know how disruptive and distracting chores and errands can get. It seems too easy to just run out and get a few groceries during your lunch hour, but that disruption to your workflow can set you back several hours (or even a day) as you try to get back into that workflow again.
If you want to keep your productivity levels high it’s best to avoid doing any chores or errands during your working hours. But things need to get done at some time right?
To stop your chores from interrupting your workday, and ultimately adding more stress to your day, consider getting them over with during your morning or evening routine. You don't have to clean the whole house every morning. Break up the tasks you need to do into tiny 10-minute tasks that you can tackle in the morning or evening.
For example, you could wash any dishes that may have been left from supper, or do a quick load of laundry in the morning. And that’s it!
Keep the list short to avoid it consuming your entire morning.
Eat a good breakfast:
Your body needs nutrients and calories after it's 8 hours of fasting while you were asleep. Don't deprive your body of this or you will feel easily agitated and even feel weak as the day goes on. All these are giant no-no’s if you are trying to keep your anxiety under control because when you feel this way it becomes harder to avoid having a panic attack should things go wrong.
Morning pages:
Morning pages are an awesome tool for planning your day and daily tasks, but I have a slightly different take on morning pages that helps me with my anxiety too. I use my morning pages as a kind of journal/life planner.
It works like this:
-take some time each morning to reflect on who you are, what you are happy with in your life and where you feel you need to change or tweak things. Then figure out how to do just that.
So, if for instance, you say that you feel you need to lose weight but don't have time for the gym, you plan what it is you can do at home (eg an exercise video) to make that goal easier. Then figure out how to fit that into your daily or even morning routine so that you can get around to it.
This strategy works well for self-improvement as well as for your business (if you’re a solopreneur or freelancer) or even your career.
You don't have to write 10 pages at a sitting either, you can write a single one or simply do a mind map. It’s just about plotting your focus for the day and aligning it with your goals.
Exercise:
Doing even a 30 min walk first thing in the morning oxygenates the blood, wakes your brain and body up and helps your boy release the energy you need for the rest of your day.
This is an ideal way for anyone, especially a solopreneur, to start the day and help you keep your anxiety at bay.
You can also use this time to watch or listen to some motivational videos to help you set the right tone for a super productive day. This way your walk also doubles as your ‘me’ time and will help you generate the strength to tackle anything the day may throw at you.
List your priorities for the day:
It can be so easy to get caught up in the daily madness of putting out fires and doing damage control, or simply taking on so much that you don't get around to getting the important things done.
If you make a list of your top 3 priorities for the day before anything even starts you’ll find that you create a bit more structure for the day. You'll also be less distracted and more focused on completing that list before the end of the day.
How to do this: You can use a normal page a day diary for this.
At the top of the page, you make 2 columns, one for work and one for yourself. Then list your top 3 priority tasks for each. Having only 3 items each will keep you focused for the day, prevent you from getting overwhelmed and may even help you prevent a panic attack (from the overwhelm).
Draw a line across the page, now write down any appointments you may have for the day. Under that goes your general to-do list. Again, keep this short.
Take your meds and vitamins:
I’ve noticed that it's often on the days when I feel weak and tired, that I also feel closest to having a panic attack. I also noticed that it's on the days when I feel strong and energised that I'm able to actively avoid having a panic attack and can easily implement my coping strategies.
This is why I make it a rule to take my vitamin supplements and medication as part of my morning routine. They give me the strength and energy to handle my day, and by working it into my routine I’m less likely to forget to take them.
Learning to live with your anxiety and depression is a daily struggle and you will need to put in the effort every single day to keep moving forward. But remember that unless you are moving forward in life, you will be moving backwards - life is like a treadmill in this way.
Having a morning routine is like having a little secret weapon because you can change your mood for the day with very little effort or thought. It takes a lot of stress off that part of your life, but it also helps you design your life the way you want it to be.
You don't need to let your depression and anxiety do that for you anymore.
If you need a little help setting up your morning routine I've written a guidebook with planners and journal prompts that you can use as morning pages each morning too. (clink the image below to find it)
If you’re ready to learn how to nourish your mind and body, boost your self-esteem and take control of your mental health too, then the “Thriving from Within” ebook bundle is exactly what you need.
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If you’ve ever wanted to conquer your anxiety and skyrocket your self-esteem and mood then this ebook bundle is for you.
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