5 Ways To Reduce Anxiety Overnight

There’s nothing worse than waking up to greet the day with anxiety. That uncomfortable, fear-inducing, and, may I add, annoying feeling sits in your chest like a weight. As someone who has seen and heard a lot about dealing with anxiety: Mornings can be awful.

Is morning anxiety actually a thing? It is as logical as it is common. Cognitively, the morning is often the time when we are more apt to engage in unhelpful thinking, given the level of anticipatory anxiety as we envision our to-do lists and wonder how we are going to get through the day. In fact, the mere act of waking up can be stressful to the body and mind. 

Sometimes, the blatant contrast between the sleeping and waking states often heralded in by the shrieking of an alarm, can be jarring to our senses. In fact, sometimes we are so blindsided by the transition, that we immediately go into fight-or-flight mode.

While it’s unrealistic to avoid anxiety forever, there are simple actions you can take to calm your body and ease your mind. We’ve compiled a list of tips, tricks, and habits you can do tonight to reduce anxiety when you wake up. Keep reading to learn how to set a positive tone for your entire day, despite your anxious mind!

1. Create a Regular Nighttime Routine, and Stick to It

Anxiety is rooted in fear of losing control. What better way to become aware of and exercise your control than by engaging in a daily routine? The secret to a great morning actually starts with a wind-down routine the night before. Whether it’s practicing a slow yoga sequence, reading, or journaling, doing the same thing before bed settles your mind and signals to your body that it’s time for rest and repair. Getting to bed at the same time and getting enough sleep is also crucial. 

Consider setting an alarm to remind you when it’s time to start winding down for the night.

The same goes for the morning. Waking up to a familiar routine can help to quiet the alarm sounded by your anxiety. For example, do your best to get up at the same time each day, and take a few minutes before you get out of bed to do some deep breathing.

2. Practice Deep Breathing in Bed

Breathe. It’s the age-old solution to feelings of heightened anxiety, offered by everyone from your mother to your yoga teacher. Our breath reminds us that we are alive and are able to choose to focus on controlling the sensation of the inhale and the exhale. Imagine your breath feeding and rejuvenating your cells with each inhale.

Try breathing exercises right when you wake up. And since anxiety is essentially a fear of losing control, adding a sense of autonomy to your morning will help. But you can also engage in deep-breathing exercises when you lie down to go to sleep; this helps you decompress, so you start with a clean slate the next day.

3. Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Magnesium

Magnesium is critical in aiding stress relief. Magnesium is known as the anti-stress, anti-anxiety mineral. Numerous studies have shown its effectiveness in boosting mood, reducing anxiety and depression, and reducing stress levels as well as helping with deeper more restful sleep. However, many of us are severely lacking this nutrient due to its depletion in soil and foods. Over 75 percent of Americans do not get their recommended daily allowance of this mineral which is a cofactor in 700 to 800 enzyme reactions in the body.

You can try eating foods like spinach, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, and beans, all of which are rich in natural magnesium. Or Botanica offers a Magnesium spray as well available at our boutique shop!

4. Limit Your Daily News Intake

There’s no denying that it’s important to be well-informed. However, if you’re regularly exposing yourself to unsettling, negative news stories, it might be time for a break. Believe it or not, they can have significant effects on mood and positivity. Choose to read your news online so you can control what and how much goes into your consciousness.

In the same vein, it’s impossible to stay away from negative news completely, whether that means news about politics or news about your family, friends, or job. When news is stressful, try to step out of the storm long enough to become an observer. Being an observer keeps you in a calm, slightly detached place, which helps you become more solution oriented. In other words, practicing detachment from time to time may train your mind to be less reactionary.

5. Stretch Your Psoas Muscles

Stretching is a great way to relieve the tension or stiffness that’s often entrenched in our body in the morning. Target a specific set of muscles in particular called the psoas. For a visual, they are the only muscles that connect the spine to the legs.

Interestingly enough, these muscles are connected to mental health through their vicinity to the diaphragm. The many connections between the psoas muscles and the diaphragm literally link these muscles to our breath, which is sensitive to fear. When we are in a state of fear, the breath is shallow and constricted. This means that if we are in a constant fight-or-flight mode due to chronic stress, then our psoas muscles are also chronically stressed and constricted. This would also mean that over-constricted psoas, caused by poor posture, for example, could actually elicit fear.

Try releasing these muscles with a foam roller or targeted yoga practice to help de-stress your mind and body.

Massage for Anxiety at Botanica Day Spa

Anxiety is no small feat to overcome and trying it alone can sometimes even cause more anxiety than reducing it. Try massage therapy as a means to reduce anxiety, as it’s known for helping the immune system, nervous system and so much more. At Botanica, we have all types of massages to try and some of the best massage therapists to deliver them!

Call us today at 727-441-1711 to book your massage appointment and reduce anxiety now!

Love,

Gen