15 Things I do to Answer Anxiety in the Morning
When your hair’s on fire in the morning, you’re toast by end of day.
Establish morning rituals and routines to answer internal anxiety and prepare for external chaos.
Power of ritual:
Internal anxiety is rushing through this moment to get to the next.
Thinking ahead creates tension. You reason, “I need to get this done so I can get the next thing done.” Rushing through this moment to get to the next makes you resent this moment.
Rituals free you to focus on the current thing, not the next thing.
15 things I do to answer anxiety in the morning:
- Get up before others.
- Keep the lights low. It’s dark, but don’t turn on the light. Dark is calming. I’m less distracted when the light is low.
- Push the button on the coffee maker.
- Wash my face with a cold washcloth after other personal matters are resolved.
- Sit, relax, and reflect until the coffee is done.
- Walk to my home office with cup in hand.
- Place the coffee cup on the coaster. The coaster is in the same place it was yesterday.
- Hit the power button on the computer. Stand – don’t sit – and type the password. (A pole light with a three-way bulb – set to low – comes on automatically. It’s plugged into my uninterrupted power supply.)
- Get on the floor and do at least 50 crunches.
- Stand and stretch.
- Sit at my desk.
- Open a blank document.
- Put my fingers on my keyboard.
- Begin to type.
- Don’t open email or a browser for at least 30 minutes.
Self-talk empowers ritual and enables consistency. When I walk into my office, I look for the coaster and answer anxiety by saying, “Put the cup on the coaster.”
I don’t think about hitting the power button on my computer until my cup rests in its place.
How might leaders create unnecessary stress and anxiety?
How are you answering stress and anxiety?
Bonus Material:
Crisis Leadership: How to Overcome Anxiety (Enterprisers)
Breathe Vitality into your Organization:
Thanks Dan, love it!
Discipline is the enemy of anxiety.
Have a safe and productive day!
Thanks Bob. Nicely put. Stay well
Thanks Dan for all you do for this community! Your daily post is a comforting first stop for me every morning. Steve Job’s black turtleneck and jeans for some reason comes to mind : )
Thanks Bill. It’s humbling to realize that reading Leadership Freak might be a ritual for some. Cheers
I am getting a coaster! Thanks for the mindfulness on a Monday —
Always an early riser, my ritual is designed to internalize the calm … w/ 1, 2 & 5 (w/o the coffee … yet) :
Bachman Turner Overdrive had a jazzy tune on a bass beat that captures it quite nicely for me …
“So I would like you know I need the quiet hours
To create in this world of mine
…
I’d like you to know at four in the morning
Things are coming to mind
All I’ve seen, all I’ve done
And those I hope to find
….
I’d like to remind you at four in the morning,
my world is very still
The air is fresh under diamond skies
Makes me glad to be alive …”
Thanks Rurbane. Yes, the morning hours are the best hours.
Speaking of BTO, occasionally music is a great tool for re-centering or rejuvenation.
Best to you
Rurbane; I love BTO. This is great. What is the title of the song?
Oddly enough, being a frustrated “hands on” contractor (ilo a actually being a real estate developer),
it’s “Blue Collar.”
Find an original recording (mid- ’70’s?) and take a listen … well worth it.
https://youtu.be/cVk61fgSWTs
good studio version …
Randy Bachman also wrote “These Eyes” w/ Cummings/Guess Who … I think there’s some sort of provenance here …
Until now, I’ve never drawn the connection between how (much) Randy Bachman and Dan look alike … is this a conspiracy?
Our own established early morning rituals do bring a calmness . I like your # 15 reminder ; it is our own thoughts that determine how we will face the day and meet the challenges. Thank-you for sharing as always nuggets that help. Positively, Pauline
Thanks Pauline. It’s tragic to give your first thoughts to email, in my opinion. 🙂
Love the don’t open the email browser for at least 30 minutes – great advice Dan – this also applies to a smartphone (guilty!) I’ll remember that tomorrow morning. 🙂
Thanks Carolyn. You are on point. Frankly, I’m addicted to these devices. I have to put my phone in the drawer or I can’t help looking at it. It’s like heroin.
Phone in the drawer it is – or perhaps in another room. Doing it!!!!!
What happens when you are not in your usual place? I have one place, the home of a relative that I visit regularly, where there is no coffee machine. That becomes my main problem and a source of anxiety.
Where does making up your bed fit in? 😉
I’m sure most of us have seen Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Seal William H. McCraven’s Texas A&M commencement speech stating that picking up this daily practice can have a bigger impact than you might think.
This is an excellent, and motivating post. I love the idea of starting the work day with simply writing or typing whatever comes to mind. I, too, usually wake up or get up with a lot of ideas and/or anxieties in my head.
Also, did Admiral McRaven ever give a speech at Texas A&M? I’m familiar with his speech at The University of Texas, but didn’t know he gave a speech at Texas A&M. I’d love to see it!
This topic hits very close to home in that I battle with anxiety from time to time. I’m sure that most people experience dealing with anxiety; however, everyone deals with it and expresses it in different mannerisms. From a public health perspective and especially with the current pandemic that is going on right, anxiety is something that comes natural to me, but if not most people. Everything that you have listed to answer your anxiety in the morning is interesting to read because these are helpful coping mechanisms that helps me with my anxiety as well. It’s intriguing to see other people’s perspective on what helps that because sometimes it’s informative and beneficial to listen to others and try new ways to deal with situations that you’re not aware of. Dealing with stress and anxiety in a public health perspective, allows for one to become stronger and allows for personal growth. I think this component is important because personal growth can help you in areas of your life such as self-awareness and boost your confidence level. In the public health field, you have to have confidence especially if you are advocating and trying to implement policies to potential stakeholders and want to engage their attention. You asked how might leaders create unnecessary stress and anxiety, however I believe to be successful in life and have that personal growth, there is no such thing as unnecessary stress and anxiety. Although these factors can deteriorate mental health and living a quality life, in a way, I believe these factors to be part of life that helps us improve life skills such as becoming a leader and finding ways to overcoming stubborn obstacles. For example, thinking ahead can cause anxiety and stress especially a topic like COVID-19. However, with the rising pandemic and as a public health candidate, it is important to fuel the stress and anxiety as power to impact the lives of many Americans and the encourage a safe and healthy living through enforced policies and guidelines.
A leader might create unnecessary stress and anxiety by carrying the burden of the entire team on their back. A leader does have an increased responsibility for their team. But a leader may run into unnecessary stress when they micromanage and burden themselves with the jobs of others on their team. A way to combat this is to trust your team and their ability to do their own job.
I often feel pressure and anxiety with work. I really dislike this. I try to tell myself that stress, anxiety, and worry are not productive emotions and will never help me achieve what I want to accomplish. Whatever is provoking me to feel this way will not be fixed by allowing myself to be anxious. Instead, I work to prepare for the moment before the moment. Staying on top of work and my assignments allows me to avoid many situations that give me anxiety.
When I do find myself feeling stressed and anxious, I always try to prioritize my health. To me, this means getting eight hours of sleep and eating healthy meals. I also try to destress with a funny YouTube video or a phone call to family or friends. I also try to re-center on the task at hand. Like you mention in your post, I do not try to rush from one thing to another with my mind scattered on the overwhelming task. I make to do lists and cross off what I accomplish. This allows me not to forget anything and also gives me the satisfaction of feeling like I am completing the things that I need to get done.
Anxiety and mental health are important things to prioritize. I think it is a really great thing to talk about and normalize in the workplace as well as with friends. More conversations about it can help people get through difficult times.
Dan, thanks for another insightful post and listing out your tasks in the morning. I have never been a morning person, but I do have a morning routine. I have also never listed out my routine so I would like to do the same and see if there are areas that could be improved.
1. When the alarm goes off, I try to turn it off very quickly, so I do not wake my wife up. (Sometimes kids who have adventured into the bed during the night)
2. I also do not turn on any lights to ensure I do not wake anyone up since I am usually the first person up.
3. I shower plus other hygiene tasks
4. Finish getting dress
5. Out the door and start my commute
6. I have a 25-minute commute and use this time to do a lot of thinking. Sometimes this thinking is not very deep since I am still waking up. Other times I start to process what will be going on during the day.
One area that I know I could approve on is doing some type of exercise to get the blood pumping or drinking a glass of water. Many times, I have thought about working out in the morning, but as I previously mention, I do not like mornings so that does not happen. I have found myself oversleeping and that starts a different type of anxiety for the day. I despise being late and the few times I have come into work late due to oversleeping, it starts the day off on the wrong foot. I must remember during these times, which are very few, that I can control my attitude and effort. Even though the day started off bad, it is a good time to refocus and change that projection.
Just reading that list has my anxiety flaring up. Having a morning routine so clearly laid out just makes me squirm. Nothing puts me on edge quite like ritual, except waking up early enough that it’s still dark outside. I understand that a lot of people find it comforting to have a plan or something familiar to latch on to get their day started. However, personally a little chaos fills me with energy. I can’t even drink coffee every day. Some days it’s comforting, other days it’s a chore. The stay-at-home order has been particularly rough on my desire for variety. Since I work for an internet-based company I have a lot of freedom. Before I could go to a coffee shop or restaurant to start my work day if I wanted. Sometimes I would catch a matinee at the movie theater to help clear my head before getting started and just push my ‘office hours’ later into the evening.
Now I just get to choose whether I want to work in my office, the spare bedroom, or the front porch. Despite my best efforts, the days are getting monotonous. Also, I managed to get a sunburn working on my completely shaded porch from the reflection of the sun off my driveway. Now I have to limit my outdoor hours until I can build a base tan, so my options are further narrowed. I must say my anxiety has been spiking lately. I wish I could take more comfort in building a routine to get me through these times. Everyone is different and there’s a work style to help everyone thrive. I’ve been trying to brainstorm ways to introduce more chaos into my days but planning for chaos is a clear contradiction in terms and obviously tricky. Hopefully I won’t have to do the impossible for too much longer.
May 4
Hi Mr. Dan, thank you for another post on 15 things to answer anxiety in the morning. I must admit that I have done all these things except the crunches. I am still thinking about the exercise routine in the morning before I start my day. But I must admit that I decided to park my car in a garage that allows me to walk longer distances than I need to when I go into the office. However, since the Pandemic, I have been working remotely, and I am thinking about getting a portable exercise bike and riding it in the morning and listening to the birds chirp. That sounds so relaxing to me, but I have only managed to listen to the birds chirp. Exercise is an important task and routine that we all should attempt to have in our lives, especially under such stressful circumstances. I challenge everyone to do what is necessary to help combat anxiety during a normal day and under such great circumstances like we have to face. Exercise is good, however, don’t be afraid or ashamed to reach out to a professional for help. We all need to pause and help ourselves, so we can help others.
Be safe everyone
Nicole
Dan, I enjoyed the post. As soon as I read, the word anxiety in the title of the topic I immediately knew I found my topic. I have recently found myself experiencing extreme anxiety in the mornings the last few months. Yes, this is contributed to the many stressful tasks I have taken on in the last three months such as, marriage, the birth of my first child, the purchase of a new home, finals, deployment, and job reassignment so it is no mystery where this is coming from especially with the COVID-19 outbreak to top everything off.
Like clockwork at 4:30 am I wake up in the morning feeling nauseated because I know the workday is about to begin. Like many others, I try to convince myself that worrying does no good to no avail. Another big factor is my exercise level has dropped dramatically due to my new (wonderful) obligations.
I like your approach of replacing resentful moments with routine to training your mind to stay in the moment and do not look too far ahead. When doing this you do not just sabotage yourself mentally but your work also suffers since getting to the next task is more important than focusing on the task at hand.
I think everyone experiences anxiety to one extreme or the other and good leaders can take their own personal experiences and apply them to provide a less worrisome work environment.
Hi Dan,
I really appreciated this list of your morning rituals. I think I might add “make list of rituals” to my to do list. I’m definitely going to steal “get up before others” and “get on the floor and do at least 50 crunches”. Whenever I have a big paper or exam im worried about, I find it really helpful to wake up early before my roommate gets up and write or study in the living room (with the lights low). It feels so productive to be doing work while others are still sleeping.
I have found that when I am feeling anxious (especially during ‘work from home’) it is really helpful to take some time to play with a pet. It seems fairly simple, however, I find it helps clear my mind. I have also been using space heaters and a yoga mat to mimic hot yoga in a small room like a bathroom- I highly recommend trying this. I have also been trying to exercise outside as often as possible. It feels really good to go on outdoor runs. I recently purchased rollerblades- I have heard they are a great way to exercise outdoors so I am excited to learn how to use them.
The next time you feel anxiety or meltdown, and not able to understand what’s going on in your mind. Take out some time for yourself breath slowly and deeply remind yourself that it’s just a phase and focus on positive, peaceful, and relaxing things. As days passed, we learned to tackle it and keep our self-busy with the work or into the things that make it happy. I indulge myself in activities such as creating my own relaxation center or spa, aromatherapy, or activities like yoga to help me relax, regular exercise to reduce stress. Start writing gratitude journals, every morning write down one thing you are grateful for. Whether it is a special person in your life (friend or family), the memory of a lovely trip you have been thinking about that makes you smile, the sunshine in your garden, or a perfect sunrise. Also, we all have thoughts of what we have been missing or things you would like to have the opportunity to do at this time. Writing these downs as goals for next year, before we are back to our usual routines and forget about it and put happy, upbeat music to dance. Putting meaningful pictures or phrases together on a whiteboard or notice board to set daily goals and motivate yourself or thoughts that just make you smile. Prioritize your mental health first, find peace in old hobbies like dancing, painting, keep your mind focused and clean, and stay as positive as you can.
I really appreciated this list of your morning rituals. I think I might add “make list of rituals” to my to do list. I’m definitely going to steal “get up before others” and “get on the floor and do at least 50 crunches”. Whenever I have a big paper or exam im worried about, I find it really helpful to wake up early before my roommate gets up and write or study in the living room (with the lights low). It feels so productive to be doing work while others are still sleeping.
I have found that when I am feeling anxious (especially during ‘work from home’) it is really helpful to take some time to play with a pet. It seems fairly simple, however, I find it helps clear my mind. I have also been using space heaters and a yoga mat to mimic hot yoga in a small room like a bathroom- I highly recommend trying this. I have also been trying to exercise outside as often as possible. It feels really good to go on outdoor runs. I recently purchased rollerblades- I have heard they are a great way to exercise outdoors so I am excited to learn how to use them.
Anxiety and the morning is something I know very well. I have learned over time that my anxiety is the morning can be curbed by empowering myself with the confidence of knowing that I get accomplish what I need to accomplish. Chaos is inevitable and should be met with open arms but intentional planning. My good mornings usually start with plans in the evening. I put in all my devices to charge, I try to plan at least breakfast if not food for the entire next 24 hours, I choose outfits the night before. Trying to decide what to wear is one of the most unproductive and time-consuming tasks when left for last-minute during a morning routine. I enjoy making coffee manually in the morning because it is the first accomplish that I can be proud of myself for. Fun fact, the morning is usually the best time for plants to be watered. It allows for the sun to soak up any extra water and prevents overwatering. Taking care of plants in the morning is another way I make myself feel useful and responsible.
The most destructive and yet difficult aspect to avoid in a morning routine: scrolling on the phone. Usually, there is not anything on social media that needs to be addressed first thing in the morning.
As someone who has anxiety, this is something that I struggle with quite frequently. It is hard to figure out how to handle this and how to take action against anxiety, especially when its triggered by a looming workload. I often find that much of my anxiety is linked to my workload, which can be heavily influenced by leaders. Leaders might create unnecessary stress and anxiety by overloading a worker, not observing what is going on in an individual’s life, and possibly by pairing them with underperforming coworkers, as well as many other possibilities. When any of these happen to me, it is a big struggle figuring out a way to mentally cope. For me, I have a to-do list of things that might help. I start by exercising or going for a walk, then trying to do simple tasks, since so often workloads are comprised of many little tasks that have just built up. Once I do that, I try to make a set time standard and do X number of tasks in Y amount of time. Staying on track with that helps me to feel calm, assured and prevent any future anxiety that may come from an unattended workload.
Hi Dan,
I’ve always found it interesting when people state that rituals help them manage anxiety. Personally, during times of high stress and anxiety, I find it incredibly hard to stick to a ritual or personal schedule, even if I’ve been doing the ritual or schedule for an extended period of time. Anxiety seems to easily disrupt the structure I attempt to create for myself. When anxiety and stress are at bay I definitely find it easier to adhere to rituals. It could be though that my approach to rituals is not the best. I do dread the idea of rituals and repetition….it seems to feel like a chore rather than relaxing. Perhaps this is why it is so anxiety-provoking to maintain rituals when I’m already stressed? When I’m at such an anxious state already, it makes me even more anxious when I inevitably fail to stick to schedule or rituals because I’m overwhelmed with anxiety. I suppose it may be helpful for me to try and modify my perspective on rituals and schedules, or incorporate more variety into rituals so they are less boring or more challenging. I worry that if it is too challenging it could only further exacerbate my anxiety though. I will work on some of your suggestions though! I’ll start small, one ritual at a time and see if “micro-dosing” rituals is less overwhelming for me.
You shared some awesome ways to reduce anxiety. Your list is extensive too, and I have my own long list as well. One thing that I do that has helped me to live a peaceful life is not using my phone in the moments after I wake up. Instead of logging in and checking emails, I take a shower and do all of the morning things I do like brushing my teeth and making the bed. I do all of those things before I bother with my phone. Another thing I do is journal. I read my Bible, then write down a verse or a few verses that jumped out at me. And I do that while drinking a big glass of iced coffee, which I think I’ve mentioned on other posts here. After I’ve done those things I’m ready to take on the rest of the day, and there’s a distinct difference when I do things outside of this routine. I’ve noticed that I’m more flustered when I don’t settle into my day in this healthy routine, so I do my best to start this way every day.
I think leaders create unnecessary stress by focusing on multiple things at once rather than admitting that most of us just aren’t good at multitasking. I respond to that by listing things out by priority and doing them one at a time.