Why Wont My Fear Go Away And Leave Me Feeling Normal Again
Fear may be a one-off feeling when you are faced with something unfamiliar.
But it can also be an everyday, long-lasting problem even if you cant put your finger on why. Some people feel a constant sense of anxiety all the time, without any particular trigger.
There are plenty of triggers for fear in everyday life, and you cant always work out exactly why you are frightened or how likely you are to be harmed. Even if you can see how out of proportion a fear is, the emotional part of your brain keeps sending danger signals to your body.
Sometimes you need mental and physical ways of tackling fear.
Become More Vibrant During Morning Hours
Imagine what it would feel to function more efficiently and leave behind tiredness associated with morning depression.
Wouldnt it be refreshing to get up full of energy, vitality, and exhilaration? Imagine what your morning would look like when you are free of depression. Once you start your morning with happiness and joy, your entire day will match to this starting point.
No more fear of dealing with reality and daily routines. No more lack of motivation to get out of bed due to draining morning depression. From now on, all of this can change for you because you will create new and healthy conditioning!
It is time to raise your energy vibration and change the way you perceive your life. As you continue practicing, you will feel safer because you will not view the world around you as threatening.
Your lack of energy and depression will be replaced with excitement as you continuously embrace positive and empowering patterns.
This is your time to say goodbye to morning depression and finally, open your eyes with a genuine passion to start your day early.
What Tests Help Confirm A Sleep Anxiety Diagnosis
In some cases, your provider may do a sleep study to find out if you have a sleep disorder. Also called polysomnography, a sleep study is a test where you stay overnight in a sleep lab. Your healthcare provider evaluates how your body works during sleep by checking your:
- Blood oxygen levels.
- Snoring or other noises you make during sleep.
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Examine Your Habits And Stressors
Becoming aware of your morning anxiety helps you confront it rather than sweeping it under the rug.
You might try taking note of what prompts or exacerbates, or worsens, your anxious feelings.
Do you hit the snooze button on your alarm every morning? Do you pick up your phone to check your email, the news, or social media while half asleep to avoid getting out of bed?
These seemingly small habits can contribute to anxiety on a bigger scale than you might realize.
Try to replace habits that increase your anxiety in the morning with ones that may help ease your feelings. For example, if checking your phone first thing in the morning increases your anxiety, try meditation or deep breathing exercises instead.
Also try to avoid hitting the snooze button on your alarm when you wake up. While it may provide temporary relief, it can prolong the challenge of getting out of bed.
Why Do I Wake Up With Anxiety
Feeling anxious in the morning is common for people with and without anxiety disorders, says Mayra Mendez, PhD, a licensed psychotherapist.
Although there’s not a lot of research specific to morning anxiety, many mental health practitioners see it in their practice. Oftentimes, putting a name to the condition is helpful.
“Many people are comforted to know there is a syndrome, and that what they are experiencing is not unique to them,” says Moe Gelbart, PhD, the director of Behavioral Health at Torrance Memorial Medical Center.
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Then Drink Some Water
Estimated amount of time: 10 seconds
Water is an essential part of life, yet some studies show as many as 75% of people live in a perpetual state of dehydration. When the body is dehydrated, it doesnt function so well.
Your brain is approximately 85% water. Think it suffers when youre water-deficient? You bet.
Chances are, lack of water alone isn’t causing your anxiety, but it has been shown to be a contributing factor, which is crazy considering that water is FREE and readily available to everyone .
The body relies on stored water to do its thing while sleeping. In order to replenish those reserves, I started setting a big glass of water on my nightstand before I go to bed. Then, once I’m up in the morning I reach over and chug about half of it.
I noticed I felt much more awake and less sluggish after a refreshing glass of water. I eventually started adding in some Athletic Greens , which made the habit even better.
How To Overcome Morning Anxiety
Try the following steps to help reduce feelings of anxiety first thing in the morning:
Give yourself extra time
One of the most effective ways to combat morning anxiety, is to give yourself a little extra time – for example, setting your alarm 10 minutes earlier. This can help you to wake up and avoid the additional stress of having to rush and the potential for worrying about being late.
Sidestep caffeine
Instead of reaching for the coffee, swapping to camomile tea might help too – as stimulants can often exacerbate anxious symptoms.
Pause social media
Avoiding social media first thing may also help if you feel yourself constantly needing to check your feeds, as you may find yourself becoming anxious as a result of social media pressures.
Try mindfulness meditation
Make time to meditate using wellness apps such as Headspace. They can help you to check in with your emotions and thoughts, so you can relax and prepare you for the day ahead.
Boost endorphins with exercise
Make time for yoga or exercise. Yoga can help to channel your energy and help to switch off your fight or flight stress response. Similarly, exercise first thing in the morning can release endorphins to combat low mood or anxiety.
Talk about your worries
If you’re really struggling, it is important to address the underlying reasons for your anxiety. Counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy or talking therapy support through your GP might be beneficial.
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Causes Of Morning Depression
A 2013 study found that people with depression often have disrupted circadian rhythms. This disruption is one of the main causes of morning depression.
Your body runs on a 24-hour internal clock that causes you to feel sleepier at night and more awake and alert during the day. This natural sleep-wake cycle is known as the circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm, or natural body clock, regulates everything from heart rate to body temperature. It also affects energy, thinking, alertness, and mood. These daily rhythms help you keep a stable mood and stay in good health.
The rhythms of certain hormones, such as cortisol and melatonin, help your body prepare for certain events. For example, your body makes cortisol when the sun rises. This hormone gives you energy so you can be active and alert during the day. When the sun sets, your body releases melatonin. That hormone that makes you sleepy.
When these rhythms are disrupted, your body starts to make hormones at the wrong time of day. This can have a negative effect on your physical health and emotional well-being. For instance, when your body makes melatonin during the day, you may feel very tired and irritable.
People with morning depression often have severe symptoms in the morning, such as feelings of sadness and gloom. However, they feel better as the day goes on. Symptoms may include:
How To Reduce Morning Anxiety
HomeBlogAdviceHow to Reduce Morning Anxiety
Your alarm goes off. Instead of waking up refreshed and energized, a very different feeling kicks in anxiety.
Anxiety is like an unwelcome visitor popping in when you least expect it. When you experience anxious thoughts or feelings in the morning, it robs your peace of mind and sets the tone for your whole day. Why do you wake up with butterflies in your stomach? How can you get rid of these feelings? Here are some ways you can address morning anxiety and improve your overall outlook for the day.
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Everyday Anxiety Vs Gad
An individual experiencing everyday anxiety will spend time worrying about a specific event, assignment, or task. Theyll also have trouble sleeping or concentrating during stressful times, and theyll experience physical aches and pains from specific situations.
An individual with GAD will experience ongoing general worry about vague, often imagined threats that interfere with daily life. Theyll also experience frequent trouble sleeping or concentrating and experience physical aches and pains for more than six months without a specific cause.
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If you were to ask me what symptom of anxiety sucks the most, early morning anxiety would be right up there near the top.
And then come the racing thoughts. The loop-de-di-doop of repeating all the things that went wrong yesterday and all the things that will go wrong today. All the ways in which I have failed to perform and will fail again.
The judgment.
All of it in a non-sensical mess exacerbated by the fact that Im still half-asleep.
This sucks, right? This is NOT an acceptable way to start the day, right?
So if any of this sounds familiar to you if you too find yourself waking up feeling anxious let me tell you how to make it better. In the long term, there are ways to prevent morning anxiety altogether. In the short term, there are ways to intercept it so that it doesnt carry over into the rest of your day.
I know these ways because I have battled the morning anxiety beast and I have won. I dont wake up with dread anymore.
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Remember That Anxiety Is A Normal Human Emotion To Feel
Bottom line: Dont shame yourself for how you feel. Driscoll said anxiety exists for a reason, and you dont need to brush it off as a problem thats all in your head.
There are legitimate problems in peoples lives setting off anxiety, he said, adding that behavioral therapy practices and mindfulness-based stress reduction have some of the strongest evidence bases out there for helping people let go of the struggle with anxiety.
So while this list provides a bunch of useful techniques that can work for one person, another may need more professional support to start feeling relief and thats OK.
Living With is a guide to navigating conditions that affect your mind and body. Each month, HuffPost Life will tackle very real issues people live with by offering different stories, advice and ways to connect with others who understand what its like. In May, were covering anxiety in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. Got an experience youd like to share? Email wellness@huffpost.com.
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Fear is one of the most powerful emotions. It has a very strong effect on your mind and body.
Fear can create strong signals of response when were in emergencies for instance, if we are caught in a fire or are being attacked.
It can also take effect when youre faced with non-dangerous events, like exams, public speaking, a new job, a date, or even a party. Its a natural response to a threat that can be either perceived or real.
Anxiety is a word we use for some types of fear that are usually to do with the thought of a threat or something going wrong in the future, rather than right now.
Fear and anxiety can last for a short time and then pass, but they can also last much longer and you can get stuck with them. In some cases they can take over your life, affecting your ability to eat, sleep, concentrate, travel, enjoy life, or even leave the house or go to work or school. This can hold you back from doing things you want or need to do, and it also affects your health.
Some people become overwhelmed by fear and want to avoid situations that might make them frightened or anxious. It can be hard to break this cycle, but there are lots of ways to do it. You can learn to feel less fearful and to cope with fear so that it doesnt stop you from living.
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Reasons You Are Feeling Down In The Morning
Here are some scientifically probable explanations as to why your morning is characterized by severe depression than in the afternoon or evening.
In my opinion, these rational causes for the morning depression are not satisfying therefore, below them, I will provide my personal impressions on these fluctuations.
According to studies, here are the common reasons people wake up in the morning with a sense of depression:
Stress Hormones And Generalized Anxiety
If you are dealing with excessive anxiety in the morning, theres a good chance you may also have generalized anxiety or something researchers call The Cortisol Awakening Response . The stress hormone, cortisol, is released by the adrenal glands in response to fear or stress. Researchers have found that cortisol is highest in the first hour of waking for people with an increased level of anxiety. This helps explain why you may experience an increase in anxiety in the morning.
When you wake up, the body is already in fight or flight at the memory and thought of another anxiety-filled day ahead. Now cue negative thinking before the day has even begun, creating a repeating cycle of early morning dread. Not to mention, the latter part of the night and early part of the morning generally sees a natural increase in both Cortisol and blood pressure as the body prepares to start another day.
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Try Some Mental Exercises
Instead of focusing on all you have to tackle the next morning, practice some mindful exercises. You can even turn it into a game: Try to recall as many dog breeds as possible, or mentally walk yourself through every room of your childhood home. This practice can help you keep anxious thoughts away while getting you one step closer to dreamland.
How Do I Know If I Have Morning Anxiety
While morning anxiety isnt a formal medical term, it refers to feelings of stress about the day ahead.
Perhaps you wake up on edge with little motivation to get out of bed. Or, the sound of your alarm sets your brain into panic mode.
Anxiety is experienced in many different ways and certainly is not a one-size-fits-all situation.
While some may find their anxiety levels are higher in the morning, this may not be the case for everyone with an anxiety disorder.
For those who do experience morning anxiety, they know that it can put a damper on the day. Symptoms of anxiety can feel more intense in the morning.
These can include:
- racing thoughts and heightened worry about the days tasks and responsibilities
- rapid heart rate or feeling like your heart is pounding
- muscle tension
- trouble concentrating
When you feel zapped of energy or have trouble managing your thoughts, its taxing on all levels physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Its important to remember that youre not alone. Its normal to feel off when you first wake up in fact, there are several explanations for why this happens.
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