Beep, beep, beep!
Omigod was that my alarm?? I thought I turned that thing off!!! Wait, I did turn it off. Was that…my brain?? Did my noggin really just make ALARM CLOCK noises? Wow, I’ve ascended to a new level of crazy.
If the above inner monologue is one that you have definitely had with yourself, welcome to the club. An overactive mind, particularly in the morning, is quite common. But fear not, there are a number of things you can do to quiet the storm!
10 deep breaths
As soon as you wake up, do nothing before you take a deep breath. And another, and another. Until you get to ten. Make sure you each intake fills up your belly completely, and physically calms you down.
A pattern you can try is breathing into the nose for a count of three, holding the breath for a count of three, and exhaling from the mouth for a count of four.
Set intentions
A major source of anxiety in the morning can be our lack of awareness of what our daily goals and responsibilities are. We might feel scatter-brained and stressed out as soon as we wake up, but if we take just a few minutes out of every morning to think deeply about our impending tasks and their purposes, we will feel much calmer getting our days started.
Gratitude journal
A five-minute daily gratitude journal can really get us into the right headspace for the day. When we remember all of our major blessings, we are much less likely to sweat the small stuff.
Leave a notebook and pen on your bedside table the night before, so that when you wake up you can just quickly jot down three things that make you happy and that you are super thankful for.
My short list: Simon and Garfunkel, white sneakers that you can wear with any outfit, and my puppy.
Your list doesn’t have to be super serious. If one day you’re feeling particularly indebted to your Keurig for making your morning brew, acknowledge that puppy in your journal. Maybe even add a coffee stain for good measure.
Morning walk
If you have the time, go on a quick morning stroll. The fresh air will be sure to clear your head. Not to mention, you’ll get a headstart on your fitbit steps for the day.
Tea
I really like the ritual of making tea in the morning. There’s something so soothing about watching the steam dance out of your “Girl Boss” mug and into the atmosphere. Set your alarm for just five minutes earlier than normal to take a few sips of your favorite chamomile or oolong. It will fill you with glee before you flee!
