if you go to bed worrying about your day your body's like hey let me help
you out i'm going to give you a dump truck load of cortisol the minute you wake up
doesn't that sound great this is called the cortisol awakening response it's connected
to your circadian rhythm and depending on how you look at it it's a blessing or a curse if you wake
up to anxiety first thing in the morning you know how uncomfortable it can be in this video we're
going to talk about how cortisol is different in the morning and what you can do about it to
better decrease your morning anxiety [Music] yeah go out that door and go play with your pups okay
cortisol is a stress hormone that your adrenal glands pump out in response to fear or stress
it helps your body prepare for action and it makes your heart beat faster and it can
make you feel a little bit jittery or anxious even for people without high levels of stress
cortisol levels are generally highest within the first hour of waking up some people wake
up with a jolt of anxiety so powerful that it makes the whole day seem overwhelming
some people feel frozen in their beds some people get activated irritable jittery about their day
or they engage in frenetic activity or that jolt of cortisol makes some people wake up to panic
attacks or feel like they're about to have one this is not the way you wanted to wake up
so why would your body do that cortisol's function is to help you get alert and perform
if you're playing soccer cortisol helps you get pumped up and play hard cortisol can help
you be motivated to finish a report for work or jump out of the way of a speeding car but if you
go to bed worrying about everything you have to do tomorrow the brain makes a secret plan
i'm gonna help my human get activated right when he wakes up so it plans a little surprise
party for you your alarm goes off surprise dump truck load of cortisol now anxiety is an emotion
emotions aren't just bad things that happen to you emotions serve a function and when it's functional
anxiety helps you take appropriate action to stay safe and get things done but when we have
too much anxiety that we don't know what to do with anxiety can trap you in a cycle of
worrying about things without taking action and that can make it really hard to complete tasks
so what do we do about it managing anxiety has two parts taking action in the moment to decrease
your anxiety and then decreasing your overall stress levels so let's start with in the moment
start your day grounded try a morning routine that includes prayer a breathing exercise or meditation
if you can't get moving try something very soothing first just take one really small step
like just getting out of bed and into a chair give yourself some positive affirmations say something
like i can do this i can do hard things and train your mind to worry in a helpful way so journal
first thing in the morning if you feel overwhelmed it can be scary to write things down but it always
helps me get clarity when i do it it's like you take this big nasty cloud of worries and tasks
and you transfer them to something solid a piece of paper where you can organize them another great
way to convert stress into energy is exercise so consider adding exercise to your morning routine
also skip the caffeine and sugar in the morning sugar and cortisol interact in a not very great
way and it can make you more anxious but don't skip breakfast either low blood sugar can also
make you anxious so try something like eggs whole grains or nuts to start your day off
decreasing your overall stress levels is much more about life management so so first look at the
cause of your stress do you have good work-life boundaries are you taking on too many projects
or activities do you need better organization prepare as much as possible the night before
so you don't have to wake up to dread break your tasks down into small steps journal get your crap
together sort through your life at dinner time the night before do your worrying on your own
time frame don't let your brain throw this worry surprise party right so this might look like
writing out the next day's tasks the day before and that sends a message to your brain that says
i know i've got it you don't have to keep nagging me to remember can help turn off worry really
sleep deprivation can really contribute to anxiety and depression so if you're struggling with
morning anxiety make sleep a priority and then just cut out alcohol and caffeine caffeine can
impact sleep and anxiety levels for up to 72 hours so when it comes to morning anxiety you've got two
choices let it take over your life or choose to be proactive actively work to reduce your overall
stress and then tell yourself i can do this i can convert this stress into energy and of course
working with a therapist is a great way to figure out some new ways to manage those stress levels
oh yeah and in case you're wondering i do all my best riding between 5 and 7 am while my legs are
jiggling then i go for a run or exercise somehow right this is how i turn my morning dump truck
load of cortisol into something productive have a good day y'all i love you take care hey everyone
i just wanted to let you know that i've got a brand new course out it's all about journaling for
mental health it's only nine dollars and it comes with a digital download of my journal the oak in
the acorn the mental health check-in journal to help you grow you can use this as a digital
journal or you can print it out as many times as you'd like in this course you'll learn a bunch of
really easy ways to work through your emotions through journaling you'll learn how to decrease
stress and anxiety and how to multiply your happiness through simple activities that you can
do in just a few minutes a day so if you'd like to learn more check out the link in the description
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