6 Simple But Powerful Mantras To Calm Morning Anxiety
Say these mantras first thing in the morning on a daily basis and watch the positive change evolve.
Anton Estrada Anxiety Healer and CBT therapist Alison Seponara recently asked her Instagram followers a question that is on many of our minds these days: “Who else’s anxiety is highest in the morning?“
If you ever experienced waking up in the morning feeling as if your heart is going to explode out of your chest, raise your hand! Joking aside, morning anxiety isn’t the most pleasant feeling in the world. So what can we say to ourselves to calm our morning anxiety down before it ruins the whole day ahead?
According to Wake Forest University, “Morning anxiety has a biological cause: Cortisol, often called the ‘stress hormone,’ is higher during the first hour after waking for people experiencing stress.” To simplify, it’s a stress reaction that occurs in the first hour after you wake up.
According to Seponara, inspiring mantras are a great way to soothe morning anxiety.
6 Powerful Mantras To Soothe Morning Anxiety
1. "My thoughts are like my clothes, if I don’t like how this one fits, I can choose another."
You may feel as if you have no control over your mind. The negative thoughts you experience are inevitable, and you shouldn’t bother trying to change your thoughts. But Seponara is here to tell you that you do have control over your thoughts, and you can change them.
Repeating phrases such as this one provides a sense of control and optimism. Which in the long run can help us better manage our anxiety.
2. "I have survived every day and I will survive today."
Think back to all the difficulties you have faced in your life. Do you remember how hard things were and how you swore up and down you would never see the light of day?
Now think about your present. Through your willpower, you have remained resilient and have overcome those hardships through hard work and dedication.
3. "I am learning to love and appreciate myself more every day."
According to Dr. Emma Seppala, “Scientific data shows that self-criticism makes us weaker in the face of failure, more emotional, and less likely to assimilate lessons from our failures.” But lucky for us there is an antidote to this — and it involves some self-compassion.
Being gentle with ourselves can help us overcome our self-criticism and help us to remain resilient in the face of failure.
More than that it can help us tame our morning anxiety, according to Seponara. And though it may take a while to love yourself and appreciate yourself, it is possible.
4. "One day at a time."
Amid your anxiety, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. And it’s hard for us to focus on the present when our future causes us to constantly stress.
Ground yourself in the present and focus on what you can control. Don’t be hard on yourself and remember to get through these grueling hardships day by day.
5. "Taking time to rest and breathe helps protect my energy."
Do you find yourself constantly overworking and never taking breaks? You may notice the longer you go without breaks the more stressed you become—and it makes sense!
According to Michigan State University, “Not taking enough breaks leads to burnout and higher stress levels.”
6. "This moment will pass and I will be okay."
As we all know, it’s all too easy to get caught up in a cycle of anxiety — and finding ways to calm yourself down is not easy. But if you can try to remind yourself that this moment will pass with time, it may make taming your anxiety more bearable and a lot easier.
However, it's important to understand that constant reminders and effort are required to see improvement over time.
Marielisa Reyes is a writer with a bachelor's degree in psychology who covers self-help, relationships, career, and family topics.