Have you ever woken up and felt restless or anxious? Have you noticed your heart and breathing speeding up? You may have experienced anxiety when waking up.
It is a reaction that comes accompanied by catastrophic thoughts and intrusive and it is more common than you think, today many people suffer from morning anxiety.
What is anxiety when waking up?
It manifests when a person wakes up, although it can also occur in insomnia and you may wake up at night with tachycardia.
Our cortisol levels tend to be much higher in the morning and this can promote the onset of anxiety. But, what is cortisol? It is a hormone produced by our adrenal gland that, if altered or if an imbalance occurs, makes us more susceptible to anxiety when we wake up.
Cortisol It is related to fear and stress So the more stressed we are, the more cortisol we will produce and the more anxiety we will feel.
When cortisol levels are out of control, the famous catastrophic thoughts that accompany anxiety come to light and we feel afraid of what might happen throughout the day, which is why it is difficult for us to get out of bed.
Symptoms of anxiety when waking up
As we have already mentioned, the symptoms of anxiety upon waking up usually appear due to a imbalance in cortisol levels and they are usually the same (or very similar) to those that cause anxiety at another time of the day:
- Tachycardia. The sensation that our heart is racing is a symptom of anxiety.
- Difficulty breathing. We feel like we have trouble breathing and we feel a lump in our throat, we may even think that we are drowning.
- Tremors. Tremors are a natural response to a situation of this type and can manifest in different parts of the body: hands, chest, eyelids and even the neck.
- Nausea. Nausea may even appear in some.
- Excessive sweating. We cause our sweat glands to go to work and when we realize this we become even more stressed and our anxiety and sweating levels increase.
- Rapid breathing. Our breathing becomes faster and we become nervous, which prevents us from taking control.
- Desire for control. When we experience these symptoms, we try to reduce our anxiety, but this is counterproductive because what we achieve is to increase it when we realize that we cannot control the situation.
- Excessive concern about the above symptoms.
In addition, anxiety is accompanied by Negative and catastrophic thoughts related to those activities that we have to do throughout the day, we put ourselves in the worst.
Possible causes
Although anxiety manifests itself for different reasons in each person, the truth is that there are various causes that tend to occur in most cases:
- Postpone obligations. Also known as procrastinationThe longer we delay doing what we have to do, the more our anxiety increases. If we have to fulfill an obligation but we put it off for later, we are obtaining immediate satisfaction but we are adding a long-term worry that will generate anxiety.
- Self-demand. Avoid demanding too much of yourself, sometimes we ask for more than we can handle and this causes us a feeling of frustration and even failure for not having achieved what we set out to do.
- To be going through a bad time. If you are going through a difficult time, it is very likely that this is one of the causes of your anxiety.
- Too many responsibilities. Sometimes we are not aware of the responsibilities we take on and how they affect us in our daily lives. This can cause us to high levels of stress and worry which can lead to anxiety, common questions in psychological therapy in .
- Our thoughts and our actions do not go in the same direction. This may be one of the reasons why you are anxious in the morning. If your actions do not match your values, you are likely to question yourself and wonder why you are contradicting yourself in this way, which can increase your anxiety levels.
6 tips to control anxiety when waking up
1. Establish adequate sleep schedules
A good sleep routine is essential to control cortisol levels and therefore your anxiety. Remember, get enough sleep and rest properly.
2. Light dinner
Don't eat heavy meals for dinner because it can directly affect your sleep routine, cause discomfort and make you wake up during the night.
3. Practice breathing exercises
Following a routine with breathing exercises can be of great help to control our anxiety.
4. Avoid coffee
Coffee is a stimulant so it is not recommended to consume it if you are trying to reduce your anxiety when you wake up.
5. Exercise
Practicing some sport in the afternoon will help you to clear your mind and secrete more happiness hormones. In addition, at night you will be more tired and it will be easier for you to fall asleep.
6. Go to therapy
If you want to control your anxiety levels and learn to control them, going to therapy is a good option because you will be accompanied by a professional who will give you guidelines to achieve this.
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