Wake Up Feeling Good, Not Stressed.
If your first thought in the morning is stress, you’re not alone. Morning anxiety is real, but you can break the cycle. The key? A mindful, intentional start to the day. In this edition of Notes from a Therapist, I’ll share an easy-to-follow routine that helps you feel grounded, focused and ready to take on whatever comes your way.
Step 1: Resist the Scroll
Reaching for your phone first thing floods your brain with notifications, emails and information overload before you’ve even had a chance to wake up properly.
Try this: Instead of scrolling, take one minute to breathe deeply. Focus on how your body feels, stretch or sip water before diving into the day. See how long you can go before picking up your phone.
Step 2: Set the Tone with a Positive Thought
Your brain loves patterns - if your first thought is negative, it’s easier for stress to take over. But the opposite is also true.
Try this: Keep a deck of Mind Cards: The Affirmations by your bedside and pick one card each morning. A single sentence can shift your mindset before the day even begins.
Step 3: Move Your Body, Even for a Minute
You don’t need an hour-long workout, just a minute of stretching, deep breathing or a simple yoga routine helps release tension and wake your body up gently.
Try this: As you move, set a simple goal for the day. Something small that feels achievable, like "Today, I’ll take things one step at a time."
Step 4: Write Down Your Priorities (Not Your To-Do List)
Overwhelming to-do lists create instant stress. Instead, focus on just two or three key priorities, the things that will make the biggest impact.
Try this: Brain dump everything on your mind then sort them into order of importance. Ensure you tick off the key priorities before day end so the bigger jobs don’t carry into the next day.
Step 5: Shift from Reacting to Leading Your Day
When you start the day feeling anxious, it’s easy to fall into reactive mode, constantly responding to stress instead of moving through the day with clarity.
But small, intentional shifts, a deep breath, a grounding thought, a moment to set priorities, help you take back control.
You Deserve a Calm Start to the Day
Morning anxiety doesn’t have to be your reality. By making small changes, you can start the day feeling clear, grounded, and in control.
Need support? Morning Notes, Mind Cards: The Affirmations and Habit Notes are designed to help you shift into a calmer, more intentional routine, one simple habit at a time.