If you struggle with morning anxiety, you can use this simple routine to start your day right every day! Discover the do’s and don’ts of this routine to learn how you can improve the mornings when you are prone to worrying.
Of all of the parts of the body, the brain is particularly vulnerable.
Not only is it physically, well, squishier than the rest of our body, but it is also more susceptible, mentally, to the things around it.
If you surround your brain with sad thoughts and negative media updates, it will inevitably become a victim to sadness. When surrounded by angry people, your own thoughts turn to anger more quickly.
For these reasons, we need to be careful about what we surround ourselves with.
The brain is kind of like our stomachs; we feed it certain foods in the hopes that it will function better.
When we are not feeling well, we replace any potentially toxic foods with simple foods that will help the stomach recover. Under extreme circumstances, we may even throw up the food that is injuring us.
What sort of emotional food have you been feeding your brain lately?
Additionally, all of us have weaker times in the day when our minds are more likely to be affected by what we hear and see.
For me, that time is in the morning. While I was teaching, I would wake up full of anxiety every single day.
Depending on how I spent that morning, I would either stay in that anxious state or rise above it, feeling a greater peace by the time I had arrived at work.
The other time I get really anxious is when I am feeling tired.
I try to go to bed by ten every night so that I can bypass that dreaded “worry hour” that starts at around eleven o’clock. If any of you struggle with this, I certainly feel for you.
The mind can be a scary place that is difficult to reign in when it’s getting the best of us.
But I have discovered a remedy that can help to alleviate some of that anxiety and negativity, and it will help you start your day right!
Obviously, the area of mental health is not a one-size-fits-all subject. Different things help different people. Other times, we need professional doctors and psychologists to intervene.
I wanted to share what I have been doing in the hopes that it might at least help you (in some small way) to start your day right. I am not a psychologist, but this strategy worked well for me, so I figured it might work for someone else, too!
Related Post: 80 Ways to Calm Down your Anxiety and Worry
How to Use the Morning Brainwash Routine to Start Your Day Right
Because the brain is susceptible to what it sees and hears, the best thing you can do for it is to feed it good and wonderful things. That way, it will attach to those things instead of your worries.
Think about it this way: whether you like it or not, you are getting brainwashed every day of your life.
It then makes sense to try to take this into your own hands and brainwash yourself intentionally.
Don’t let other people control what you take in. Choose material that you know will ‘brainwash’ your mind with positivity and peace.
Get rid of the poison and feed it something good to start your day right.
What Habits Can Help Start your Day Right?
So what kinds of things are considered ‘good’ things to improve my thinking?
That depends on you. You need to ask yourself, “What are my weaknesses?”
Not everyone is affected by the same things.
For me, sad or scary movies don’t affect me negatively at all, but too much gossip in a movie is definitely going to change my thinking.
When you are considering the things you may need to remove from your ‘mental diet’, consider these things.
Once you’ve figured out what doesn’t work for your brain, it’s time to think about what stuff does make you feel good. Ask yourself, “What makes me feel inspired?”
What is it that feeds your soul?
Once you remove the toxic things from your surroundings, you will have space to fill with things that are wonderful, lovely, and good for your heart, mind, and soul.
Again, this is going to look different for everyone, but once you’ve taken the time to consider it, you will be AMAZED at the changes it makes in you!
This is a totally unique journey, and what works for you will be different than what worked for me.
That being said, I would like to share my personal do’s and don’ts to help you see one example of how you can implement this in your own life.
When I started this, I immediately noticed the positive change it made to my mental health. I hope it can help you, too!
Related Post: How To Do A Brain Dump To Stop Overthinking Now!
6 Positive Habits to Include in your Morning Brainwash Routine
Every morning, I try to fit in as many of these good-for-my-soul activities as I can. It really helps to reboot my mental wiring and gives me a healthier perspective on the day ahead.
Positive Habit #1: listen to things that uplift you.
On Spotify, I have a playlist that I actually named “Morning Brainwash”.
In it, I add any podcasts that speak about positive subject matter. I like to listen to interviews with people who make a living with their creative outlet, sermons, TedTalks, and philosophy lectures.
If music is more your thing, choose something that is going to leave you feeling positive.
Whatever you choose, make sure that it leaves you feeling good!
Related Post: 11 Killer Motivational Podcasts you Need to Hear
Positive Habit #2: read positive subject matter.
There is so much out there that can help put you in an awesome headspace right off the bat! All you have to do is find what works for you.
Here are some places that you can look to find uplifting material to read in the morning. I’ve included one specific recommendation for each category, as well:
Daily Dose Books
This refers to books that have a quick chapter every day with something nice (for example, The Book of Awesome). They are quick and easy to read, and they have an uplifting message that leaves you in a good mood.
Positive Apps
There are lots of apps that give you daily quotes that can inspire you. Dreamfora is a good example. Look for an app that makes you feel calm and happy.
It could even be a game that wakes up your brain in the morning!
Devotional Books
As a Christian, this is my preferred reading material. It really reminds me of who is in charge and brings me peace right away. One book I would highly recommend is The Purpose-Driven Life.
You could also do Bible studies in the morning as an independent devotional. There is tons of uplifting material that will comfort and encourage you!
Blog Posts
If there is a particular blogger that you find uplifting, browsing through their material can be a good thing to do. It can be nice to hear uplifting material from someone similar to you.
Personally Collected Articles
In this case, don’t scroll aimlessly. Find positive articles you want to read ahead of time and have them ready for you in the morning (“Pocket” is a great place to curate some awesome articles!)
Your Own Writing
Sometimes we just need to get a pep-talk from our younger, wiser selves. If that’s you, looking at an old journal might just work!
Want more Book Recommendations? Visit the “Bibliophile Book Reviews” page!
Positive Habit #3: focus on your body’s needs.
I’ll admit, this one may sound a little…odd, at first, but let me explain.
We normally move so fast in a day that we aren’t ever taking the time to notice how our body is feeling.
It can feel extremely positive to take a moment in the morning to listen and connect to the body and tending to those needs.
That could mean taking a restorative shower, filling up on a glass of water, or stretching any areas that were a little sore that morning.
Paying attention to your own body can feel a little like catching up with an old friend, and is such a great way to shift your focus and change your mindset.
Related Post: How to Make Your Shower Routine a Restorative Practice
Positive Habit #4: look at pictures that motivate you.
Those photos can be personal or from someone else, but if it inspires you, that’s all that matters!
You can print those photos and display them somewhere you see often, or maybe have them as a screenshot on your phone.
I, personally, like to use Pinterest boards for that because they are so easy to update.
Related Post: How to Organize Digital Photos in 5 Easy Steps
Positive Habit #5: take a walk.
Henry David Thoreau once said, “An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”
I don’t think he was wrong.
A walk outside can help you in so many ways. Your body and your mind will thank you for it.
If you can’t stomach the idea of going outside just to walk aimlessly, try pairing your walk with another activity. Listen to some audio material, bring a book, or bring your morning cup of coffee or tea with you.
Speaking of coffee and tea, I’ve come to my last suggestion…
Related Post: How to Wake Up Early in the Morning: 7 Unique Solutions
Positive Habit #6: drink a warm beverage.
Unless, of course, you don’t like warm beverages.
Sipping that cup of tea or coffee (or hot chocolate or matcha) is such a lovely way to start the day.
It is a friendly wake-up call to your body, and its heat forces you to really slow down and enjoy each sip.
Whatever your comfort drink is, now is a good time to enjoy it!
Related Posts: 5 Benefits of Warm Lemon Water, the Ultimate Morning Drink /// 12 Ways to Drink More Water-Even if you Hate It /// 17 of the Best Winter Beverages You’ll Absolutely Love
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.
Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
Things that will not help you start your day right
Along with these positive things that I like to do in the morning to brainwash myself, I also have a few items that I try to stay away from for as long as possible in the morning.
Negative Habit #1: checking social media
Notice that I didn’t say “Don’t go on the internet at all.” Not all media is going to negatively affect you.
For me, YouTube and Pinterest are still fair game because of what I view on both sites. I never leave these platforms feeling like a failure. Instead, I feel calm and encouraged.
Personally, I try to steer clear of Facebook and Instagram for as long as possible.
I don’t like to go onto these sites and find thousands of ways for me to compare the success of my life to other people’s. It’s not healthy for me, so I just stay away from them altogether in the morning.
You need to decide what is good for you and what makes you feel negative. Setting healthy boundaries on your phone (especially in the morning) is so important!
Related Post: 7 Digital Boundaries That’ll Free You From Your Smartphone
Negative Habit #2: checking email
The moment you open up your email, you run a serious risk of finding items that need to be added to your checklist for that day.
Emails are important, but when you are just waking up, they are not beneficial.
You don’t want your first thoughts in the day to be about the work piling up in front of you.
Related Post: How To Manage Your Email Inbox with this Simple, 10-Minute Daily Routine
Negative Habit #3: starting your day with the news
Staying up-to-date on relevant news is important. But what purpose is it going to serve you to know about the rest of the world the moment you wake up?
So give yourself a little extra time to just have some peace of mind, unaware of anything but what is right in front of you. Enjoy the time for yourself!
Related Post: How to Live in the Present Moment with Anxiety
Negative Habit #4: starting your day with work.
Starting your day with work will definitely put you in a work mindset, but you will run the risk of only being able to see your day in the context of work.
You will only care about how productive you are, how much you achieved, and how much money you made.
Work is good, but don’t let it run you.
Take some time for yourself before jumping into your work for better work-life balance.
Related Post: How to Find Work Life Balance When You’re Too Busy
Negative Habit #5: making any big decisions.
Ever tried making an important decision while you were still rubbing the sleep out of your eyes? It’s not fun, and it usually doesn’t end up being a wise decision.
So take the time to wake up first and to feed yourself the things you need to function best. THEN start thinking about making those decisions.
Another approach you can try to help you if you would prefer to focus on those emotions and work with them is morning pages. You can check out how to implement that morning routine here!
Related Post: Morning Pages: How to Clear Your Mind for a Better Day
Want More Help? I’ve got the perfect thing for you!
Now that you’ve got the information you need for a morning brainwash, you might be wondering, “How exactly do I implement a morning like this? I don’t have time for all of these activities!”
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!
I’ve created a guidebook that can help walk you through the process so that you can create a morning routine that works perfectly for you!
With this free workbook, you will have a printable visual to remind you of the do’s and don’ts of a morning brainwash and a template that will help you prepare, implement, and review your very own morning routine.
So if you’re sick and tired of struggling through mornings, download the freebie below!
If you wake up every morning with a feeling of dread, anxiety, or emptiness, this morning brainwash routine might be just what you need! It takes positive activities that help to drown out the negativity until your brain is more awake. Mix and match some ideas to help you start your day right. I hope that some of these suggestions can help you to put your mind in a healthier state.
What do you do to help with morning anxiety?
I love this advice! I am a worrier and I never thought that my morning routine of checking the headlines on my phone could be contributing to my anxiety and setting me off on the wrong foot. This post gave me a lot of new strategies to try – thank you!
I hope some of these help you! I am naturally prone to worrying, too, and a lot of these tricks helped me when my morning anxiety was at its worst.
I just LOVE the look, layout, and feel of your site – the best I’ve seen in a LONG LONG time!
But I really just want to say thank you for this great post to prevent more and deal with morning anxiety – THANK YOU!
Thank you, Willa! That means a lot to receive such kind and positive feedback! And I’m glad you enjoyed this post. I’ve struggled a lot with morning anxiety in the past and want to do what I can to help others with the same difficulties.
I used to get up with anxiety but I started to meditate and make yoga in the morning, something short as the Sun Salutation, and now I don’t suffer from this problem.
Yoga can definitely be a great solution for anxiety! That’s great that your strategy worked for you!
I’m thankful that I typically don’t wake up with anxiety, but I do almost all the negative habits you listed. 😅 Regardless of not having anxiety, I do want to get into a better morning routine with some healthier habits!
Haha well, they’re only negative habits if they affect your life negatively. I mean, I still use my phone pretty early in the day because the videos I watch motivate me to get out of bed and have a good day. It’s normally considered a negative habit but because of how it affects my life, I see it as a positive one!
I love the idea of getting rid of the poison and feeding it something good. This is why I’m trying to spend less time scrolling through social media and more time memorizing Scripture. I need to fill my mind and my heart with good, beneficial things! Thanks for this post.
That’s such a great use of your time in the morning! Much more fulfilling than social media 🙂
You always give such sound advice! Surrounding yourself with all things positive in the morning might seem obvious, but I think most of us simply forget and start off on the wrong foot. These are wonderful reminders to take care of ourselves!
Yes, it is absolutely something that feels basic and obvious but it is amazing how easy it can be to forget!
How interesting! I pretty much do everything listed under the negative habits right now, so I probably need a bit of a change in my morning. I love the idea of filling your brain with happy thoughts first thing to set the tone for the rest of the day.
It’s definitely made a big difference for me in my mornings!