4 Practices for those of us who psych ourselves into Morning Routine Anxiety

Do you overthink everything? Are you constantly wound tight? Ready for anything and everything to go wrong? Do you find that morning is particularly difficult for you? You may or may not be surprised to know that you aren't alone.

Does this scenario sound familiar?

Monday through Friday, you do the same thing. The same way. Rarely does it detour much more than a simple stop at the grocery store. Yet, every single morning you wake up overwhelmed with anxiety to get out the door on time. No matter how many times you live the same exact routine, it feels as though you are late for the biggest event of your life.

If this makes you feel like I have tapped into your ring cams to run surveillance, then I'm writing this for you. And, I promise I'm not watching you. These practices have helped me live my own anxiety-ridden groundhog day, and be a little more comfortable doing it. From preplanning your days to learning how to have meaningful conversations with yourself. I've put together a simple list of practices that make my life a little easier.

1. Lay it all out.

Maybe you have kids who don't put their shoes on until you've said it for the 16th time. Or, perhaps you have a vanishing eyebrow pencil problem. When we are already wound up with our self-induced anxieties, it's almost humorously easy to lose something that's right in front of our face. Set important items in one place for the next day. That includes ensuring there are two shoes in a pair.

2. Leave the Screen until later in the day, if possible.

I'm fairly certain most of us check our phones when we wake up. In this day and age, it is as common as turning on the coffee pot. However, those of us who suffer from anxiety can easily fall into a rabbit hole of Susie's wedding pictures or a political argument with Fred. Before we know it, you have twenty minutes to leave and nobody is even done breakfast. Allot a half hour before your routine starts, if you must. Then disconnect until you're sure all of your little ducks are in a row. Even if you're the only duck.

3. Become a conversationalist... with yourself.

Don't we all have full-blown conversations with ourselves? Only me? Well, if you don't then you should start. If you consider the idea that most of this anxiety is self-induced, then it only makes sense to speak to your "self" about the issue at hand. Talking sense into yourself can work wonders when you are frazzled. Step away from the chaos and remind yourself that you have done this before. I often find myself saying out loud, "It's going to be OK. We've done this a million times". And, I do so shamelessly because, at the end of the day, sanity is a coveted thing for me. And I have very little of it to be messing around with. Don't be afraid to lecture yourself back to the present moment.

4. Be kind to yourself, and everyone in your path. And forgive yourself when you aren't.

Did you blow up this morning because little Timmy left his backpack in the car overnight? How about when you hurried your way out the door, realizing you locked your keys inside? Resulting in a cussing spectacle of acrobatics to climb through the kitchen window. It's ok. Almost everyone loses their shit sometimes. As long as you aren't spending your every waking moment screaming at everyone around you, including yourself, there is recovery. Take a deep breath and log it into your list of things you will do better tomorrow.

We all have things we struggle daily with. Those parts of our psyche can be beautiful, and brutal, all at the same time. Don't forget that you are doing your best. Learning to be like all the "normal" people is hard work, and I hate to break it to you. None of us will ever get there, anyway.

You can learn more about me at DenaDanzig.com

#SelfHelp #Anxiety #LivingWithAnxiety