625: How to start your day with more peace
This week, on the Anxiety Slayer Podcast, we’re sharing loads of helpful strategies to start your day gently with more peace and spaciousness.
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Notes from this week’s episode:
Protect your sleep - a good morning starts the night before
Good sleep supports our nervous system and mental wellbeing.
Try listening to a guided relaxation for sleep to release stress from the day and help you relax more deeply into sleep.
Wake gently
Use a wake up light of gentle alarm to ease into wakefulness and protect your nerves from being jolted awake.
Establishing a consistent wake-up time can help regulate your body's internal clock and make it easier to wake up feeling refreshed.
Avoid looking at the news or social media: the news can add to stress and anxiety and social media can draw us in and give a sense of engagement without doing anything helpful.
If you are habituated to looking at your phone - have it set up with an audiobook, positive podcast, or guided practice to help you ease into your day.
Take a warm shower and use essential oils to wake your mind rather than caffeine.
Use positive affirmations to support your mind and outlook for the day.
Try some morning stretching, yoga, or Qigong.
Try and fit a few minutes walking into your morning. Moving lifts the energy of the mind and can help clear unwanted thoughts and improve your mood.
Pick just one or two of these suggestions - don’t try and do it all. Allowing an extra 15-20 minutes in the morning for mental self-care can make a big difference to your stress and anxiety levels during the day.
Have a healthy breakfast
Eating a nutritious breakfast can help fuel your body and mind for the day ahead.
Something warm and slow burning is ideal for a nourishing start to the day that won’t spike your blood sugar.
Reflect on something you want to do
Anxiety can pull us into a state of avoidance and objection. We get snagged in thinking about how we feel and how uncomfortable it is. Practice reflecting on something you want to do on the other side of an anxious morning.
For example: meeting a friend after work.
A relaxing evening with your family.
Reading a favorite book.
Doing something creative.
Feed your mind in the morning
As well as eating healthy food, it helps to nourish our minds too. Feed your mind with good reading, or audiobooks so it has something good to chew on through the day instead of going over worries.
Practice mindfulness: Take a few minutes to focus on your breath and be present in the moment. This can help clear your mind and start your day with a sense of calm.
Remember, what works for one person may not work for another. It's important to experiment and find the routines that work best for you.
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