Trying to make your mornings less stressful? It’s easier said than done, but experts said there are ways to reduce stress and get out of the door a little more relaxed.
Stress is the body’s natural response to perceived challenges or threats — and taking steps to reduce morning challenges can lower overall stress and help set a better tone for the day.
“Mornings tend to be stressful because we have a lot to do in a short period of time, and our body has to adjust from sleeping to awakening to being productive.” But many people struggle to make that adjustment, says Doctor Beena Persaud, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic.
“Then we have trouble doing childcare,” said Persaud. “We have trouble with decision-making. We have trouble keeping on time. So a lot of stuff has to happen in the morning in the correct way, or else there’s a lot of stress.” Stressful mornings often lead to stressful days, she said.
“We’re already on edge. Our sympathetic nervous system is already kind of in that fight or flight moment, and feeling so it can keep us irritated. It can make us very sensitive to very benign situations that happen,” Persaud said.
Persaud says the first step to reducing morning stress is making key decisions and getting things ready the night before.
“Preparing lunches, know what you’re gonna wear, know what your schedule is going to be, kind of have everything prepared,” Persaud said.
She also recommends waking up a few minutes before you have to get out of bed.
“In psychology, we like to think about the idea of just waking up a little bit earlier, five minutes early. You don’t have to do a whole hour or half an hour, even five minutes earlier than you think you need to get up,” Persaud said.
“You have five minutes to just lie in bed to think about, OK, am I ready to get up? You do stretches, that kind of thing.”
As hard as it is, she said, people should avoid checking their phones right away. Instead, Persaud recommends meditating or doing something enjoyable to reduce stress, warning that social media can derail morning plans.
“You might think, okay, I’m going to scroll for five minutes, and five minutes turns into ten minutes, which turns to 15, 20, and then you’re like, oh no, I’m late,” Persaud said.
Persaud says it may be time to consider seeing a mental health professional if stress is disrupting sleep or mood, if you feel like you can’t calm down or relax, or if you can’t stop overthinking. She also encourages people to seek help if there is a stressful situation going on in the family.