May is Mental Health Month, so I wanted to take the weekend morning to reflect over how I tackle day-to-day stress and anxiety. It goes without saying that everyone is different, and everyone deals with things differently, but there’s nothing more important than opening up a conversation surrounding mental health, stress, anxiety, and everything else that comes with it. I’ve always seen myself as someone who is great at dealing with stress and easily pushes it aside, until it got to a point where my body physically couldn’t keep up with it anymore. For me, that was the indicator that I really have to start taking care of myself and start putting my mental health first.

We’ve all dealt with things over the last couple months, big or small, that have made us feel a whole load of emotions, which is why I’ve decided to share some of my morning habits that help me deal with stress. Ranging from everything from cooking to how I wake up in the morning, keep reading below to see how I tackle anxiety.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

When my alarm wakes me up in the morning, I hit the off button right away and jump out of bed. On days I snooze my alarm and scroll through Instagram, I can actually feel the tension building in my body as I delay getting my day started. Stop using the snooze button and get up when your alarm goes off. The 8 more minutes of sleep come at the expense of confusing the hell out of your body clock so it isn’t worth it I promise!

MEDITATION & YOGA FLOW

I always start my day with a flow from Melissa Wood. No matter how hectic my morning is and how many meetings/deadlines I need to meet, I always make time for a quick workout. She has the most soothing, calming voice and getting my body moving feels amazing. I love that she prioritizes honoring that time and space with yourself and even a quick 10-15 minute flow makes such a difference in how my mind feels for the rest of the day. Even doing simple breathing exercises in the morning can help you focus and relax your mind and body, training you to focus on the present.

EAT WELL

I always start my day off with something cleansing, whether that be a Vital Proteins cleanse collagen shot or celery juice, to jump start my digestive system. Low blood sugar in the morning can cause negative feelings that mimic anxiety. I incorporate foods that are high with magnesium and protein to keep myself feeling full and energized until my next meal. A typical breakfast for me always includes a protein shake with fresh fruit and vegetables (I love incorporating spinach and a plaint protein like Hush & Hush). I also love rotating between Dr. Mona Vand’s overnight oats recipe and a slice of avocado toast with nutritional yeast and lime.

APPROACH CAFFEINE WITH CAUTION

For myself, I’ve noticed that I’m particiualry susceptible to being anxious when I am drinking a lot of caffeine. I’m not a huge coffee drinker but I’ve definitely limited my caffeine intake to just one cup of matcha in the morning warmed with plant milk (mine is Oatly’s barista blend). Matcha has such soothing properties and doesn’t make me feel too stimulated while giving me the energy I need to start my day. If you treat your morning tea or coffee as a treat, it becomes something for you to look forward to rather than a tool you need to survive.

NO PHONE TIME

As tempting as it may be for a blogger to check all their social media platforms first thing in the morning, the first thing that makes a huge difference in my life is to put my phone on do not disturb until I’ve finished my morning routine. Whether it is work notifications, emails, Instagram, Twitter – you name it – I found that just turning everything off relieved me of so much stress which came from constantly eyeing my phone, and it has also allowed me to me more present. It may sound like an easy fix, but when you’re someone that works with social media, your lives revolves around what is going on online 24/7. Finding other avenues to stimulate brain activity can also be helpful according to a lot of health experts. Reading articles online or meditation can really set the tone for the rest of the day and have helped a lot of people deal with morning anxiety. Of course, these activities don’t work for everyone so do what feels right for you! I’ve never been one to particularly be able to sit still and focus on my own breath while listening to someone’s podcast, so I’ve found alternative options that work for me. Something that I find really effective is getting time during my skincare routine. I take extra time around the steps to cleanse, mask, and moisturize in the morning and practice breathing exercises. Breathing is an important tool in reducing anxiety because it calls upon your body’s relaxation response. Try inhaling to the slow count of four, noticing as your belly, ribcage, and chest fills with air, and then slowly exhale for the same count. You can use this trick anytime throughout your day that you feel anxious!

REST & REPEAT

Having this morning routine for the first two hours of my day allows me to get my day started and interrupts all of the negative thoughts swirling. around in my head. It’s definitely helped me feel more in control of this situation and reduced thoughts around anxiety. Repetition for me has been extremely soothing and helpful. I could go on for days, but I think that the second you let go of toxic elements in your life and small things that make you feel stressed and anxious, it’s already a huge step. I can only speak for myself, but it has helped me focus on the important and de-stressing aspects of my life.