Morning Anxiety

[cara13]

I want to do a morning routine of working out and doing the relaxation cd but i struggle with the focus and drive to get out of the bed

[teepee58]

I'm just starting the 2nd CD.

What type of exercise do you do ? Can it be done in front of the TV ... to help take your mind off things ?

I have moderate morning anxiety as well. Trouble getting to bed and falling asleep at night as well. My dogs get me up at 730am to be fed and let outside, and sometimes I've only been asleep for 3-4 hours. My problem is that I'm not working now, so that what I usually have been doing is giving into the anxiety after taking care of the dogs, laying down on the couch, turning on the TV, and sleeping and napping until 11am-noon or even later before I drag myself up and begin activity. Many times, the combination of sleep "periods" add up to about 8 hours, but when it gets to be 11am - noon or so it makes me feel lazy. Am I torturing myself needlessly, because I'm not on a "normal" sleep schedule ?

Beginning tomorrow I plan on keeping myself up, doing tasks here around the house that need doing, working the program, running chores, looking for employment, and just keeping busy in spite of the anxiety and lack of sleep. I'm hoping getting and staying up will also get me back on a more normal sleep schedule by making me more tired, and making it easier to get to sleep at night.

But whatever time I do drag myself out of bed (or couch), I do feel that anxious tightness in my gut that I have to face and hopefully attack by getting busy. Always lots of tasks that can be done, even little ones. And exercise.

I know it almost always makes me feel better to some degree to be active and get things done ... which makes it so self-defeating when I lay around and make it worse. Also, back when I was working, I still experienced that morning anxiety, but having to get ready and get going to work was my activity that helped alleviate it some. But not completely.

I have a further problem regarding isolation and fear of socialization (embarrassment?) that I am also beginning to face and attack. To that end, staying busy, achieving any sense of accomplishment during the day, helps my self-esteem, as opposed to sitting around half or all of the day worrying about the future. It's tough being active through the anxiety. It's even tougher to NOT be active during the anxiety.



Good Luck all.

[Paisleegreen]

Wow, excellent advice and Yes, I do wake up with anxiety as well. Sometimes, I just want to go back to sleep, but I tell myself, I need to get up, get a drink of milk, move my body by at least walking around the house or in my back yard. I also will start to eat some almonds, the omega 3's in them help to calm me down. I also now that I have a portable CD player right next to my pillow, I put my ear plugs in and listen to my relaxation CD. This really makes a difference.

I do take a Temazepam at night, and I can tell that it must be wearing off, because I do feel the anxiety symptoms. I really like Isabel's and Cara's suggestions as well as others. Cara, how do you take your liquid vitamins? I find that I can't take my vitamins b/c my stomach is bothering me. I notice that I will have to work them in by eating them naturally. Such as by eating fruit and vegetables and meat. I don't think I'm getting enough though by that method. I really don't know how to calm my tummy down enough for vitamins unless it is after I take my Temazepam for sleep. I use to not have a problem when I was on anti-depressants, but I was tired of the anti-depressants and its side affects. Paislee

[Paisleegreen]

P.S. Teepee58--I can relate to what you feel, that little bit of tightness in your gut...I get the same thing. I see it as not being a total reason to get back on Anti-depressants, but it is very annoying and does keep me from doing things like I use to. I do know that by being active and doing things that need to be done helps me to feel better...but it is difficult.

Hope--I can relate to what you posted. Thanks.

[jhenry]

You are getting up before your alarm so you have time to listen to the relaxation CD. I added it on my i-pod and listen to it right in bed next to my husband it doesn't disturb him and it helps me. After 2 times listening to it I fall asleep, I listen to it at bed time and wake up okay most of the time. So I would try listening to it at bedtime and before you even get out of bed.

[Anxiety2]

I have that problem too, my anxiety is worse in the morning. I also have the problem of not sleeping well, I get about 4 to 5 hours of sleep and when I wake up I am thinking, thinking. But strangely enough I cannot pinpoint what I am worried or concerned about, but regardless I can't get back to sleep. Even if I take some anti-anxiety meds, which I am trying to ween myself of. Sometimes i think they contribute to the anxiety. But, what I have been doing is this;
1) When I wake up (usually 2 or 3 am) I take an antianxiety pill and it lets me rest but not go back to sleep (very rarely).
2) I get up about 5, drink some water and listen to the relaxation CD and maybe do some belly breathing past that.
3) I take my vitamines and naturopathic suplements and eat breakfast.
4) Because of the program, I am now doing some exercise, hitting a tennis ball for 15 or 20 minutes against a backboard and then jogging aobut .7 miles (length of track at the park) and then I walk a lap and read the card from the program and try self talk to help calm me down. I think the exercise is helping.
5) I also dring lots of water to help flush the anxiety meds as I would very much like to discontinue them, I have heard too many bad things about them. Getting off them is proving to be very difficult, so if you're not on them now try not to let them give you Xanex or Klonepin or Valium (any bensodiasapine) if you can help it.

[cynth01]

I also have really bad morning anxiety. I have started listening to the relaxation cd as soon as I wake up. This does help considerably. It also helps to pray before you get out of bed.

[Paisleegreen]

I ditto Anxiety2 and cynth01.

Today or maybe last night I took 1/2 of a hydrocodone. I found a pill bottle full of them I had hidden or tucked away. Forgot all about them, but I was given the prescription a while back for aches and pains when needed. I've been scared to take Advil or aspirin because it seems to upset my stomach and cause more anxiety symptoms. So I live with the pain most of the time. What's bad is that what makes me feel better, gardening and swimming and of course even doing housework makes my back and neck ache.

Anyway, I really need something for pain after I over do it in the garden or going to the water park where I enjoy myself and swim and walk a lot. I feel great, but boy does my body aches afterwards. Well, when I discovered the hydrocodone I decided to try a half of one. It really took the pain away and I was able to sleep well and in the morning while it was cool work on some weeds that were taller than me. I was able to do it and not feel pain. But I do feel a bit tired and napped a little but also feel down. Probably because they are wearing off! LOL! That's probably why maybe they aren't good to take, I don't know, anyone have experience.

Everything use to be different when I did take my anti-depressants, but did wean off of them and would like to stay that way.
So I'm sort of mellow due to the pain killer, but can feel my head start to hurt and I'm feeling down. I do need to eat something, but can't get motivated to fix anything. I do have a BBQ to go to tonight, so soon that problem will be taken care of. Anyway, just posting as I have the blahs mixed in with some depression or sad feelings, probably because I was thinking of all the things I need to do to organize my house and yard.

I finally put a stop to my negative thinking and told myself, You don't have to do it all now! It is that all or nothing thinking that gets me down sometimes. Okay, thanks for listening. Paislee

[StanDman]

I'm finding that excercise keeps the anxiety away...I keep myself busy with things as simple as laundry, mowing the lawn or just walking my dog. I even switched to taking my supplements to afternoon after eating plenty and I seem to be feeling better. My past was that I wake up with the anticipatory anxiety and I've now made a commitment to think about how beautiful the morning is as my first positive thought. Then I get up and grab my favorite pillow, hit the sofa with a feel good TV program (NO NEWS)...something that helps me feel positive and lets me wake up slowly with only good influences on the brain. After 4am your brain releases the adrenalin, cortisol and that's what helps arouse us from our deep sleep. I wait about an hour, then eat breakfast and get moving. So, I'm one that suffers from severe panic attacks to the point I'm bed ridden for fear of feeding my anxiety and my blood pressures. So, since I push myself to NOT stay in bed, not be idle, it seems to have a better effect by moving around, excercising and doing energetic activities and the anxiety is less and doesn't last as long. Anybody out there doing the same routines? What are your results?

[Paisleegreen]

Standman, I like your explanation about adrenaline. I really didn't realize or remember that that is when adrenaline kicks in and that is what wakes us up. I use to have a dog, he was my buddy, but I had to put him to sleep. So I don't have that socialization with an energetic pet, and now that I've experienced panic attacks and now anxiety, I'm not sure if I'm ready to train a new puppy. Anyway, I miss my dog and all the things we would do together. He went with me everywhere. I miss walking in the park with him and traveling out of state as well.

I watch uplifting shows as well, right now when I get up, I, of course, check here and other email, get some milk, water some houseplants, go outside and turn on a sprinkler, feed my pond fish, assess my garden to see what is growing, and try to ignore the weeds.

I'll also listen to my relaxation CD and/or another inspirational or self help type. Otherwise, I work on doing some household chores that are simple. My greatest challenge right now is to get rid of things I no longer deem necessary to keep or use. So this brings on all sorts of anxiety, so this is my challenge each day is to see what I can let go of. Paislee