I woke up filled with anxiety, my heart pounding, mouth dry, wondering if I was late.

I rolled over and grabbed my phone to see what time it was, and my heart started beating out of my chest; it was almost unbearable. I was late.
This is how it used to feel to wake up on weekdays back in college.

I was rarely actually late, but always woke up extremely anxious.

• Had I forgotten to do something at work last night? (I was waitressing at the time and there were a lot of important things to remember when closing).

• Was I late?

• And occasionally, what did I DO last night?

Most of my concerns were delusions.

I was super responsible and rarely forgot to do things at work, was late, or had crazy alcohol-fueled nights.

But yet, I still woke up with this crippling anxiety. It felt like I was having a heart attack every morning.

This had to stop. I couldn’t live this way anymore.

Enter: The Non-Negotiable Morning Routine

Morning routines – no matter how small – are buffers between you and the day ahead. A necessary transition.

You’re not designed to jolt out of bed and immediately plug into technology. It engages your sympathetic nervous system, which puts you in the fight or flight response. When you’re in that state, your body can’t repair or heal.

When you engage your sympathetic nervous system, your body thinks you’re in danger and puts all its energy into just keeping you alive, not healthy, calm and relaxed.

When you give yourself a buffer before you start your day, you engage your parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the “rest and digest system,” activating digestion and lymphatic drainage.

Translation?

When you start your day rushed and plugged into technology, you feel anxious and stressed. You’re more likely to feel bloated, gain weight, have digestive issues, skin breakouts and more.

When you start your day by connecting with your body, tech-free, you feel calm, relaxed and happy. Your body can easily process food, leaving you feeling light and slim.

So how do you get into this calm state more often? Morning routines are an awesome start, since they set the tone for the rest of the day.

Have you ever had a super hectic morning and noticed that your day feels crazy too? There’s an intrinsic connection.

If you start your day feeling nuts, you’re more likely to have a stressful day. If you set the pace by starting your morning calm and present, your day will mirror that.

So how do you do it?

I’m gonna give you some ideas, but remember: There’s no set morning routine that works for everyone. It shouldn’t feel forced or robotic – it should feel nurturing and satisfying.

Here’s what I do:

1. Unplug the night before. Put your phone on airplane mode and set your alarm before bed. Don’t take it out of airplane mode until after your morning routine.

2. Breathe deeply. Right after I open my eyes, I start breathing deeply into my abdomen. This activates the relaxation response and parasympathetic nervous system.

3. Tell myself something nice. Like this. We do tons of emotional processing when we sleep, and I often have crazy dreams, so recalibrating with a phrase helps me sink back into love and gratitude.

4. Drink warm water. Sometimes with lemon. This gets the digestive system going and hydrates the body. It’s important to drink water first thing since we often get dehydrated as we sleep.

5. Meditate for 10-20 minutes. Meditation is an impactful way to engage the relaxation response. It completely reorganizes your nervous system and washes away anxiety. I also get my best inspiration after meditating. The benefits are endless. Magic.

6. Journal. I sit down and do some free writing to process any thoughts I woke up with. Sometimes I write down my dreams, or feelings about my day to come. I always write down a few things I’m grateful for, and the three things I really want to get done that day.

7. Eat a great breakfast. I usually have the Superhuman Breakfast: Eggs, sweet potato, kale, and raw fermented sauerkraut. It’s important to start your day with protein, complex carbs and healthy fats to balance your blood sugar and give you energy. This prevents blood sugar dips and binges.

8. Coffee or tea. Notice that this comes after breakfast. Coffee especially is acidic, so it’s important to eat food first to cushion its impact. Coffee on its own will lead to a spike in energy followed by a crash, then major cravings for salt, fat and/or sugar.

This takes me 60-90 minutes, including getting dressed and out the door.

Now listen, not all of this happens every day, but on good days it does. The most important pieces always happen, like breathing deeply and repeating a loving phrase to myself. Anyone has time to do that.

Experiment with the pieces that sound good to you and see how they make you feel.

Some other things I love to do in the morning that might get your wheels turning: Dance, yoga, read, cuddle, Franklin Method warm-up, stretch, listen to inspiring podcasts.

What do your mornings currently look and feel like?

What would you like them to look and feel like, and what’s one step you can take to get there?

Leave a comment below and tell me – I can’t wait to hear from you.

Have a friend who struggles with morning anxiety like I did? Send them this link.

Photo: Marilyn Monroe by Milton H. Greene, 1953