A Steadying Start For Morning Anxiety

This gentle, reassuring, and regulating practice is designed to reset a system experiencing overwhelm upon waking, and create a shift to steadiness, optimism, and calm. Being flooded with stressful thoughts and physical anxiety upon waking is something most of us experience during periods of our lives, and there are both physiological and psychological reasons for that.

If you are experiencing this, you may find my talk Help for Morning Anxiety, helpful.

Transcript

Good morning beautiful human and welcome into this space.

If you're waking up anxious and feeling perhaps there's something wrong or that something is going to go wrong today,

I really want to reassure you that what you're experiencing is a well known thing called morning anxiety.

It's very common and it's a natural occurrence in humans,

Especially when you've been under stress or not had opportunities to release stress over time.

And it's simply because of how the nervous system and brain function at the start of the day.

So morning anxiety often comes from the brain scanning for danger or problems to solve.

First thing upon waking and sometimes what that does is switch on an inner alarm signal when there's no emergency that doesn't seem to want to turn itself off.

But we can reset that my friends and we can do that right now.

In this practice,

In this space,

We can tune out that signal,

Turn it down or off completely simply by regulating our system back to the truth that all is well and we are safe and we are okay.

And we have the capacity to meet today from a place of peace and trust and optimism.

So I'm glad you came here,

You came to the right place and you're so so welcome here.

So wherever you are and however you're feeling,

You can begin right now to stabilize and soften into a brighter new start,

A new beginning for your day.

There's nothing to rush or force here,

Just let yourself be with it.

And as you settle into the space a little more,

Have a sense of welcoming all your parts,

Especially those parts which are feeling insecure or doubting or overwhelmed.

You may not know why they're feeling that but you'll feel it in your body.

This space is absolutely for those parts for them to be able to get some soothing and some safety.

And you can welcome the compassionate presence in you that is steady and wise and lives inside of you and can help these parts and wants to help these parts to feel safe again.

If you've been compassionate to anyone at all in your whole lifetime then you know what that compassionate presence is,

Just being aware it's here.

Can you take some steady breaths?

No forcing.

And can you find a posture that feels stable and grounded and comfortable?

No fuss.

And during this practice if you want to you can keep your eyes softly open if that helps you feel presence in your environment or if it feels okay to close them that's fine too,

Either one.

And now you're sensing your body being here.

Sensing what's underneath your body and the air on your skin and the clothes on your body touching your skin or anything else touching your skin than maybe blankets.

And I invite you to place a really steady and kind hand against your heart right there on your heart on your chest.

And take a breath feeling that contact as steadying and supportive.

And then place the other hand on your belly and feel how that supports and grounds all your energy.

So all of you can be here and you have this affirming touch.

Meeting yourself.

All of yourself just as you are.

Not trying to force any changes at all I know it can feel uncomfortable but here you are.

Here I am.

If you want to you can just anchor to my voice.

Otherwise to your hands on your body and your breath.

And you're not looking for anything to be wrong.

Because there is nothing wrong and nothing wrong with you my friend.

Let your shoulders release.

Let your jaw let go.

What if it's okay and normal to feel this way?

What if feeling this way doesn't mean there's danger.

It simply means there's stress in your body.

Stress symptoms in your body that you're feeling.

And I promise you that is true.

This is normal.

You are safe and you are still okay.

And also what if this feeling can change?

So now we're going to breathe together to show our system that we have space and there is time and feelings change.

Begin by taking a full natural breath in through your nose.

Pause.

And then sigh it all out through your mouth.

You can make a ha noise if you like.

And you can do that again.

And as you do that,

Sigh through your mouth,

Feel yourself giving your whole body permission to soften and let go.

To let go of holding and the need to hold anything up or hold anything back or hold on to anything at all.

The need to do vigilant.

Take that big breath in through your nose.

Release it through your mouth all the way to the last drop.

Breathe normally,

Steadily now.

And feel how your jaw may be feeling slack.

How your throat more open and loose.

How your lungs feel more spacious,

Relaxed and mobile.

Because your system is understanding because you've let it know that there is no emergency.

And this creates relaxation and new inner space.

Stay steady with yourself,

Whatever's happening.

Can't get this right or wrong.

You can simply be here.

Every day you're learning to trust and believe in yourself more.

Trust and belief can grow from this softer body.

These slower breaths.

Today is a fresh new beginning.

No matter who you are,

Where you are,

No matter what you're going through.

You're receiving a fresh new canvas and you get to paint the way you want to on that canvas.

No expectation,

Nothing to prove.

Painting on that canvas creating today in the way that suits you best and allows your system to feel safe and able.

Feel your hand on your heart and feel your other hand on your belly.

Feel your body on the body of the earth.

Maybe you can tune a little closer into your presence,

A little deeper.

Underneath all the layers.

Underneath all the thoughts and sensations.

Can you feel the quiet presence that's always inside you and that's always steady.

Always sending loving support and guidance to you so that you can be free and well.

And happy in this day.

Tune in.

Listen.

Maybe there's something it's wanting you to know today that is reassuring and helpful.

Maybe it is having a peaceful thought for you.

Let it in.

Now ask yourself,

What is one thing I can name in my life that feels okay right now?

And with one slow breath,

Name that one thing that feels okay.

Say it out loud.

And now think about one thing in your life that you're really grateful for.

We are always in the presence of something good that we can appreciate.

Breathe again and name that one thing that fills you with gratitude,

Appreciation.

Say it out loud.

And now think of one sweet simple pleasure you're looking forward to because today has many gifts for you and awakening to just one will open you up to noticing and receiving more.

What are you looking forward to?

Something simple.

Maybe that cup of tea you treasure.

The birds singing joy into your being.

Somebody's smile.

Something saying you are here and something good is here with you.

No matter what else you're feeling,

No matter what else is coming up.

And let yourself feel that goodness for a few seconds,

That something is okay right now.

There's something to be thankful for right now.

And you're looking forward to something right now.

Let yourself feel that goodness.

Soak it in.

How does that feel in your body?

And then whisper.

More moments like this please.

And now as we come to the end of this practice,

Simply sense into your body.

What feels different inside your body since you took this space for yourself?

Has any part of you managed to relax a little?

Slow?

Settle?

Are any parts feeling softer or lighter?

Or stronger and more able?

Are there any new openings,

New feelings that feel good to have?

And what message does that bring to you?

Take just a couple of moments now to be with whatever feels better or smoother or hopeful.

Letting those feelings in.

Letting those changes sink into your bones and your cells deeply.

Breathing in.

Breathing out.

Letting it all go.

Relaxing everything.

Recognize that you are able to offer this help,

This goodness to the parts of yourself that most needed it this morning.

Let it sink in that you have that power.

And you're never without it.

And now as we leave this practice,

Know that as you move into your day,

Having done this will really serve you.

It may take a little time,

But your system is coming off alarm and down back into presence.

Into settledness.

Enough so that you can have a good day.

And maybe a different kind of day than you were going to have before you offered yourself this goodness.

Bless you my friend.

Please come back to this space anytime you need.

And today be especially kind to yourself.

Give your body space to process what it needs to process and bless yourself and others with that kind of patience and kindness.

This is a very special gift.

You are a special gift.

Thank you.

Reviews

🙏✨✨🙏

Thank you, this is exactly what I needed. To accept first, then move forward with calming was very helpful.

Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful meditation for morning anxiety. I feel much better now. Bless you 🙏🌟💞🪷✨🌺

Alison, this is such a gift! 🫶🏻 What an effective, gentle, beautiful tool. 💫 Thank you for all you do! 💖

No way to thank you enough for this. My body and nervous system thank you, too. So much peace to you, Alison. 💜

Very wonderful practice and truly what I needed this miring , thank you !

wonderful. thank you so much for this nourishing gift 🙏🏻🌸💕