Hi, fiction lover! I’m talking about something a little different today. To become a joyous lover of fiction, we have to talk about mental health. And I wanted to explore the topic of difficult mornings—more specifically, how to combat morning depression. It’s that heavy feeling of waking up in the morning, not knowing how you’re going to get through the day. I know just how overwhelming that feeling can be. Just a note: I’m in no way a professional on the subject. I just wanted to share my own experience, some tried and true techniques, and what has worked for me.
What Is It About Mornings?
What is it about mornings? What makes them so hard for so many people? For the longest time, I thought it was just about the anticipation of a long and stressful day. After looking up more info on morning depression, I found that there were more factors. First, cortisol! The increased cortisol levels in the morning really mess us up, since it’s a stress hormone. Once I found out about cortisol, things started to make sense. I also learned a lot about circadian rhythm, our body’s natural cycle. With disturbed sleep causing me stress as well, I found that my morning depression and anxiety were more than just “anticipation for the day.”
I’ll always remember the feeling of several mornings in my life. Looking back, I know it was a combination of many things—cortisol levels, poor sleep, and a disturbance in my circadian rhythm. Waking up, I felt so much discomfort and dread that I wanted to scream. I’ve never actually woke up screaming, but I became close multiple times. It got so bad that all I could talk about for the first few hours after waking up was how anxious I felt.
Understanding this is the first part. With so much mystery around why I was anxious, I didn’t know what to do. I always wanted to be a writer who started his writing routine in the morning—but it feels impossible on a hard morning. I think that’s why I always do my best writing at night—when my mind and body have had time to level out. So, fiction lover, I want to hear from you. Do you struggle with this morning issue as well?
Tried Tips and Tricks for How to Combat Morning Depression
Some tried and true methods for tackling morning depression and anxiety are actually quite simple. And they’re totally possible to implement right now.
The first thing to tackle is sleep. Are we getting enough sleep? Each person’s body is different. Too many times, I’ve compared myself to people who only get five hours of sleep every night. Or less! I felt inadequate since my body needs a longer time. The most important thing is to figure out how many hours give you the most rested condition. Then, set an alarm every night to go to bed at the same time. The important thing is to create a sustainable routine. I’m working on this with you! Night routines are not my strong point.
But on the subject of routines, creating a relaxing night routine is so important. So, staying away from the phone before going to bed, not having caffeine past a certain time, and just getting into a relaxed state of mind. This night routine will guide our mornings.
The next thing is exercise. It’s true that exercise can be more effective than medication in certain instances! Whenever I move my body, I feel better the day of and the next day. Our bodies really are made to move.
The final tried tip is to create a morning routine that works. The key is to keep it simple. For instance, every morning can start with slowly doing skincare and making your favorite drink. The key is to make it achievable and something to look forward to. Trust me, I’ve been there checking my email first thing in the morning. It was not the thing to do to combat morning depression and anxiety!
My Own Experience on How to Combat Morning Depression
These next tips are purely from my personal experience. Again, I’m not a professional, and it’s best to reach out to professional help regarding mental health!
The first thing that worked for me personally was to plan. I know, it sounds a bit anxiety-inducing for us go-by-the-flow people, but planning my day really helped me. Seeing my day laid out before me made me feel like things are possible and achievable for me.
The second thing that worked for me was going outside. I know, the thing we don’t want to think about in the morning is leaving our comfort zone. But at the same time, having a change in environment really helps me to get out of that morning slump. So, I like to take time in my morning routine, but then head out to a cafe or the mall to do remote work. A change in environment is sometimes all we need.
The last thing I’ll share is to dial back and to really make your life motto “one thing at a time.” I wish on those hard mornings, I had the courage to cancel some plans. Canceling plans may feel bad at the time, but certain things can definitely wait—like meeting with a friend or a family outing. At the same time, “one thing at a time” is a guiding light to make sure that you have your eyes only on what’s in front of you—not all the things that can go wrong, or the things that haven’t even happened yet. Coupled with praying for peace, I have confidence that we have the tools for how to combat morning depression.
Did you learn a bit about how to combat morning depression and anxiety? I hope this article was an interesting change of pace! I know that, as artists and creative writers, there is the stigma of accepting depression as a part of the artist’s life, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Together, we can grow a little more in tune with our mental health each day. Follow me on my blog for more posts about creating a life to enjoy fiction and fandom.