#050 How to Stop Morning Anxiety

Many people just like you, my clients in the Nafs Transformation programme have shared their experience of the recurring problem of waking up feeling anxious, on edge, disrupting their day right from the outset. 

In this episode, we deal with this common experience many of us face: waking up with this sense of unease and anxiety, which sets the tone for the rest of the day. 

What You’ll Learn in this Podcast:

1. The ramifications when you’re constantly waking up into this state of anxiety, unease, or feeling on edge.
2. How to take a step back to regain your control.
3. The effective methods of using the powerful Sunnah of gratitude to shift into a positive mindset.
4. How to beat anxiety and create the life you want through the Science of the Nafs.

Mentioned on the Podcast: (Click on Links)

• Nafs Coaching School
• Mind Health & Relationship training (Free Training & Newsletter)

The Crossover from Anxiety to Calm

This dreaded feeling we have in the mornings often catches us off guard and disrupts our plans and productivity for the entire day ahead.

Picture waking up and immediately feeling a surge of anxiety and unease. This unsettling feeling can impact all aspects of our lives, but especially our relationships. 

It impacts the way we raise our kids. You find yourself always snapping or trying to avoid them. Our relationships are adversely affected and we don’t know how to break this cycle. 

This problem isn’t solely isolated to just our parenting, husbands and wives relationships, but across the whole spectrum of our lives.

Many of my clients have complained of strained relationships with their colleagues, spouses, siblings, or they’re just generally struggling to stay connected with everyone. 

Even though they’ve always been considered as social, yet all of a sudden, something happens and it all goes pear-shaped and it impacts everything. 

However, if you’re prepared and willing to actually take a step back, then we’ve passed the first hurdle. You’ve come to the realisation!

This persistent feeling of anxiety can lead us to view every area of our lives through a negative lens, which can cause us to self-sabotage behaviours.

I speak from experience. There was a time when I’d wake up with this feeling and it would effectively ruin my morning, my afternoon, and in many instances my whole day. 

I would be so upset with myself for this, but then I would be upset for the whole morning. 

Here’s the thing. There is nothing that cannot be solved.

Allah (swt) has given us everything that we need within the Quran and Sunnah.

Sometimes we need a bit of mentoring, sometimes we need a bit of coaching and leadership. Whatever you need, whether it’s therapy, mentoring, whatever that may be, we have it all, it’s there. 

Of course, it requires some effort on your part, because nothing good in life comes without effort. 

If you want to create a life that you love, it requires effort, but it doesn’t require so much effort that you hate your life. 

The number one thing I want you to take away from this, and it’s the game changer in all of this, and thats; 

When you wake up and you have that feeling, just stop. Take a breather, say, “Alhamdulillah”, and do as the Messenger of Allah (saw) advised us to do. 

Begin your day with the Tasbeeh, remembering Allah, being grateful, and with the Tahmeed, saying “Alhamdulillah.”

By intentionally starting our day with gratitude, we lay the foundation for a positive mindset. When we focus on the blessings in our lives, we counteract the negative emotions that may have dominated our thoughts upon waking up.

When you begin your day with gratitude, it will change your life. There is a reason why this is a Sunnah, and something the Prophet (saw) instructed us to do.

To truly benefit from the practice of gratitude, consistency is key. Forming a habit of starting and ending our day with gratitude helps anchor us in positivity. 

Morning anxiety may be a common occurrence, but it doesn’t have to determine the entire course of our day. All it takes is a shift in mindset, refusing to succumb to blame and self-sabotage, and focusing on gratitude.

Give it a try! Trying it once, twice, or thrice is not sufficient. 

With consistent effort and dedication, we can transform the start of our day, week, month or even year from anxiety to gratitude and positivity inshaAllah.