I don't know Maybe stop trying to not feel that way? Take the pressure off yourself, tell yourself that it does pass and the afternoon is usually better.

Avoid ruminating in bed. If I wake and I'm going through a patch like yours, I make myself get up and get a warm drink and maybe watch something on the TV (news if I'm up to it, some other channel if not).

Sorry I cant help more.

SB

Hey GG.

Sorry the mornings start is awful for you

I find it has helped me a little to set my alarm a little earlier so I don't have to rush anywhere.

I get up, grab my coffee and breaky and head back to bed (mainly cos it's winter and my room is warm - when it's summer and sunny, I grab a seat at the kitchen table in the sun).

I often log online (on here and another support site I belong too). If I'm not wanting to start the day with something 'heavy' I'll go to another message board that's local to where I live, that has a whole bunch of mix of things people post about - general discussion, gardening, books, tv, etc. and read about a whole lot of nothing.

When I used to get the newspaper I'd read that in bed.

Sometimes (like this morning) I will journal.

I snuggle with my fur babies (who all end u on my bed).

I am usually awake for a couple of hours before I need to get up, shower and dress etc. I enjoy the QUIET of the early morning - when it feels like the rest of the Woodard is still asleep. It's like the morning belongs just to me - no one else, so no anxiety or feeling of pressure to do or be anything


Other times however, when my mood is really really low - I find Having something to do for the day helps most. I'm self employed so can be a little flexible about when I start work. When my mood is really depressed, I NEED to organise work for first thing in the morning - I HAVE to get up out of bed, into shower. Like you - that's when my mood really drops BUT - if I force myself out of the house to work, it usually improves, at least while I'm working.

I like your idea of listening to upbeat music - do you have a particular artist you like, or group of songs that you enjoy?

Are out an animal lover? Do you like watching funny animal clips on utube?

Don't know if what music you lie, but Weird Al did a while bunch of parody music videos years ago, and some of them I find hilarious. (I downloaded the 'Amish Paradise' one onto my iPod and it cracks me up ["at 4:30 in the morning I'm milking cows, Jedidiah feeds the chickens and Jacob ploughs ... If you finish all your shores and I finishes thine, tonight we're gonna party like its 1699"]

When it comes to things that help you feel a teeny bit better (hobby like solo card games, cross stitch, gardening? Or nice things for you, like using a special shower gel, or nice perfume) can y weave them into the start of the day?

Thank you SB and ElizaJ for your responses.

ElizaJ I like your idea of the mornings belonging just to you before the anxieties of the day begin.

I think I will work on shifting my thinking. And thought I hate to exercise in the morning (I enjoy taking long walks along the lake) it is way to HOT where I live right now, I am going to do it anyway followed by a cool down in the pool. Exercise really helps me alot and being outside just starts the day right.

Thank you for sharing your morning routine. I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

When I have time, I like to journal about my dreams first thing when I wake up, while they are still fresh in my mind. First I write down the dream, then I list the thoughts and associations that come to mind, identify a theme, and work out an interpretation that leaves me with some questions for my waking self to mull over.

Some form of prayer is often part of my morning routine, too, but I find when my thoughts are out of control prayer is sometimes stressful because God becomes a target for my projections and it's basically like I'm talking to myself. When it's like that, I find using a prayer book helps. Just a thought.

Thank you for sharing HC.

My mornings the past three days have been alot better. I asked my doctor to change my sleeping medication and that alone has helped incredibly.

I have made it a point to have something planned for the day to get me out for a bit and get me moving so I don't have time to get stuck in my thoughts.

And I am trying to adopt ElizaJs great attitude for looking at the morning as being just for me. It feels like special time when I am having my coffee and surfing the net in the morning. I think for me it really comes down to having something to look forward to. Even if it just running to the store to get groceries in the morning or something.