Why do mornings bring defeat?

[Ditapage]

Hi guys,

I've noticed a pattern in the depression and anxiety where at night I feel like tomorrow I will get up and go out and I feel good about it. When morning comes I wake up depressed, groggy, awful, unmotivated. Maybe things seem easier when it's dark out compared to the harsh reality of day. Does anyone else feel this way?

[SLA]

Yes.

Anxiety and depression always surface early in the day.

I set the alarm 40 minutes before I intend to get up. Then I lie there and just let my brain kinda wake up. Do some affirmations, and positive thinking, and then I get up.

I am slow to get up though, and 40 minutes seems to work for me. Others might benefit from less. :D

[Benisfked123]

Mornings and nights for me are the worst with my anxiety disorder. Just got to force yourself! Some day we will escape from it all

[lotusblossom]

Hi absolutely I do when I feel better in the evening I think right I will go in the garden and tidy up or I willhave a good clear out of things we haven't used in ages take them to the charity shop get the paint brushes out and go over the bits of the wall that look like they need a little bit of TLC and think right I will do it in the morning but the morning comes and none of it gets done its like ive got a completely different head on my shoulders all of the positivity has gone and I just cant be bothered I don't know why it happens but it does so I know exactly where your coming from

[tsmithcats]

I feel my anxiety more in the morning. Work is at 10am so I always feel a bit scared. I just need to find my comfort zone. So you are not alone in this.

[Ditapage]

Thanks for the replies, it really helps to read it's not just me. Lotus blossom I relate to that 100%. The night makes the next day look so full of opportunity, and when it comes I feel like I'll never change. Benisfcked : SO true, when I tell people how I feel in the morning they say I'm overthinking it, everyone feels like crap in the morning and maybe that's the problem, maybe expectations are too high, we want to feel good because we think it's normal, when mornings suck for the anxious and non anxious alike. But where the non anxious just don't want to do anything, the anxious feel like they can't which is where I'm at.

Depression/anxiety is a beast bigger than either of them separately. Depressed people can get up, shower and leave the house. I can get up, shower and still have agoraphobia because of anxiety. So the depression worsens because I can't do anything. Anxiety sucks on its own but depression causes an exhaustion that makes exposure therapy even harder. Anyway- I know the answer is DO IT. I don't know what other answer I'm looking for.

Thanks again guys :)

[Shazamataz]

I'm the same. Always feel better later in the day and start getting stuff done. Mornings I wake up feeling crap and wonder how I'm going to get through the day. I have 2 dogs so basically they make me get up and we always go for our long walk in the morning, whether I like it or not!

[Fishmanpa]

Just an interesting observation. I mentioned this in another thread.

Mornings, besides the physical things going on when we awaken, are a rude awakening.... literally. Especially when we're dealing with stress, unpleasant life situations, anxiety etc.

For me, especially in light of what I've been dealing with with my wife's illness, sleep was an escape of sorts. Yes, occasionally the days events and stresses would find their way into my dreams but for the most part, I escaped reality for a while. There's that split second or two of peaceful bliss and the reality sets in and BAM... there's that morning Ughhhh.

Positive thoughts

[Clydesdale Epona]

It varies from person to person I'd say.
I'm a huge night owl, it's when I get most of my work done because I seem to be more positive in a weird sense, I actually do the same as SLA and when I know I have to be/want to be up at a certain time I'll set my alarm about 20-25 minutes beforehand so I can wake up fully and have my little procrastination time x

[AntsyVee]

Sleep is a depressed person's best friend. It's the escape from the sadness and anxiety that can plague us throughout the day. That's why so many people, when depressed, can't get out of bed in the morning. As soon as you wake up, you remember all the crap that you've been dealing with, and it often can seem overwhelming and insurmountable.

The only thing that you can do is get up and make yourself start doing things, as impossible as it seems. Medication has helped me in the past when I've been in that stage of depression. It has helped me pull myself out of the rut. I've also resorted to motivational signs around my house in my darkest days. I've put a sign next to the clock that says, "Just get up. It won't be so bad. You can do it."

[Chasingmyowntail]

Yep. The nighttime feels infinite, like I can discover, imagine, invent, create, and dream. Then the morning comes and for a moment it's fresh and new and young, and then i look at my phone, see how much time i have before the job i hate starts, recall any anxiety or depression i had the day before and wonder which (what feel like) false hopes or ambitions i may be able to chip away at today within the small fragments of any personal free time i have.

[Ditapage]

Amazing post, chasingmyowntail. That just says it all. Thank you for putting into words how incredible the night can be!

It's funny: I asked some non anxious people this week the same question and they too sai they feel like they could go out and conquer the world the next day, at night and wake up feeling like nothing is possible. I found that very interesting. Something about the starry night sky, is so full of promise? Weird.

[SLA]

Probably because your mind has a valid excuse to procrastinate.

It's the end of the day, so... "yay! everything can be done tomorrow!!!"

Then you wake up, and "conquering the world" is suddenly staring you in the face.

A lot of anxiety is about expectations, and control.

Make a plan the night before of 3 key things you'd like to get done the next day. Make them the focus of your morning.

[viking111]

Hi!
I also become calm after like 8 pm. Mornings aren't so bad, but it is still lot worse than in evenings.

[Ljj44577]

That is one of the most resonating feelings I've had. It sucks.

[Bill]

Stress feeds anxiety so if you wake up dreading the day ahead, you'll immediately subconsciously start worrying about how you're going to get through it. That worry is caused by fear which causes anxious feelings which then feeds your stress making you feel ill which causes worry and more stress so you end up in a cycle until the day is over and you can relax a bit until the following morning when it all kicks off again.

For me, job satisfaction was one of the key elements to break the cycle because as soon as I found a job I enjoyed, I didn't fear getting up.

I know that even when find enjoyment, worries will surface throughout the day because our minds will always find something to worry about. The key to coping with them is not to dwell on them because the more you analyse the worry, the more ill you'll feel. Try to train your mind to focus on something else to help you forget the worry because anxiety only becomes a problem when you feed it by focusing on it. When you can learn to ignore it, it'll ignore you and you'll get up without feeling fear. Far from easy I know but if you can find ways to ease the stresses in your life by doing more of what you enjoy, it'll help.

[Fear-Not]

Oh yes I recognise this! I have battled morning anxiety all my days! Still trying to work out how to get on top of it but I do find that letting plenty light in first thing is a good start as dingy, dull surroundings are never going to help! I also think that setting things out for the next day is a good help! Even something like having your clothes laid out so that you can envisage the first step. I am thinking of getting a TV in my room so that I can doze through an episode of Friends and let it seep into my mind, beat off all the anxiety demons and fill my head with something cheery! xx