Why Do Anxiety Symptoms Feel Worse in the Morning?

If you’ve ever woken up feeling more anxious in the morning than at any other time of day, you’re not alone. Many people experience heightened anxiety symptoms in the morning, and it can be frustrating when you don’t understand why.

As a Three Principles Practitioner, I want to help you see this experience in a new light - one that brings more peace and clarity. In fact, I shared a voice note with one of our members last week on this very topic (you can find it inside OUR Membership if you'd like to explore this further with me!)

Understanding Morning Anxiety: What’s Really Happening?

Your body is designed to help you wake up and get going. When you sleep, your system slows down, and in the morning, nature gives you a little boost of adrenaline to help you transition from rest to wakefulness. This is completely normal.

However, if you’re already feeling anxious or stressed, your body may have an excess of adrenaline. So when you wake up and your body naturally releases that extra boost, you feel it more intensely - sometimes as racing thoughts, a fast heartbeat, dizziness, or a general sense of unease.

It’s not that something is wrong; it’s simply that your body’s natural wake-up process is interacting with an already heightened state of alertness.

A New Way to See Your Anxiety Symptoms

Rather than seeing these sensations as something to fear, I invite you to view them as a kind and gentle message from your body. When I'm talking with my members, I like to call them love letters from your body - a way of letting you know that you might need to slow down and become present.

Your body isn’t working against you; it’s working for you. It’s letting you know that there’s already extra adrenaline in your system, and when your usual morning wake-up boost kicks in, it feels like too much. But just as it comes, it will also pass as your anxious thoughts settle and your body returns to balance.

What Can You Do When Anxiety Feels Worse in the Morning?

1. Recognise what’s happening. Your body is simply giving you a natural boost to start the day, and if you already have excess adrenaline, you’ll feel it more. But that doesn’t mean anything is wrong.

2. Slow down and become present. Instead of getting caught up in anxious thoughts about why you feel this way, take it as a signal to pause. Breathe, stretch, or take a moment to ground yourself.

3. Trust that this feeling will pass. As your anxious thoughts settle, so will the physical sensations. Your body knows what to do, and you don’t need to fight it.

You’re Not Alone – Find More Peace and Understanding

If morning anxiety feels overwhelming, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Inside my membership, I share The Three Principles in a simple and accessible way, helping you to understand what it really means to be human, how your thoughts create your feelings, and how to find more peace, joy, and calm in everyday life.

Come and join a community that supports you in reducing overwhelm and seeing your experience in a completely new way - one that leads to freedom from stress and anxiety.