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Did you know your cortisol level is higher in the morning when you wake up? Cortisol is the stress hormone, which tends to be lower in the evenings as your body tries to wind down for bed. Before you wake in the morning, cortisol levels rise to help prepare you for the day. This is an indicator of morning anxiety. However, in some people who suffer from chronic stress, cortisol levels may be too high and cause high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, muscle tension, weight gain, and high blood sugar. If you wake up with symptoms of high cortisol levels as well as heart palpitations, trembling, or dizziness, you could be dealing with morning anxiety. You can manage chronic anxiety with a few lifestyle habits. Tips for Overcoming Morning Anxiety Study a new devotional Starting your day with Jesus at the center will set the tone. Reading His word feeds your spirit, reassures you about His promises, and dispels fears. When you make God the priority first thing in the morning, you can feel His presence in your life and your circumstances. He knows everything that is happening, and He is working behind the scenes for your good and His purpose. Spend a few minutes reading a devotional and studying the Bible in the morning. If you want to dive deeper, choose a devotional for the mornings and a Bible app devotional in the evenings to end your day on a good note. Practice yoga or stretching Morning anxiety leads to muscle tension in the upper back, shoulder, neck, and jaw. You can soothe these tense spots by practicing yoga poses or deep stretching for a few minutes in the morning. Try stretching in bed before rising, feeling your muscles tense, and relaxing. Breathe deeply through the stretches. If [...]

We’ve all seen the movie where the hero is a brave person who doesn’t show any signs of anxiety. They are praised that their hands aren’t shaking even with a gun to their head and their face isn’t beet red as they dual for the win. Our modern society praises heroes like this and in doing so, reinforces our inner dialogs that anxiety is the opposite of bravery. It reinforces that anxiety equals weakness and that it should be fixed. Those fictional movies of profound heroism are great for selling out theaters, but they aren’t realistically portraying fear, anxiety, and bravery. They aren’t showing the profound anxiety that precedes the act large of heroism. Likewise, they skip the pulsing heart and the internal dialog that the hero must face before fighting the giant or making the life altering decision. They make heroism seem like an act someone does without fear, instead of an act someone does despite their fears and anxiety. Now, apply this concept of bravery to your own life. Is it a sign of weakness that you are afraid to make a speech in front of your classmates? Feeling anxious before public speaking is natural and is perhaps a sign of inexperience, but it is not a sign of weakness. Are you weak because you feel anxiety about a failed relationship? Of course not. Anxiety over human relationships is a sign that you care about the people in your life. Should you be embarrassed that you’re too anxious to get out of bed and face the day? Absolutely not. This anxiety you feel doesn’t mean that you’re too emotionally or mentally weak to face the day. It is a natural response to your circumstances. If anxiety isn’t weakness, what is it? Anxiety is a natural response to [...]