NEW YORK — As the first light of morning comes through the windows of my Brooklyn apartment, my Apple Watch vibrates with a warning: “Elevated heart rate detected while at rest.” Creating a morning routine to manage anxiety has become essential for starting the day feeling grounded.
At 6:07 AM, my body has already entered a state of alertness. Neurologists refer to this condition as “anticipatory anxiety,” which has been increasingly common in America since the epidemic. Integrating an effective morning routine for anxiety management is critical.
The Morning Anxiety Outbreak
Research done together by Columbia University and the National Institute of Mental Health in 2025 found that 68% of American individuals now feel very anxious within 30 minutes of waking up, up from 42% in 2019.
The research indicates that people in this country are waking up to panic episodes instead of alarms.
Dr. Rebecca Stern, who is responsible for anxiety research at NYU Langone, said, “What we’re seeing is a catastrophic mismatch between our nervous systems and modern life.”
Before we even get out of bed, business emails and social media alerts take over the cortisol waking reaction, which was supposed to help hunter-gatherers survive each day.
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The Science Behind Morning Panic
6:00–8:00 AM: Cortisol levels rise naturally (up to 50% higher)
+15 minutes: Checking your phone releases a lot of dopamine, interrupting your anxiety morning routine.
+30 minutes: The stress hormone cascade starts
A Day in the Life of anxiety morning routine
6:15 AM: What psychiatrists term “catastrophizing in bed” is the first thing I do in the morning to deal with my anxiety. I think about every imaginable job catastrophe before I get out of bed. Studies suggest that 83% of professionals do this worrying practice before sunrise.
At 7:30 AM, the Atlantic Avenue subway station turns into an accidental exposure treatment session. According to a 2025 MTA poll, 61% of commuters feel more anxious during rush hour.
The most popular reasons for this are
Delays on trains (72%)
Crowding (68%)
Behavior that can’t be predicted (53%)
10:00 PM: Despite my exhaustion, my mind replays the day’s discussions like a humiliating TikTok scroll. According to Harvard sleep research, this “nighttime rumination” makes worried people sleep an average of 42 minutes later.
Solutions that are based on science
The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Method (Updated Protocol for 2025)
The trauma experts at Johns Hopkins came up with this strategy, which presently includes:
5. Name everything you can see (talk about their color and feel)
4: Find noises in the background (mark sources that are close and far away)
3: Move your body in little ways, like wiggling your toes or rolling your shoulders.
2: Breathe in and out with a smell (essential oils work best)
1. Intentionally taste anything (like mint or tea)
Dr. Stern says, “The multisensory approach makes neural interrupts stronger than other methods to combat morning routine anxiety.”
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The Commuter’s Survival Kit
After I had a panic attack on the Q train last winter, I collaborated with Mount Sinai’s anxiety experts to come up with
Earplugs that block out noise (Vibes High-Fidelity, $25)
Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty has a tactile fidget ring for $12.
The “Subway Survival” series from Insight Timer is a meditation app that comes pre-loaded.
David Chen, a financial analyst who took part in our month-long experiment, says, “The combination reduced my commute anxiety by 60%.” A well-planned routine can also aid anxiety in the morning.
The Sleep-Anxiety Paradox: Anxiety Morning Routine
The 2025 Sleep Study in Columbia showed a vicious cycle:
Anxiety → Sleep problems → More anxiety → More sleep problems
The “Cognitive Shuffle” method is the answer to the problem.
Think of a 5-letter word and spell it backwards.
Think about each letter in a different color and typeface.
Do it again with a different word until you fall asleep.
“It takes up enough working memory to stop rumination,” says Dr. Amit Patel, a sleep researcher.
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Changes in Readers: Anxiety Morning Routine
Maria G., 28, Teacher: “I went from having panic attacks at 3 AM to sleeping through the night by using the scent-anchoring technique, which is putting lavender oil on my wrists when I practice diaphragmatic breathing.” *
James L., 35, Software Engineer: “The ‘commuter cocoon’ approach changed everything: I put on a sweatshirt, put in earbuds, and imagined a real cocoon surrounding me. In a month, my cortisol levels went down by 30%.”
It’s your turn to join our Anxiety Reset Challenge.
We’re starting a 7-day program next Monday that will include anxiety morning routine
✓ Video instructions in the morning and evening
✓ Live Q&A with anxiety experts
✓ A toolbox that you may change depending on your symptoms
To take part, please comment below. It is helpful to commit to a structured morning routine to alleviate anxiety.
What is the most common sign of your anxiety?
Which solution do you find most intriguing?
Tag someone who could use this. Expert comments will accompany some of the answers in our Sunday print edition.
