Whether you have been teaching since the overhead projector days or you’re a fresh-faced newbie, different events can trigger anxiety long after your first day jitters have settled. Want to feel calm and at peace? After reading, you’ll:

understand why a morning routine is important for managing anxiety.

find activities to try in your morning routine.

Use a Morning Routine to Manage Your Teaching Anxiety

Why Should You Have a Morning Routine?

We all know that it’s not healthy to begin your morning running through a mental list of negativity.

Instead of picking up your phone first thing in the morning, it’s best to start your day off with good thoughts and positivity.

Using a morning routine can be a good way to ease anxiety.

According to Marty Nemko, author of How to Do Life: What They Didn’t Teach You in School, a routine is “something you know you can do well. Modern life, increasingly defined by unpredictability, can be anxiety-provoking, and routines provide an anchor of predictability.”

Structuring Routines Will:

Put you in control of how you start your day, making other daily tasks more manageable
Allow you to prioritize your self-care and other responsibilities in your schedule
Promote mindfulness instead of triggering anxiety by focusing on events that may or may not happen

What to Include in Your Routine

Teachers have never-ending lists of personal and professional responsibilities. We often have a difficult time trying to fit everything in.

To ensure that your morning routine will be successful, activities should be quick and simple.

Start by creating a list of possible morning activities that will bring you joy.

Journaling

Journaling has been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety.

According to The University of Rochester Medical Center, “when you have a problem, and you're stressed, keeping a journal can help you identify what’s causing that stress or anxiety. Once you’ve identified your stressors, you can work on a plan to resolve the problems and reduce your stress.”

You can also keep a gratitude journal.

In the morning, write 3 things that you are looking forward to doing that day. At night, write 3 things that you are grateful for.

If you’re really struggling with a certain aspect of your life, it can really help change your mindset if you can find 1 thing about the person or situation that brings you gratitude. What lessons can you gain from this situation?

Prayer or Mediation

Setting aside quiet time for morning prayer or meditation are also calming, reflective activities to incorporate into your routine.

An article from the Mayo Clinic suggests that, “meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that benefits both your emotional well-being and your overall health. And these benefits don't end when your meditation session ends. Meditation can help carry you more calmly through your day and can even improve certain medical conditions.”

If you’re looking for some inspiration on how to make a quiet and peaceful space, click here to learn How to Create the Ultimate Relaxing Home Meditation Room.

Keep a gratitude journal to reduce morning anxiety.

Other Stress Reducing Activities

Start the day social media free
Use exercise to promote happiness and a healthy well-being
Create a playlist of songs that pump you up
Dance to your favorite songs while you get ready
Read a book that will motivate you

Plan Your Morning Routine

Create a list of 2 or 3 activities that you want to incorporate into your morning routine.

Decide on a time frame for each activity. Adjust your current schedule to accommodate your new routine. Make sure that your sleep schedule is not compromised.

At first, it may feel like you are giving up sleep or time scrolling through social media, but the time that you’re setting aside each day is necessary to ensure that you are getting your emotional needs met.

Get ready to start putting yourself first, and give your new routine a try!

Check In and Follow Through

After you have had time to develop your morning routine, spend some time reflecting on how it’s going.

How are you feeling in the morning?
What activities are bringing you the most stress and anxiety relief?
Should you spend more time on something?
Do you need to try something new?

Once you have a solid foundation on your routine, make sure to follow through for yourself. You deserve to start the day off feeling recharged and ready to take care of the responsibilities of the day.

Having a morning routine puts you in control of your thoughts and emotions. Instead of feeling anxious the moment your eyes open, you will feel at ease because you get to wake up doing things that bring you happiness and joy.