Mornings filled with anxiety can be linked to many factors. Learn to identify them to keep your anxiety at bay.

Anxiety is far from a pleasant feeling. And feeling overwhelmed by a wave of nervousness and anxiety as soon as you wake up is certainly one of the worst ways to start the day. Many factors can influence morning stress. Some are obvious: an interview, an exam, or an important event. But if you wake up feeling anxious on a regular basis, the reasons may be more subtle. Here is some information that can help you see more clearly:

1. Lifestyle

Sleep quality, alcohol consumption, smoking and diet have a direct influence on mental health. For people with anxiety disorders, lack of sleep exacerbates stress because the brain needs rest to replenish itself. Heavy alcohol consumption the night before causes the release of cortisol (the stress hormone) and adrenaline to eliminate toxins. The result: waking up feeling nervous or anxious.

Also note that if you smoke, nicotine withdrawal, which begins during the night, can cause morning restlessness. Finally, if you experience anxiety upon waking, take a look at your late-night eating habits, especially when it comes to caffeine. Coffee, tea, soda and chocolate can disrupt sleep. Consuming a lot of coffee or fatty foods in the morning, as well as a complete lack of food, can also cause anxiety.

2. Anxiety Disorders

Constantly waking up with anxiety could be a sign of a generalized anxiety disorder. You can consult a health professional to learn how to better manage this condition. Simple techniques can help. If you feel full of negative thoughts when you wake up, you can write these thoughts down in a notebook to avoid dwelling on them all day. Have you experienced an uncomfortable social situation? Social anxiety is very common. Try not to be too hard on yourself and get out of the bed quickly so you don’t over-analyze the problem.

3. The Phone

Many of us use the smartphone as our alarm clock in the morning. But when we get into this habit, the day starts by checking emails, messages, news feeds and/or social networks. This overwhelming flow of information can make us feel oppressed and anxious. Why not go back to the old alarm clock and leave the phone in the living room before going to bed?