Do you wake up every morning bouncing with energy and a smile, ready to take on the world?
Not so much. That’s okay. You are not alone. Especially now, I am one of the lucky ones in the waking and sleeping department, but lots of other people are reporting waking up in a state. And it’s called CAR for Cortisol Awakening Response:
“During the first 30 to 45 minutes that you are awake each day, cortisol levels spike, a phenomenon known as CAR, which can make you feel more stressed in the morning.”
As with most annoying things, there is likely a good reason why it’s so common, which is to say hardwired in, usually to help us survive and thrive.
In this case, the survival advantage would be that CAR activates our alertness and readiness for whatever chaos is waiting to pounce on that day. But too much of a good thing can be crippling, especially for the those whose cortisol is on already on high to begin with.
Too high prevents ready, willing and able to be, do, and feel much good at all—for ourselves let alone anyone else.
There are lots of tips and techniques online to tame your CAR. For example, there is guidance on acceptance, breakfast do’s and don’t’s, routines, and, I’m sorry, caution about that gorgeous cup of coffee you are looking at. Everything in moderation? I really hope that applies.
Another interesting website I found for you is called Read to Lead which offers guidance on a first thing in the morning read. This idea is part of The Morning Miracle too, but I am not sure—and you can comment below to let us know—how many people want to wake up and read?
So for those who may not like the idea of morning reading, here’s another idea. What if, before you went to bed, you made a list or mapped out your agenda for the next day.
Be sure to include a spot in there for the “unexpected,” which is to say…be sure to expect the unexpected so you and your cortisol don’t freak out and start the cycle of anxiety all over again.
Lots of options, take your pick, practice, practice, practice…and let us know what you think and find in the comments below.
Warm wishes,
Madelaine
I didn’t know about Cortisol Awakening Response upon wakening, an evolved morning response survival mechanism activating alertness and readiness. Upon reflection, I do think maybe I am familiar with this, but I remember someone who once told me a have used a different rubric to explain what I feel in that she said wen you wake up it takes some time for your Soul to return. That seemed familiar to me, but not so much as an alerting and readiness prep but almost the converse, i.e., needing a few moments to remember who you are and what you’re up to (in your life, perhaps?) so you can resume your “Self” after a night’s suspended animation and dreamwork. That might not be such a benefit if there is reason to believe you aren’t entirely as satisfied with being who you are. Maybe instead cultivating a habit of mindfully meditating could be a forward looking rehearsal of how you want to be, but I don’t know if I feel even secure enough in myself to try rehearsing for someone new (a New Me?). I just check the gauges and kick the tires to make sure I’m still in running condition to put the key in the ignition.