How to Stop Waking Up Angry: Effective Strategies

Waking up angry can disrupt your day, but effective strategies like journaling, meditation, lifestyle adjustments, and professional therapy empower individuals to manage this emotion, transforming their mornings into a calmer, more productive start with the right support.

Ever wake up feeling a surge of anger for no clear reason? Waking up angry is more common than you think, but it doesn’t have to dictate your day. Discover effective strategies to understand and manage your morning emotions, so you can start each day with a fresh perspective and renewed energy.

How Do I Stop Waking Up Angry?

Your alarm clock blares and you immediately feel your hackles rise. The noise is grating, your body is dragging itself awake, and you feel angry. No matter how much coffee you pour, or how many songs you play, you just seem to keep feeling anger.

While anger can feel uncomfortable, it can be overcome. Engaging in healthier habits, receiving help from professionals such as licensed clinical social workers, and actively working to improve your mental state can all go a long way in making sure that anger is not the primary emotion you feel upon waking, but is instead relegated back to its rightful place on the spectrum of your emotions, rather than the driving force behind your day.

Understanding Morning Anger

Waking up angry usually involves several factors, including your thought patterns, mental state, physical health, and lifestyle choices. Making changes to some of these areas – or even all of these areas – can help mitigate some of the anger you feel upon waking.

While anger has a reputation as being a spur-of-the-moment, large, and uncontrollable emotion, anger can also function as a low hum, almost like a background emotion, that can negatively color your entire day.

Effective Strategies to Manage Morning Anger

Far from being something that you should repress or ignore, anger is something that is best managed actively.

Feeling and expressing anger are both healthy; it is when anger becomes constant, uncontrolled, or even uncomfortable that intervention becomes necessary.

Interventions vary but often include a combination of therapy with licensed clinical social workers, physical health interventions, lifestyle changes, and relaxation techniques.

Self-Reflection Through Journaling

One of the most important ways to reduce anger is to identify why you are angry, and whether there are any patterns or circumstances preceding your anger. Even when anger seems constant, some people find that journaling reveals a catalyst for prolonged bouts of anger, or they can identify something that triggers or worsens existing anger. Journaling can help you get to know yourself and your thought processes just a little bit better in order to more thoroughly understand how your anger begins, swells, and progresses.

Journaling can be done in the morning, at night, or at both times. You can use your evening journaling routine to detail the events of your day, any outbursts of anger you might have had, and any additional feelings that came along with your anger. Morning journaling can be used to identify exactly how you feel, what seems to prompt the anger you wake up with, and whether there is anything that can lessen your feelings. It can also help mitigate the intensity of your feelings when waking up angry.

Embracing Meditative Practices

Meditation can take on many different forms. It can mean sitting on a cushion, clearing your mind, and focusing on your breath. It can also mean walking in nature, taking time to tune in to your own inner voice and ideas, or even practicing yoga, tai chi, or another form of physical movement. Regardless of the way it is delivered, meditation is an important part of maintaining physical, emotional, and mental health.

Addressing Physical Health Factors

For some, anger is a direct result of physical ailments. Chronic pain, unexplained health issues, and perpetual discomfort or fear can all play a huge role in prompting anger. If you have any physical ailments or sources of pain, take care of yourself by visiting a doctor and seeking answers and treatment.

You may also change your exercise schedule. Exercise has many benefits, and it can even improve your mood. Try different forms of exercise to find one that works best for you. Some people swear by running, others prefer yoga, and some people find that their strength, confidence, and mood heightens with weightlifting. Whatever you decide, just ensure it’s an activity that you enjoy.

Developing Healthy Sleep Routines

Sleep disorders can be a common reason for unexplained anger and waking up angry. Creating rituals and routines around bedtime can be helpful in encouraging deep, restful sleep. These may also help you avoid waking up at unusual times in the middle of the night. Although the exact routine you choose is not important, some strategies include not using electronics (specifically screened electronics) before bed, and giving yourself time to wind down before sleeping.

Starting Your Day with Purpose

It is often tempting to linger just a bit longer in bed – but this can actually set you back each morning. Getting out of bed as soon as you wake up tells your body and brain that it is time to wake up, while lingering in bed and hitting snooze can signal to your brain that it is time to sleep, which can make you feel groggy, drowsy, and out of sorts. Getting up immediately will help your body and brain catch up with being awake and potentially ward off feelings of anger.

Prioritizing Nutritional Balance

For some, waking up angry is a result of blood sugar drops or spikes during sleep. This can be easily remedied by eating a filling, healthy breakfast. Skipping breakfast altogether can perpetuate the cycle of blood sugar dips and spikes, as can grabbing the closest sugary, nutrient-light object you can find. Instead, opt for breakfast with plenty of protein, fiber, and nutrients.

Seeking Professional Mental Health Support

Waking up angry can be a symptom of other mental health conditions. Personality disorders, depression, and anxiety can all carry anger as a symptom, and psychotherapy has proven effective for each of these conditions. Therapy with a licensed clinical social worker can be customized to fit your exact needs and can be as long or as brief as you’d like; it is up to you to take control of your mental health, and mental health providers offer personalized services according to your goals.

Organizing Your Thoughts and Day

Creating a to-do list (or even a “what to expect” list) can help settle your emotions when waking up angry, as it can take the surprises out of your day. Knowing ahead of time what needs to be done can give you the ability to look forward to the day ahead of you. If you don’t have anything in particular to do, you can make a list of what you’d like to do or where you’d like to go.

Making a list of things you are grateful for, too, can prove to be a helpful exercise as gratitude journaling has been shown to reduce depression and maintain mental health.

Establishing a Consistent Morning Routine

Just as it helps to create a night routine, you may benefit from creating a morning routine. This can include making yourself coffee or tea, taking time to journal, and having plenty of time to relax and meditate. While you should focus on incorporating activities that you enjoy, checking your phone is one thing to avoid first thing in the morning. Doing so can force your body into a state of alertness and potentially overwhelm you or contribute to angry feelings.

The Value of Professional Support

Anger can be an uncomfortable feeling that many of us would rather live without. While it’s completely natural to feel angry from time to time, there are also techniques that can help reduce anger. In particular, studies have shown that psychotherapy is an effective method of treating anger. Research also suggests that roughly 75% of people receiving anger management therapy improved as a result.

ReachLink’s telehealth services connect you with licensed clinical social workers who can help you develop effective anger management strategies. Our video-based therapy sessions make it easy to get the support you need without having to deal with the stress of commuting to an appointment, which could potentially worsen feelings of anger. You can access professional guidance from the comfort of your own home, at times that work best for your schedule.

Client Success Story

“In just a short amount of time, my ReachLink therapist has been a tremendous help with my anger issues. She gave me some great suggestions to help with my anger and frustration in the present moment that also didn’t take a lot of time (which is great as a parent). It has been truly rewarding working with her.”

Takeaway

Anger is a natural emotion that we all feel occasionally. However, waking up angry can feel uncomfortable and potentially ruin the rest of your day. There are many reasons why you might wake up angry, and just as many techniques for improving your mood upon waking.

In addition to creating a more pleasing nighttime and morning routine, you can reduce feelings of anger and improve your mood with therapy from licensed clinical social workers. ReachLink can help connect you with a therapist to work through your feelings and identify effective coping strategies that fit your unique situation and lifestyle.